Deus Ex Machina (BlisteredBlood x darkangel76)

"That would be the best option, but suppose if there was a shawl of some sort that you can throw onto me so I wouldn't be exposed so much out there? Perhaps then we might be able to progress without anymore trouble than what I caused earlier." Deadman answered as he pointed at Mara for a moment before shrugging his shoulders a bit. It might have been a suggestion, but then again, just acting calm and such would also be another option, so long as Deadman kept himself in check, anyway. Besides, there was no telling what was a discernible threat and what wasn't. As far as he knew, the last handful of encounters so far have told him that the potential for engagements was running at a very high rate in this area, wherever he was, anyway.

When the pilot informed them that they were now secure after they had landed, Deadman glanced over to the pilot as he came out of the cockpit and spoke to them, informing that the next vehicle they should get to was within a mile or two from here. At first, Deadman wasn't quite sure of where the harbor was, but as long as the two followed some sort of path, then perhaps they should be fine.

Looking away for a moment, Deadman's eyes were set on the cargo hatch to his immediate left with a focused expression on his face, pretty much willing to accept the fact that this was probably how it was going to be for a while up until the two arrived at their final destination somewhere far away from this place. But what was he going to see once he was there? But then again, Deadman didn't have the answer for that, because they were nowhere near that point just yet. So he figured he might as well leave it in Mara's capable hands for the time being unless if things got a little too out of control.

With Mara's reply, Deadman soon nodded again. "I agree. The sooner, the better." He said before he crossed his arms in front of his chest.

“Indeed,” Mara muttered. One of her hands reached up to tug on her lip just then and she began to glance about the cargo hold. Suddenly, her eyes fixed upon a blanket that laid in a heap in one of the floor corners.

Her lips turning up into a small smile, Mara looked at Deadman with glittering eyes. Touching his arm gently, she gave it a tiny squeeze before letting go and walking over to the blanket she saw across the way. She bent down to pick the thing up and then began to inspect it. It was definitely worn, but no worse for the wear. Smiling broadly now, she draped the thing over an arm and headed back to the cybernetic man who was waiting for her.

“I think this might work for us,” Mara began. “Something simple. And simple is the best way to go.” She placed the blanket over Deadman’s shoulders and busily began adjusting it about his body. When she was finally satisfied with her work, she took a step back to admire it. “There now. Perfect.”

Mara looked over Deadman, her light eyes taking in everything as she studied him. He was definitely a sight to be seen that was for sure. But the small addition of the blanket worked wonders on making him appear less conspicuous. Happy about that, a stray thought suddenly popped into her mind. A thought about how he’d always stand out to her no matter how well blended in he was with everyone around him. As if no matter the circumstance, she’d always be able to find him. The thought was odd and made her gasp.

‘Where did that come from?’ Mara wondered to herself as a surge of adrenaline suddenly coursed through her veins. Biting down on her lip, she looked down at the floor, her hands immediately seeking out her hair so that her fingers could twirl themselves within her tresses. Turning then on her heels, she began to make her way toward the cargo door.

“We should get moving,” Mara stated. She was trying to shake off the odd thought that had so suddenly crossed her mind. She figured it had to be a direct result of the fact that he’d been created by her grandfather. There was no other explanation as far as she could tell. Oh it had been such a long day and the stress of it all had to be getting to her. Deciding to go with that, she placed a hand on the button that would open the cargo doors and pressed it.

Slowly the doors began to open letting the snowy cold night air whoosh inside and swirl about them both. Mara shivered, her arms instinctively wrapping themselves about her body.

Turning to look at Deadman, Mara gave him a smile and reached out a hand, her other seeking out the handle of her gunblade. “I’m ready when you are.”

Deadman simply nodded his head at Mara when she looked out of the cargo hold with him, unaware of the fact that she had found what he had spoke of just now. Arching a brow curiously, he looked over to her when she began to fix the worn looking blanket on over him, obscuring a great deal of his cybernetic frame for the most part. It wasn't much, but it was the least she could do for now until they were officially in the clear and out of harm's reach. For her sake and his own, now that he thought about it.

After a moment when he looked himself over in the blanket, Deadman glanced back over to Mara when he noticed that her expression looked a tad bit troubled for some apparent reason or another. Arching an eyebrow curiously, he wanted to ask her what was on her mind at the present moment, but then again, there was time for asking such minute questions at a later date. For now, they still had an objective to pass, even if it meant that Deadman had to keep his combat prowess under wraps for now.

"Agreed, Mara. And the sooner we're in the clear, the better off we shall be." The cyborg spoke once more as he watched her open the cargo hatch as a blast of the cold night air rushed into the ship. Granted, his half machine nature couldn't feel the hard frigid blast of the foul weather out there, but Mara on the other hand could when he noticed her arms wrapping around herself tightly. Once more, Deadman shook his head at her before lifting an arm up and looked down to the respective gauntlet as it opened up to reveal his current status at the present as indicated by the wrist computer therein. It showed everything was running at maximum efficiency and there didn't seem like there was any problems at the moment. With that, Deadman gave a nod as his head as he lowered his arm to his side as the wrist computer slid itself back into place.

"It looks pretty brutal out there Mara," Deadman spoke as he walked ahead of her once more. "Furthermore, it'd probably be safer with you on my back again. Besides, there's no way you'll be able to go through a full mile out to the harbor without you falling flat on your face out there from exhaustion." He added as he then patted his back once again for her to climb onto once more.

Shivering in the doorway as the cold air swirled about her body, Mara averted her eyes and fixed her gaze upon the floor. Dropping her outreached hand, she nodded. Deadman was right. She wouldn’t last five minutes. Hell, she probably wouldn’t last two. Swallowing, she looked up and over at the cybernetic man who’d gestured for her to get on his back once again.

At that, Mara walked over to Deadman. Once standing beside him, she looked up and into his eyes. She wondered what sort of things went on in a mind like his, one that was part human and part machine. As she stared into those endless pools, she couldn’t help but wonder how much of him was still human. She honestly couldn’t think of him as a machine and a part of her figured that her grandfather would be pleased by this. No doubt he’d want his masterpiece to be flawless both as a human soldier and cybernetic warrior. Lost for a moment, she suddenly felt that wonderful and inviting heat emanating from his body. Even being mere inches away, he dulled the bite of bitter cold as it sunk its teeth deeply into her flesh.

Blinking rapidly just then, Mara’s eyes suddenly darted about the room. Again she heard herself let out the softest of gasps, which immediately caused her to clamp her eyes shut in embarrassment. As her body began to tremble slightly from the adrenaline rush, she tried her best to shrug it off and not worry about it. Chuckling nervously, she then gave Deadman a smile.

A hand twisting at her dark hair, Mara said, “You’re right.” Walking behind Deadman, she hoisted herself upon his back. She wrapped her arms tightly about his shoulders and her legs about his waist. Resting her head against his upper back, she leaned close and whispered against his ear, “In glancing outside the cargo doors, the river should be east of here. Head toward that. I’m sure you’ll be able to pick up the signal for the vehicle without any troubles.”

Just then, Mara went to work at the comm device on her wrist. As she furiously pushed at the buttons, she relayed the information Deadman would need to pick up on her people’s tracking signal for all such vehicles in their custody. It was something they did for several reasons, the main one being to help track things in case they were stolen or hijacked. Never had she ever been so glad of the precaution, it would hopefully help them find the sub more easily, making their time out in the open less.

“You should be able to access our signal now, Deadman,” Mara whispered again. Holding onto Deadman tightly, her face buried against him, she said with a muffled voice, “Hurry. Please.”

When he saw that Mara was wanting to get up onto his back once more, Deadman continued to stand there with a calm expression on his face before looking straight ahead with a look on conviction now, readying to head out as soon as he felt her perch himself on him so the two could move. But before he felt her get on, he heard her walk over to his side and stop there for a moment before he then turned his head to look at her once more, seeing her look back at him in a way that made him look back at her with an odd expression on his face. What was it that she was looking at? Was there something on him that seemed to be out of place or was there something that was exposed that he didn't know? But regardless of which, he simply disregarded the notion for now.

At the sound of Mara's gasp, Deadman blinked for a moment before he looked back to her with a look of concern on his face. Now what was it, he began to wonder as he continued to stand there, looking at her what one would've thought was a brow arching under the helmet he wore. But then when she gave him that smile on her face, it gave Deadman a little bit of relief. Man, she could be so confusing sometime.

At her reply, Deadman would soon move his arms back and opened his hands out to her when he began to notice that Mara was now walking behind him and then wrapped her arms over his shoulders and her legs at his waist, his own arms reaching back and linking his fingers around her back tightly then heard her next direction. "Understood, Mara." He answered as he then began to walk towards the opened cargo door.

Soon enough, Deadman's HUD would now begin to display the tracking signal on his mobile radar, picking up on the submarine that was indeed due east of their position then looked in the general direction of the river. With these coordinates locked, Deadman began to move through the blizzard that had once again began to wrap around their bodies.

"I have already acquired the signal, Mara. We should be arriving there shortly. Just try and bare this with me until we're there." He said as he then began to move at a quicker pace.

Mara felt a small bit of relief flow throughout her body as Deadman’s words slowly sunk in. She then let out the tiniest of sighs, the corner of her lips turning upward into a small smile, at the fact that he truly had acquired the signal of the submarine. His words were exactly what she needed to hear at that moment. A small something to ease her mind a little. Clutching onto him tightly, she buried her smiling face against him. ‘He truly is amazing,’ she thought to herself as she felt him begin to move toward the cargo doors. Her grandfather had thought of everything, making him fully capable and equipped for any and all situations. He was the perfect soldier and protector. And never had she felt so grateful for someone’s presence.

The moment they stepped outside, Mara could feel the bite of the cold night air sink its teeth deeply into her flesh. It cut her to the bone making her shiver rather violently. And it made her glad that she’d listened to Deadman, rather than trying to tough it out on her own. Such a move would’ve been foolish. Indeed there were times when one needed to take the assistance one was willing to give them.

The wind was blowing hard and the snow was getting worse. Mara felt suddenly rather silly at having dressed as she had for the occasion. Then again, she hadn’t expected half of the things that had happen to actually occur. She’d been so careful earlier on that the ambush they’d dealt with not all that long ago was still something she couldn’t quite figure out. ‘Just how had they tracked me?’ she wondered to herself.

Shaking and trying to clear her head, Mara leaned in close against Deadman. His body was so very warm, the heat more than welcomed as it slowly seeped into her skin. She held onto him more tightly, hugging her body close for warmth. The air was so cold… how far was it again? Peeking up, she tried to see if she could locate the river, but it was no use. It was too dark and the blizzard too strong. All she could do was hope that he got them there sooner than later. He knew the direction. He had the signal. He’d get them there. He would.

“How much farther?” Mara whispered against Deadman’s ear, teeth chattering, body trembling. Though she trusted him and had faith in him, she still needed to know, needed to hear the reassurances that they’d somehow make it after everything they’d been through. Burying her face, she added, “Please tell me that it’s close…”

As the cyborg took one step outside of the cargo doors, Deadman immediately began to notice that the conditions of this area has become increasingly worse and worse now, seeing that the winds and snow was definitely beginning to become a bit of a problem. Even more when he felt Mara give out a violent shiver at the elements, which made him glance back to Mara with a contemplative look on his face. But as long as he had her held tight to his body, Deadman honestly had hoped that the two would make it to their destination with little incident. After all, after that last bit of unfortunate business earlier, he had to remain as sharp as ever, for there was no telling when and where the next series of problems would show up.

As the winds and snow began to really barrel down on them, Deadman took one hand off of Mara's back and used it to clear the snow from his visor after it had come down over his eyes, seeing that the submarine was definitely within reach. As far as he knew, it looked as though they were a quarter of the way there. After taking his hand off of his visor and replacing it behind Mara to tightly keep his grip on her body. It also didn't look as though there was any dangers in the area at the moment, but in these conditions, it seemed as though anything was remotely possible.

All he had to do at this point was to just follow the general direction of where the river was and continue to head due east towards the harbor. Even if it had to get ugly for the two of them to survive this mess. But a moment later when he heard Mara speak up, Deadman glanced back to her and nodded in reply to her with his eyes closed for a brief moment before he gave her his reply. "We should be there fairly soon, Mara. Just try to hold on a little more and we should be there." He answered.

Mara held on ever so tightly to Deadman as he quickly made his way toward the sub. The air was so cold, even the warmth radiating off his body wasn’t staving off the chill any longer. It was becoming clear that her frail human body was feeling the affects of the merciless wintry weather and it was feeling it hard. She could no longer feel her hands and she was slowly losing all sensation in her feet as well.

“Please hurry,” Mara whispered yet again against Deadman’s ear. Her voice was starting to leave her, her throat dry from the harsh winds whipping about them.

As she clung to the cyborg, Mara could sense that they were approaching the river. There was a slight dampness about the air and it caused her already shaking body to convulse just a bit more from a few violent shivers that ran along her spine. She hoped that the sub was close because she was starting to worry about her own physical state. It made her panic just a bit as she thought about the sensations taking over her body. Sensations letting her know it was begging to shut down. Scared, she buried her face against Deadman, her eyes stinging with tears that froze to the pale skin of her cheeks as they tried to run down along her face.

Mara could barely feel her gunblade any longer as it rested along her hip. Her body was losing all feeling, her skin hurting, her breath coming harder. “Please, hurry,” she rasped out, her voice hoarse and laced with panic. Her fear was evident. She knew that without a doubt. But in that moment, she hardly cared. This was a matter of her health now and if they didn’t make it to some place warm soon, she was going to be a goner.

Trembling, yet finding the strength to hold on, Mara lifted her head one last time. In the distance, despite the darkness and swirling snow, she could see the hatch of the sub. Its silhouette was perfectly outlined by the light of the moon as it shone down from an angry, black sky. A tiny smile found itself on her lips just then. They were nearly there. Nearly safe.

Mara could almost taste the sweetness of finding sanctuary. The sub was right there, ready for herself and for Deadman to board it and navigate it out of the harbor and eventually out to sea. The journey to the sea would be an interesting one, having to traverse through shallower waters, civilized areas. But they could do it. Together, they’d manage. Somehow she just knew this.

Chattering, Mara hugged her body close to Deadman once more. “Thank you,” she whispered into his ear. Laying her head against him, she allowed herself to hope, to happily anticipate the warmth she’d soon find within the confines of the sub. So close… so close. Oh the warmth inside was beckoning to her, calling for then to enter its loving embrace. Closing her eyes, she just let the cyborg do what was needed to get them inside and out of the harsh elements of winter.

By now, Deadman's vision was now completely slathered in another thick layer of frost once again, causing the crimson clad cyborg to once again take his right hand off of Mara's body before bringing it up to wipe off the snow from his visor as he continued to move. However, Deadman began to notice something was going on with Mara. If he didn't know any better, he could swear that frostbite was beginning to set in on her; the very first part of it, anyway. That meant he had to get to their destination quickly before Mara froze to death.

"We're almost there, Mara. Just hang in there! I can almost see the harbor!" Deadman spoke to her as his pace now began to quicken, moving harder against the elements that had now begun to whip around them violently now.

By now, he could see the river not too far from them. That meant that the harbor was just within a stone's throw of their current location. But still, he had to move fast in order to get Mara inside the submarine and the two of them can then be off towards their final destination, wherever that might be. A sharp convulsion given off by Mara made the cyborg glance back to her with a wide eyed look. Now this was starting to get serious. He had to start moving even faster, even if it meant that he had to use the jet function located at his feet in order to get them there. But at the same time, it would be considered a detriment if he used that function, for it would just make matters worse for Mara if he moved any faster.

When he began to hear Mara practically beg him to hurry it up, Deadman's choices were beginning to come clearer now. He had to start moving even faster still, but the cost would be severe. A shake of his head was all Deadman gave before he looked over his shoulder once again and gritted his teeth in desperation. "Just a little further, Mara! We're almost at the harbor!" He answered her as he continued to move at the same clip as he continued to charge hard into the bitter winds and nearly blinding snow.

By now, Deadman's eyes widened suddenly when he saw the outline of the submarine docked at the harbor not too far away from them now. Finally, the cyborg thought as he saw the shimmering metallic hull gleaming against the darkened night. "There it is! Hold on, Mara! We're gonna make it!" He called to her as he continued to hurry towards the harbor with all due speed, his teeth gritted hard as he kept on moving as fast as he could move.

Mara held tightly onto Deadman, he body cold and shivering against his despite the warmth it was emanating. She could barely register his words, though from their tone, she could sense an urgency about them. She was far from stupid and knew her body was going into the early stages of hypothermia, her hands and feet nearing the brink of becoming frostbit. Trying to stay calm however, she just pressed herself close to him, hoping that it would help if even only a little.

Time seemed to nearly stop as Deadman quickened his pace and the search for their getaway vehicle continued. Mara hoped they’d find the sub sooner as opposed to later. The way she was feeling, so tired, so tired, she didn’t think her body could handle much more. Suddenly, her ears were filled with those precious words she’d been desperately longing to hear. Deadman had a visual on their sub! In that moment, she could feel her heart stopping for the briefest moments before it started to pound.

Mara smiled weakly as she turned her head and buried her face against Deadman. They were nearly there. As a wave of both relief and elation washed over her shivering body, she dared to lift her head so that she could see where they were in proximity to the submarine. She could see the silhouette of its hull as it peeked above the chilly, inky waters of the river. Leaning close, she rested her chin against his shoulder, her mouth close to his ear, “Go down to the dock. There should be a transport boat we can take to the sub, since it’s further out in the water.”

Resting her head against Deadman’s, Mara let her eyes search for the docks. Though it was dark and the snow, thick, she could make it out in the distance. Seeing it caused her to let out a tiny breath in relief. Letting her eyes dark back and forth, she caught sight of a mini-boat tied to one of the dock’s posts.

Perfect!

Clearing her throat a little, Mara whispered into Deadman’s ear once again. “The boat is over there.” Weakly, she lifted an arm and pointed to the boat they could take to the sub. “We can take that to get onto our vehicle. Once inside, you should be able to sync to its operating system and place it on autopilot. The coordinates of our destination will be in there for you to retrieve.” Pausing a moment, her arms tightening about his body, she buried her face once more. “Hurry.”

"Understood! Just try to hang in there for just a little longer!" Deadman answered with a firm nod of his head as he began to hurry over to the docks as quick as he could manage without having her freeze to death on him. Honestly, of all the things in the world that could happen as of right now was if she happened to have freed him, and if she did, there was no telling how he would be able to leave this place even if he tried on his own. Far be it for him to admit this, but ever since he had come across Mara ever since he was freed from his seemingly eternal slumber, it felt as though that he needed to keep his eyes on her.

When Mara now made a mentioning of getting on a miniboat to get out to the submarine in the distance, it aggravated him quite a bit knowing that he had one more obstacle to encounter before they could get onto the submarine and eventually be away from this frozen hell. Soon enough, the cyborg's eyes began to veer left and right, searching for the boat. It wasn't on the right side, but after a little more looking around, Deadman could now see the boat on the far left, near the open water while it was moored at the dock. Now, all he had to do was to get onto the boat, get Mara some semblance of warmth on her body and ultimately get out of here.

Nodding once he spotted the boat, the crimson cyborg would soon move towards the boat with steadier steps now, not wanting to risk Mara's health anymore than it was currently now that he had finally arrived on the dock a short while later. Each step that he took closer and closer to the boat now seemed as though it was going on forever, wearing at his patience little at a time as a result. When he finally found the boat as indicated when it popped up on his HUD display, there was a little bit of information on it that seemed to convey to him that it was capable of being autopiloted, just as Mara told him. Good, the cyborg figured. That meant he didn't have to screw with the controls too much. Just enough to guide them to the waiting submarine and then they were set.

Slowly, Deadman would eventually step onto the miniboat with Mara easily before setting her down on the deck. Once she was down, the cyborg would then open up the blanket, exposing his cybernetic body to the elements once more before bundling her up with it now, making sure to cover up every nook and cranny that he could see on her body. Once done, Deadman moved towards the control column, seeing that the coordinates for the submarine were already in place. Nodding once, Deadman would first operate the controls to start the boat up and within moments, the boat began to move.

"Good. We're on the move." Deadman spoke with a calm solace in his voice. "Hopefully we'll be at our destination soon." He added before turning towards her and walking over to her, stopping in front of her before kneeling down.

Mara was so very grateful for Deadman’s gesture of wrapping her up warm and tight within the blanket he’d used to help conceal what he was. A cyborg. The air was so very cold and more so now that they were on the water. Clutching the blanket tight, she looked up into his face and gave him a weak smile. He truly was a marvel, something her family could be proud of, a legacy worth remembering. However, as she looked up into the cyborg’s face, her pale eyes locking with his, she just couldn’t see him as a ‘thing’. No. There was life there, something more than just metal coverings and circuitry. Yes, fused with it all was a man, one with a past full of forgotten memories. As she looked at him, she couldn’t shake that feeling, didn’t want to. Something deep inside her told her to listen to her instincts on this one, to just go with it and see. Her instincts hadn’t failed her yet, so she wasn’t about to disregard it now.

“Thank you,” Mara whispered as she curled herself up into a ball. She could feel the boat lurch and rock as it eased away from the docks and out into the open water.

It wouldn’t be long before the miniboat found itself adjacent to the submarine since it was only about fifty yards away. Regardless, the thing looked ominous against the inky black of the sky, the stars and moon all but hidden by the angry storm clouds overhead. The snow was falling mercilessly now, the wind howling relentlessly. Shivering, Mara pulled at the blanket even more and closed her eyes, dreaming of the warmth she’d find once inside the submarine.

Suddenly, Mara noticed that the boat stopped moving. Opening her eyes, she saw the submarine’s hull looming next to them. The sight of it was a welcome one and she found her body longing even more to be inside and out of the harsh elements. Turning to face Deadman, she gave him another smile and rasped, “We’re here.”

Sitting up, still holding desperately onto the blanket, Mara reached out for Deadman. Within minutes the two of them would be safe inside their getaway vehicle. And shortly after that, they’d be on their way back home. Back to the Empire of the United States and her people.

As he continued to stay there in front of Mara, he couldn't help but somehow feel bad for Mara's condition, almost as if he was wanting to blame himself for letting her get frostbitten all for the sake of disguising him from being seen from any potential threats that may or may not have been out there still. Besides, it was a fairly long haul they had to go through ever since he had been released from the capsule so long ago, and now they were on the boat heading towards what he had hoped to be their final destination before getting on the submarine and heading towards another place that would also be all too foreign to him just as much as the very place he had awakened in.

"You're welcome, Mara. But you should really try to relax for now. Besides, I think you may be getting frostbitten out here." He answered with a nod of his head before gesturing to the sides of himself once they were now out on the water. Noting the change in the weather now, the cyborg shook his head with a frown on his face, knowing full well that her hypothermia would only get worse if something wasn't done. Unfortunately, the only thing that he could do at this point was to sit with Mara until they arrived. With that in mind, Deadman would soon take a spot beside her and ultimately gathered her up into his arms before laying her in his lap while also placing her head on his shoulder.

But after a moment or so of this, the cyborg felt the miniboat come to a stop in front of something, causing him to glance upward as he saw the gleam of what he soon come to recognize as a submarine. it was a Juggernaut class after a rudimentary scan, as far as he could tell. But beyond that, he didn't know what it was specifically.

Slowly, Deadman began to rise with Mara in his arms, looking up at the submarine with a focused look on his face before looking back at her with the same look in his eyes then turned his eyes back over to the submarine again, wondering if there was someone who was going to come out of there to get the two onboard.

Mara could feel the warmth emanating from Deadman’s body as he held her close. She was more than grateful as it helped stave off the harshest of the cold her body was currently feeling. As he shifted his body to face the hull of the submarine, she perked her head up slightly and focused her eyes on its silhouette. As ominous as the thing looked, it was a most welcome sight indeed. Inside she’d find more warmth and she’d finally be able to rest a little after everything she and Deadman had been through the past several hours.

Mara had to chuckle to herself. She had only been with Deadman for not even a full night and already her life had been turned upside down in ways she hadn’t even come close to predicting. Sure, she knew the mission was fraught with dangers. But she hadn’t quite realized the extent to which such dangers had existed. Her main purpose for having wanted to take on the mission in the first place was to find out about her past, about her family, where she was from. And now?

Despite it all, however, Mara knew damned well she wouldn’t change anything up a bit. She’d been preparing for such a day. A day when she’d learn about the family her father had tried to shield her from. She just had to rely on the training she’d received from James, to trust in herself and her own potential. It was hard, but she had to try.

Just then, Mara felt Deadman stand up. He held her tightly in his cybernetic arms, his warmth still seeping into her frozen body. She rested her head against him as he moved to climb out of their miniboat and up the side of the submarine. Soon they’d be inside and ready to set the coordinates for their destination. The Empire of the United States. After everything that had happened though, she knew their getaway still wasn’t in the clear and it wouldn’t be until the docked on the shores of her home. Hell, even then she questioned their safety. No. As strong as the urge was to feel full out relief, she knew it was naïve to think they safe now.

Mara held onto Deadman as he climbed into the sub. The warmth of the vehicle’s interior was heavenly. Once inside and the hatch closed behind them, she was gently set down near the pilot’s seat.

“The coordinates should be set,” Mara rasped out, her throat sore from the cold air she’d been breathing earlier. “You should be able to sync to the controls and then navigate the thing from anywhere on board.” She moved to press a few buttons causing a few to bleep and blink. Looking over at Deadman, she gave him a smile. “Also, uh…” she stammered. “Thanks. For everything.”

Mara truly was grateful for this man turned machine, that he was now in her life. He might not be able to recall her grandfather, but he’d saved her life, had proven himself a most loyal companion. And that meant the world to her. As she looked into his eyes, she wondered if he was capable of understanding that. Biting down on her lip just then, she hoped so with all that she had.

Once inside of the submarine, Deadman's first destination was indeed the control bridge once he heard Mara tell him where it was, where he would be able to utilize the helm to its full potential hopefully once he was all synced up with it and then be able to get out towards the open water where he had hoped it would lead to her destination.

It was rather odd. It hadn't been more than hours since he was first activated that he had already spent most of that time staying by this woman's side and fending off any and all known offenders. But then again, it was absolutely necessary in his mind. After all, who else was going to watch her back? Surely, it wouldn't be anyone else. But back to what was needed at the moment. The first thing that the crimson cyborg needed to do was to find the control bridge. Nothing else, aside from Mara's personal well-being at this point mattered.

It took a little bit of searching around, but when he finally found the bridge, he looked everything from top to bottom, left to right and everywhere in between to ensure that everything was just as how he had figured. It was a little awkward to say the least since he didn't precisely know where the main controls were or how they worked...

At that point, a beeping sound was heard within the cyborg's helmet, causing Deadman to stop in place with briefly widened eyes before reaching a hand up to the side of it, pressing a button there to bring down the visor for his HUD. Apparently, there was a system message on the upper right corner informing him that this ship's operating system was configured to be controlled through the coordinates that Mara spoke of. Odd, thought the cybernetic humanoid as his eyes narrowed slightly as he stood there. It was almost as if...

No, it couldn't be. Deadman shook this thought of his off, not wanting to discern what was right and what was wrong at the moment. Besides, there was more time for explanations at a later date. The main thing that needed to be done was that these two needed to get out of this area immediately unless if they were looking for the entire naval force out on their tail. Another press of the button on the side of his helmet sent the visor up back into the slot once more before looking down onto his right gauntlet where out popped a small keyboard looking device. All he had to do was to just configure the ship's OS to his own and from there, everything should be fine.

"It'll be a few moments, Mara. Just try to keep warm for the time being. I'll let you know when we're ready to move out." Deadman spoke.

Mara nodded, her lips turned upward into a small smile. She was so tired. Exhausted, really. More than anything, she wanted to collapse upon a bed and sleep for days. But, given the current situation, there was no way that was happening any time soon. She and Deadman needed to get out of the harbor. And fast. Even then, their future was uncertain. Their safety not guaranteed. It was more than enough to keep her alert, but only just.

Sitting back in her seat, Mara watched Deadman as he manipulated and pressed some buttons on a keyboard he managed to have hidden away in his right gauntlet. She had to chuckle a little. The cyborg… No, he. He was rather well equipped, ready for any situation or so it seemed. Yes, her grandfather had indeed thought of everything when creating this marvel. This… man.

Just then, Mara felt her cheeks tinge pink. It was so odd being in the company of someone who was clearly created, assembled, yet… It just astounded her in so many ways. As she continued to watch Deadman, thoughts of her father began to pour into her mind. The man had been loving, so very supportive of anything and everything she’d ever wanted to do or become. It was what had led her to where she was at that very moment. Learning of her family’s legacy. Learning about her grandfather and the marvelous things he’d been capable of doing. Deadman was all she had left of her family’s past, its origins. And she wouldn’t let him fall into the wrong hands. Deep in her heart she knew her grandfather would want this. Would want her to be the one overseeing it all.

Mara coughed a bit just then, a shiver passing over her as she did so. Oh, she was still so cold and her body ached terribly. She’d been so tense after everything that her muscles were ridiculously fatigued and given the weather she was sure she’d caught a minor chill on top of it all Oh, of all things to have to deal with! There wasn’t much she could do about any of it except cope. She’d manage. She’d be fine. Uncomfortable? Probably. But the sub had everything she’d need. Plus, there was Deadman. Somehow she knew he’d see to it that she’d be all right. After all, her grandfather made him. That right there had to mean something.

It just had to…

“When we’re ready to go,” Mara began, her body trembling a little from fatigue and chill. “I’m going to need to rest for a little bit.” Licking her lips and wrapping her arms about herself she added, “If you could give me at least 30 minutes, I’d be grateful. That should be enough time for me to get a little rest so that I can assist you in navigating the vehicle later on.”

Mara gave Deadman a smile just then. Just as she longed to sleep in a soft bed, she also longed for a bath. A long, hot bath filled with citrus scented bubbles. How heavenly that would be! But, being on a sub in enemy territory just wasn’t the place for such things, not to mention the sub wasn’t equipped for it. Not really anyway. Still, it was nice to dream, to hold onto the pleasant thought. It made her feel better, gave her something to look forward to when they finally made it to the EUS. Assuming they’d make it, of course.

Just then, Mara began glancing about, her eyes searching for a blanket she could use. When she finally found a shelf across the way, she got up to retrieve one. She wrapped it about her body, clutching it tightly in balled up fists. Oh, she was still so cold!

Shivering, Mara turned to Deadman. “I think we’ll need to adjust the climate controls a bit. A minor tweak, maybe. Just a degree or two.” She gave him a tiny grin, trying to cover up just how badly she was feeling. How fragile. “We can readjust it later when my body adapts. I think I’m just still cold from having been out in that storm for so long,” she added as she sat back down again, trying her best to hide that she was shivering.

Deadman didn't need to run anymore scans on Mara to tell just how exhausted she sounded at the present moment. He could tell just by using his eyes alone when he turned over to her when she spoke that she was far too tired to even speak. The fact that she could amazed the cyborg, perhaps pondering just how much stamina she had left to even move after such a harrowing affair. Granted, he didn't quite understand the concept of losing someone close, but the fact that she did lose someone close to her perhaps made the cyborg ponder as to what limits humans were capable of. Maybe in a field test or something of its equivalence where the proper protocols were in place, perhaps Deadman could begin to decipher and discover those things to feed - or possibly even fuel - his ever growing curiosity.

But for now, those curiosities had to wait after he was given a directive by Mara and responded back to her with a slight nod of his head before turning back to the control panel and began to input a series of commands to slightly raise the temperature of the inside of the bridge to the point where she felt she could be more comfortable. It wasn't much, but it was better than nothing at this given point.

"You go ahead and get some sleep, Mara. I don't know how long we will be out here at sea for, but I can only assume that it might take us some time before we arrive back within EUS waters, as you have stated." Deadman spoke with a firmness in his voice as he then once again utilized the control panel, instructing the submarine to move forward at the exact coordinates specified and even adjusted the heading of the the underwater vessel to travel further into the water where he had hoped that they would remain undetected by any potential enemies. Within the space of several minutes, the submarine gave a slight lurch forward once the proper power output was generated and the submarine began to descend downward nice and easily. Almost immediately, Deadman's eyes glanced over towards the heading counter on the right side of the panel, making sure that once the proper depth had been reached, he would then command the vessel to level off and continue the current course.

As soon as the proper heading was reached in the space of some several moments later, Deadman would indeed input such commands, the vessel immediately responding to his command to level out and travel at a steady clip.

But something also told the crimson cyborg that he needed to be prepared for anything that could be out here. Besides, if that last search and destroy squadron was of any indication, then perhaps Deadman needed to be on his toes and look sharp.