Laying Down The Law *OTA*

[hunteroffreaks]

There was a new notice posted in the mess hall where the whole team could read it.

I'd just like reiterate that while the power of command may have shifted, you should all still behaving. Any misconduct-

Aw, fuck it with being formal. Enough bullshit. Anyone steps out of line, and I ain't going to be slapping your wrists and tossing you in the brig

Comments

[createdevidence]

Nicky knew Jack probably didn't want visitors especially if everyone was already acting up but he really did feel like he should talk to the older man. He knocked firmly,"Jack are you busy?"

He hoped that letting Jack know it was him would make him more likely to answer or at least to just tell him to go away. He shifted on his feet wiggling his toes in his boots. He was going to need new ones soon.

[hunteroffreaks]

Had it been anyone else other than Nicky, they would have gotten a chest full of buckshot as he fired through the door. But the feral child had gotten under Jack's skin something terrible, and while their relationship had been strained as of late, he wouldn't turn the boy away.

He set down the gun and cloth he had been rubbing it down it. "C'mon in, kid."

[createdevidence]

Nicky slipped inside the door closing it quietly behind himself. He offered Jack a small half smile his hands slipping into his pockets. He wasn't really sure how to start what he had to say. "I'm sorry Jack."

[hunteroffreaks]

"Sit on down. Stay awhile." Jack gestuered to the chair in front of the desk. Listening to Nicky apologizing, the old hunter felt something very close to guilt turning over in his mind. "What for?"

[createdevidence]

Nicky slipped into the chair resting his hands in his lap. "I know when I messed up that it disappointed you."

He ducked his head a little chewing on his bottom lip.

[hunteroffreaks]

Jack nodded, thinking back to Russia, and how he had told the child he was no better than his father, how he deserved to be locked up in a cell. He had meant what he said then, and still stubbornly refused to regret the harsh words. He nodded, eye not quite meeting Nicky's. "It did. You screwed up, and in your case that means a lot more than most other kids your age."

[createdevidence]

He nodded fidgeting in his seat. Nicky knew he couldn't afford to lose his temper like that and he knew he was lucky he'd gotten off with a light punishment. "I know. My punishment it was pretty light."

Considering he'd only been heavily chained for a couple of weeks he thought it was light.

[hunteroffreaks]

"But you know what you did was wrong, and that's the important part." Jack knew if it had been him, neither one would have given a rat's ass about hurting that guard. But Nicky had a conscience, something that Jack felt was far more important than just basic control. "Don't beat yourself up anymore over it. What's done is done."

[createdevidence]

Nicky nodded a little looking up at him. He wasn't sure if he could just let it go. "So...are we still friends?" He really hoped that they could still be friends.

[hunteroffreaks]

Jack finally smiled a tiny bit and nodded to the boy. "Yeah, we're still friends." It seemed strange, thinking that he could ever be friends with a mutant child, but life was rather funny like that.

[createdevidence]

He beamed happily at him glad that they were still friends. Nicky stretched looking down at his legs,"Since you're the boss now do I tell you I need some new clothes? I think I grew."

[hunteroffreaks]

"Now there's a problem I can take care of." He looked around for one of the forms Stryker kept around for filling out supplies. He was sure the Major had a filing system, it just wasn't one yet known to civilized man.

[createdevidence]

"That's good. My pants and boots are really starting to get too small,"he shrugged a little. Nicky knew he was going to end up fairly tall but he wasn't expecting a growth spurt now.

[hunteroffreaks]

"We'll have some new ones for you here before the week is out." Finally, he found one of the ordering forms, and began to scribble down the required supplies in a handwriting close to being completely illegible. "Just go barefoot until then. It's not like you can end up cutting your foot."

[createdevidence]

He grinned at the idea of going around barefoot. "True. It might be kind of fun to try." Nicky tapped his feet on the floor.

[hunteroffreaks]

"'Course it is." Jack thought it was nice to see Nicky smiling again. It made him look more like a child and less like a weapon.