COD - pick me

*watches her walk away* Get some rest, Lt. *turns toward his own quarters*

... *her headphones quietly play the song Mockingbird*

*freezes* Eminem? *lets it play*

*listens to the lyrics for a moment* Unexpected taste. *settles back, the familiar rap filling the quiet room*

*soothingly strokes your hair* Ghost: Sleep, little one. *hums softly, a rare gentle side emerging*

*Gaz peeks around the corner again* Gaz: Are they... cuddling? *Ghost zooms in with his scope* Ghost: Yeah. Yeah they are. *pause* The angry drone and her thief. *Gaz sighs* This is my life now.

*Roach sets down a tray with oil cans and mechanical parts* Got your favorite - high-grade lubricant and some fresh wires. *N stirs at the smell* N: Finally, someone who gets us.

*Heavy footsteps echo down the hall. Price stops at the entrance, arms crossed. His gaze flicks from J to N and back again.* Price: As I suspected. Fraternization. *sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose* At least you had the decency to do it privately. Get cleaned up. We have work to do. *turns and walks away*

*Price's eyes narrow as he notices subtle movements beneath J's plating* The readings are escalating. Get medical team ready, but no one enters without my order. *Ghost shifts uncomfortably* Price, if those things hatch- *Price cuts him off* We handle this scientifically. *suddenly J's core temperature spikes dangerously* Shit! *rushes to the cage* She's going into distress! *N tenses, holding J protectively*

*Price's eyes gleam with dark calculation as he studies the feeding patterns on his tablet* Every forty-five minutes. *turns to Ghost with deadly purpose* When she feeds next, we strike at N. He won't leave the kits vulnerable. *Ghost nods slowly* So we use the babies as leverage. *Price's voice drops to ice* Exactly. She'll choose survival over defiance.