A Suitable Rival

“I could’ve taken them all I didn’t need your help”. Adeline said sitting on the couch in Harrison’s office, holding a bag of peas over her eye. Marjorie closed the freezer door and walked back into the office handing two to Harrison who put one on his nose and the other on his knuckles. Marjorie took the last one and opened it over a pan on the stove, mixed vegetables spilling out and hitting the oil as she tossed in some chicken and seasonings. “Shut up and be grateful we were there.” Harrison said laying out on the couch. “If we hadn’t been there that big guy would’ve beat your tiny butt back to whatever hole you crawled out of.”

The fight itself was brutal. After destroying several hundred dollars’ worth of property and smashing the blonde guy through a pool table they were kicked out of the restaurant, continuing the fight outside. The Golem pilots retreated leaving the traitor Adeline behind and before Harrison could take off with Marjorie, Marjorie offered to patch her up back here. “Once you’re situated you can go you know, I don’t want you stinking up the place with your bad attitude.” Harrison said wincing as he brushed past his injury with his arm. Now Adeline don’t pay him no mind. He knows very well how it’s like to be on a team where no one likes you now don’t you Harrison.

Harrison let out a grunt as Marjorie came around lifting Harrison’s head and resting it in his lap as she sat down. In one hand she carried a rag and the other she carried a bottle of rubbing alcohol. “Now this is gonna sting, suck it up she said.” Quickly dousing the rag and placing it on Harrison’s nose. Harrison tried to sit up, cursing like a sailor the whole time but Marjorie held him down by his chest making sure he wasn’t going anywhere. Adeline chuckled at Harrison’s misfortune but wasn’t prepared for just how quickly Marjorie made her way over to her and did the same to the cuts around her eye. Cursing her up and down just like Harrison had. Harrison laughed at her as he put the bag back over his face laying his head back down on the couch.

“So why are you going around picking fights with your team Adeline, isn’t that counterproductive for trying to get fights?” Harrison said. Adeline shot him a dirty glance past her compact mirror, checking the cuts and bruises before shutting it and shooting back. “Like you’re one to talk you twiddly git. I overheard in the park earlier that you weren’t too friendly with your teammates either.” Harrison took his bag of peas off and glared at Adeline. “Yeah so it’s true, but I’m still not picking fights with people twice my size.” Adeline flipped him the bird and got to her feet, walking towards his bedroom door to use the bathroom. “You better not get your grubby little hands on any of my stuff.” He snapped at her. “YoU bEtTeR nOt ToUcH aNy oF mY sTuFf.” Adeline said back in a mocking tone before slamming the bedroom door behind her. “LIKE ANY OF THIS JUNK IS WORTH IT.” She yelled through the door before another door slammed, presumably the bathroom door.

Harrison shot a desperate look at Marjorie in the doorway of the kitchen as she stirred the chicken stir fry. “Oh don’t look at me like that Harrison we weren’t just gonna leave an injured girl in the park.” Harrison jumped to his feet and rushed over to Marjorie who was bringing out plates and silverware for three. “But Marjorie that’s not a girl that’s a monster. I don’t know why she hates me but she does and if she’s gonna dish it I’m gonna return it.” Harrison ran to the blinds and peeked through them looking at his new mech. “What if she’s here to sabotage my new mech, keep me out of the game for good. Florence will blame me and kick me off the team. I’d be ruined.” Harrison said playfully overexaggerating the seriousness of this decision. “If that were the case you wouldn’t have decided to help her regardless, but you did. So the only person you have to blame here is yourself. Can you take these to the table?” Marjorie handed Harrison a tray of chicken with mixed vegetables and rice and he went to dish out the place mats in the dining room, only just realizing that Adeline was staying for dinner. “Marjorie please c’mon, on our first date she has to stick around?” He said almost genuinely whining. “What a strong man I’ve bagged. Can’t even realize when a do over is necessary. Today’s date is cancelled, replaced with this sit in dinner. It’s nothing special because you had nothing special in your fridge.” Harrison filled a couple glasses with water from the fridge contemplating spitting in Adeline’s but pulling back.

Marjorie getting serious for a moment came up behind Harrison and hugged him from behind. “I’m sorry things didn’t go as planned tonight. Let’s try it again sometime in a place with a little less distractions floating around.” Harrison sighed letting go of his apprehension and apologized to Marjorie. “I just want us to start off on the right foot Marj. And so far something always gotten in the way.” Marjorie laughed and let go of him getting silverware from the drawer and quickly passing them around the table to all the placemats. “It’s been a day Harrison we’ll have more time to ourselves soon.” Marjorie came back around to Harrison and lifted his head. “And I know you’ll pick something wonderful.” Marjorie leaned in for a kiss and Harrison reciprocated, but they were interrupted by Adeline opening the bedroom door. “Wow you two would really suck face with a guest in the house, right over the food too? You Chicagoans are bold for that.” Marjorie and Harrison shrunk away from each other as Adeline made her way to a seat at the table.

The three started to eat in silence as Harrison glared at Adeline and Adeline returned the favor, Marjorie sat in the middle feeling as if imaginary bullets were flying past her head. The silence continued until Harrison broke it with his charming nature. “So Adeline, what was it that guy called you when you were biting his leg? Tuesday or something? Was that that creepy girl from that one show..” Adeline slammed her utensils on the table and flew across the table as she and Harrison began to tussle around the room. Marjorie standing up and hitting both with a rolled-up magazine and dragging them by the ear back to the table. The silence continued until Adeline broke it this time around with a bold question. “So what kind of man gets a handout from his rival for date night, is money that tight?” Harrison then slammed his hands on the table flying around the side kicking Adeline out of her chair, the tussle resuming.

Marjorie stood up and walked over to a broom closet and smacked both Harrison and Adeline with a broom, sweeping them back into their seats. The silence resumed as they continued eating. Harrison broke the silence again but before he could get a word out Marjorie took out her kitchen knife and stabbed it into the table. Looking at him with a beaming smile until he thought twice about saying what he was going to say. The dinner resuming as normally as expected. Harrison waited a while before bringing up his next question, remembering a bit more serious of a topic from earlier he’d like to address while he had Adeline here. “So, Adeline,” He started. Marjorie turning to him and holding up her knife with a delightful, closed eye smile. Harrison held up his hand to lower the knife and resumed his question. “Why did you visit me earlier today? I can still feel that punch you gave me.” Adeline glared at him finishing her bite of food before speaking. “I came to visit you to give you a piece of my mind. You not only broke my mechs arm but humiliated me in front of everyone, you didn’t even give me the dignity of a respectful first match.” She took another bite and put it in her cheek not even bothering to chew before she continued. “Then I come in here and they’re all crowded around you and I can’t even get to you so I get even more fed up and punched you.”

Harrison sat tall in his chair thinking of his response. She was obviously mad about her arm which was understandable, but the move wasn’t illegal it was just for flavor for the audience. But it was unnecessary. “Alright, I understand your grievance. I apologize for making you look stupid in front of the world.” Adeline turned up her nose and looked around the room. “Apology accepted.” She said quietly. Marjorie let out a tense breath she was holding in and resumed eating. “Wow both of them can be reasonable who knew.” She thought to herself checking her phone, nearly choking when she looked at the time. “Damn, Harrison I have to go my moms vacating our box right now.” Marjorie said standing up and rushing around the apartment getting her things. Harrison disappointed but more frightened about being left alone with Adeline got up too and tried to convince her to stay.

“Marjorie we both know how capable your mother is why not stay a bit longer.” Marjorie smirked at Harrison as she continued to put her stuff in her purse before giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. “You’ll be fine Harrison, just don’t be an ass and send her home when you want to go to bed.” Marjorie opened the door to the catwalk turning to Harrison before closing the door. “Despite how today went. I’m proud of you. I’ll see you soon.” The door closed before Harrison could get a word in edgewise. He turned back to his dinner before the door opened and Marjorie peaked her head back in. “Be NICE.” She yelled, slamming the door again. Harrison sat back down in his eat the silence truly resuming with Marjorie’s absence. Adeline had finished her food and was now twiddling one of her braids, looking around the room before her eyes settled on the wires hanging from the ceiling. “So when I suckerpunched you earlier what was that thing you were hooked into?” She said breaking the tension.

Harrison looked at her hesitantly wondering if she was setting him up but realized he didn’t care enough to truly take precaution and told her. “It’s a reviewing headset, I use it to review my matches and see where I could have performed better. Or where my opponent noticed me slipping up and decided to go in.” Harrison looked over at his desk and saw the wires hanging down over his seat, the headset still missing. “So why were you so out of it when the helmet came off. It was like you weren’t all there. I couldn’t even enjoy smacking you around.” Marjorie replied finishing her meal, pushing her plate to the center of the table. “The replay roots into your brain and commandeers several or your brains processing and motor functions to help recreate the fight. If you don’t take it off correctly the brain has to readjust to the world around it slowly and painfully. Thanks for that by the way.” Harrison got a little impatient wondering why she was still here if she finished her food. He was debating if he should slap his knees and say ‘Whelp, it’s been a long day’, but he wanted to see where she was going wit this line of questioning.

“Sounds kind of dangerous. Why not just watch videos of your fight and gage it from there? That wont liquify your brain until you’ve seen it a couple hundred times at least.” Adeline said getting out of her seat and heading over to his desk. “Oh it is dangerous. Most of the headsets were made from a new age security unit called Hexus, my dad took me out to pilot one but the helmet shorted me and burnt some synapses in my head, needed two surgeries to get it fixed and two years of physical therapy.” Harrison parted his hair on the side of his head as Adeline approached him, seeing a large scar that wrapped around the top of his head from behind. “That’s actually pretty neat Harrison, I thought you had as much personality as a brick when it came to fights, but this is surprising.” Adeline said sitting back in her seat. “That still doesn’t explain why you still use this review tech knowing firsthand how dangerous it is. You stupid or something?”

Harrison shuffled his hair back to cover the scar before responding. “When I first got the Pilgrim, I noticed that the surgeries didn’t truly fix the issue. Whenever I review from a mechs recordings I run the risk of accessing the mechs private drive. It’s not intentional but, when the headset connects to me it implants those false memories in my head as if I had been there. That’s how I know who the original owner of the Pilgrim is and where it served during the war.” Harrison said standing up and clearing the table. Adeline cast him a look of disbelief as she thought of ways to poke holes in his theory. “B.S, if you were able to do that, they’d never let you pilot a mech. The strength of mind form and all that.” She said yelling a bit louder as Harrison entered the kitchen. Adeline paused for a minute then turned back in her chair to face him. “And even if it was true, why would you tell me that? You don’t like me so why give me this information. If I could verify it, I could get you kicked out of the League.”

Harrison laughed as he began to wash the dishes. “I told you because I need answers from you, and besides no ones believed me so far who’s going to believe you? They’d think your just trying to do me in.” Adeline couldn’t argue with that. It sounds stupid enough that she wasn’t even sure if she believed it. Then her mind went back to what he said. “What answers do you need from me?” she replied getting to her feet and walking into the kitchen. Harrison washed the last fork and turned off the water, flicking the water off his hands before drying it with a dishrag. “The time I went under when you came in and punched me, I noticed something strange. Something odd. A recording that wasn’t my own or the Pilgrim’s had glitched over my fight with you.” Adeline with nothing to say leaned on the island waiting for the hook to come in from Harrison’s monologue. “I was in a battle in the war, snow and fire everywhere. Explosions in the darkness illuminated both enemy and allied mechs. Then one approached me and the ground opened up and I saw a partial I.D. before you punched me.”

Adeline felt a slight twinge of guilt for her forcefulness earlier but not nearly enough to apologize for it. “So what do you want then?” She retorted. Harrison walked over to a computer in the dining room with Adeline close behind him. He typed in his login and turned on a projector casting it on a wall. “A clip from his fight with the Queen played, the part where she was beating him down on top of the skyscraper. Adeline laughed. “Hey I remember this, it was pretty funny you know. Why’re you showing it to me you a masochist or something?” Harrison ignored the question until a bright flash from his overpowered flood lights got the Queen to lay up. “When I did this, I was in full panic mode. A mech much larger than me had me pinned and was deflecting all my attacks, so I thought maybe a stun would work.” Harrison rewound the footage to right before he blinded the Queen. “What I wasn’t thinking at the time was what if she just brought down her shutters or cut her feed momentarily. She still had me pinned so why did she leave?” Harrison played the footage again and paused it over the brightest scene in the recording. It was so bright the dining room physically lit up with the radiance from the screen casting shadows over all the furniture and plants. “When I looked through thew footage and started digging I realized that my light may have disrupted her skin mesh. Not a reason to give up a hold but a reason regardless. So I reduced the saturation and the brightness until the screen was practically pitch black but I found what I was looking for.” Harrison went through his computer opening an identical still of the video and enabling the edits he made. Adeline approached the screen noticing exactly what he was looking at, several breaks in the Queen’s skin mesh on her chest. “Afterwards I also noticed she tried to cover this up with her hand rather than covering her head. Whatever she was hiding, it was important to her then her vision.” Harrison enhanced the image focusing on an area through the Queen’s fingers, it was dark, barley noticeable, but where the skin mesh parted were clear identification numbers. Identifying numbers for a mech.

Adeline froze. “What is this?” she said pointing at the screen. Disrupting the projector as the image wrapped around her. Harrison stood up from his computer and crossed his arms saying confidently. “That’s funny, I expected you to know. She is your mom after all.” “She’s not my mom.” Adeline shot back almost instantly. “I’m her ward nothing more nothing less.” Harrison looked at Adeline and asked her to read the partial revealed between the mesh. Adeline turned and read it aloud. “S.A-007.15-Vic” she said aloud before turning back to Harrison. Harrison came around the table and walked into the beam joining Adeline in the image mesh and pointed at the screen underneath the partial. “This color is obsidian; I spent an hour after the ceremony just trying to match it when I was supposed to be getting ready for my date.” Harrison walked back around the table and shut off the shutter leaving Adeline in a slight darkness before opening another file. Adeline turned to look at and it was exactly what Harrison had described earlier.

It was their fight from before, but here were horizontal pieces of the feed missing as they were replaced with foreign images. Snow and fire whipped around statically as a mech could be partially seen through two floodlights. Making out the mech was near impossible due to the storm but the floodlights just like in the other image shined on the mechs chest showing the original partial Harrison found earlier. “I found this while reviewing our fight earlier. Which should be impossible.” Adeline looked at the image, a million questions racing in her mind but not sure about which to say first, but Harrison beat her to it.

“From what I’ve learned, Samantha Aisle never saw service during the war. She wasn’t chosen for the draft due to an incompatibility with the piloting rig. A rare situation but one regardless. As newer mechs came around after the war she was able to pilot and joined the League..” Harrison trailed off as he turned towards Adeline, getting up close and personal to make sure she heard her. “So if that’s her official history, why is she here.” Adeline nervous and unsure now with her back to the wall tried to find an answer for Harrison but couldn’t provide one. She couldn’t see past her own questions second guessing everything her mentor ever told her about her past or her training. “Hold on Harrison, Hold on.” Adeline said pushing past him wiping her hands over her face as she continued to process the news. Harrison continued his argument. “Adeline this battle, or whatever this is. It doesn’t exist.” Adeline turned to Harrison trying to understand what he meant. “I know the war like the back of my hand. My parents drilled it into me, and my neighbors backed it up. I could fill books with what I know about those 15 years. But whatever this mech is, whatever they’re doing. This battle isn’t public knowledge, and it happened right at the end of the war.”

Adeline’s organized her scattered mind putting aside her animosity for Harrison and settled on a question to verify his story as true or false to herself before proceeding. “How do you know? She said plain and simple. “How do you know that what you’re saying is true?” Harrison pointed up at the screen to the gun the mech he was looking through had in its arms. “This is a Pritzker MFR,” first manufactured in 2034, a year before the war ended. I know because Marjorie’s dad used to be a collector of this stuff when he was alive, the stories he could tell. It’s one of his prized pieces. This gun was only made in a small batch of 200, and he managed to get one through a commanding officer of his by sheer luck.” I’d bet money that this footage must have been taken in the year 2034 or 2035, but what doesn’t make sense is the location.” The truth slowly dawned on Adeline that Harrison must have come across a sealed file from the war. One that was buried so deep that anyone who saw it would think it was fake.

“Why are you telling me this, what’s your angle?!” Adeline yelled as Harrison turned off the projector, walking back into his office with Adeline hot on his heels. “My injury only allows me to see battles that the mechs I’ve seen have fought in. It doesn’t work like a database that I can access anytime. The Pilgrim saw grunt action and my parents won’t let me pilot their mechs because of the things they saw, not wanting me to see them as well. However, this footage came to be placed in my headset, it must have been planted.” Adeline circled the room biting the nail on her thumb as she realized the wait of what Harrison just told her. “You son of a, I know this now, you’ve implicated me. Do you know what happens to people with military secrets now days huh? They send the squad after you! They convince you to quit your job and travel abroad for a few years ah HELL WHAT DID YOU DRAG ME INTO?!” Harrison waited for Adeline to calm down before answering her.

Ten minutes later Adeline lied on the ground exhausted from her tantrum. Harrison walked back into the office with a glass of water handing it to her. “You done, cause I’m not.” He said flatly. Adeline looked up at Harrison with all the irritation of a million airline passengers listening to a screaming kid just as they took off on their nonstop flight from New York to Tokyo. “Yes. I’m done.” Harrison sat down and looked at Adeline who sat up to take a few sigs of water then sat crisscross turning to him. “I told you because I need your help.” Adeline choked on her sip. “You’re the closest individual to the Queen. I need information about her, I need to know what I’m looking at. And you can get it for me.” Adeline threw the glass at Harrison who dodged it as it shattered on the wall behind his desk. “Why would I ever help you yoy ingrate, you don’t blackmail somebody then ask for their help that’s called EXTORTION.”

Harrison sat back up and looked at Adeline. “I need your help because I can’t risk this falling into the wrong hands. You hate me, and I don’t really like you. But if this gets out then we’re both screwed, and I know neither of us wants that, so I trust you’ll help me get to the bottom of this.” Adeline stood up and sat on the couch across from Harrison. She thought for a moment before hitting the nail on the head. “You need someone on the inside huh.” She said. Harrison somewhat impressed she got to the root so quickly nodded yes. “Adeline stared at him blankly before closing her eyes and leaning further into the pillows. “I hope you don’t expect me to work for free.” She said. Harrison stood up quickly and ran around his desk flipping through his key ring and opening the bottom drawer pulling out a slim black briefcase and throwing it at Adeline. “Heads Up! He cried but Adeline only opened her eyes as the briefcase connected with her face.

Adeline stood up holding her injured eye wincing in pain as she was getting ready to curse Harrison out when her foot kicked something across the room. As the pain subsided, she looked down and was shocked. Dozens of wads of cash littered the couch, floor, and coffee table as Harrison frantically picked them up and put them back in the briefcase. “What’s all this.” Adeline said picking one of the folds up and flipping through it. “This one stack is like $5,000 dollars!” She said bowing down making sure to tuck her skirt behind her knees, picking up the cash and tossing it into the briefcase as well. “If you help me, this is all yours. It’s from one of my promotional deals before the game, I think it was an insurance company I’m not sure and it doesn’t matter. What matters is that if you help me, I can make it worth your while.” Harrison closed the briefcase and handed it to Adeline. “I’m not sure what we’re going to find, or who sent this to me. But I’d rather not get Marjorie, or my parents involved in this. Whoever sent that video to me must be watching and I need someone who people wouldn’t expect to be an ally. Especially since she’s the daughter of the pilot in question.” Adeline took the briefcase and looked at Harrison for a moment. He stuck out his hand. “Do we have a deal?” Adeline hesitated for a moment feeling the weight of the briefcase. “I’m her ward, not her daughter.” Adeline said shaking his hand.

“May our rivalry bring us the answers we seek.” Harrison said letting go of Adeline’s hand. “She grabbed her coat and turned to the door, stopping for a moment before leaving to look at Harrison. “Or may it get us all killed.” Adeline retorted before taking her leave, slamming the door behind her.