She stared down at the recruit’s bloody face, his nose smashed and his eyes so swollen that he wouldn’t likely be able to open them for some time. For the last few seconds that she sat on his chest, she wondered if she took it too far, if she should have simply knocked him out and left him to lay in the hot sun till he came to. But Ava was seeing red, furious that someone would take it upon themselves to harm her for merely doing her job. True, she had employed some rather childish tactics to make their lives difficult, but it hardly warranted a blow to the head that could have very well killed her. The commander yanked her up and off the body easily, and she stepped aside as he got down to check his pulse. It was with great relief that the recruit was still alive, but she tried not to look too affected the news. If she showed just how horrified at what she was capable of, she would appear more unhinged maniac than well-trained guard dog.<br/><br/>Acting on the order of their commander, the recruits finally stood still, gathering around to listen. Visibly, some of the recruits flinched as he brought down the piece of metal on his arm. The loud clang rang out, and the group marveled at the dent the contact left behind. It painted a picture for them, that the man on the ground wasn’t able to be trusted with their lives. It also put things in perspective for her as well. It was no wonder that she had been shunned by others after Alder Rush, and why it was so difficult to regain the trust of those she worked with after the incident. The commander dismissed the recruits, allowing them to get back to hauling their things out of the barracks and Ava was about to work up an apology for, perhaps, going a bit too far. Instead of being reprimanded for her actions, he handed her a rag and offered her some direction.<br/><br/>She wiped her hands of his blood, realizing that her own knuckles were bleeding as a result of the encounter. Her nanites would heal them in time, she knew. “I know.” Ava said. A weak smile appeared on her lips when he patted her on the shoulder, and she nodded to acknowledge that she would try harder to get herself under control for the next time she would inevitably require some measure of restraint. She watched as he jogged off, then turned to return to her post by the door. With the attack behind her, she was still a bit wary of the group, her senses and instincts on alert in the unlikely event that someone else was fool enough to come at her. Fortunately, the rest of the task went on without incident.<br/><br/>There were ten minutes left when she decided to take a look in the room. There were still beds that needed to be broken down and belongings on the floor. She imagined tent was still in a state of disarray as well, considering the mess that still lingered behind. A recruit ran into the room, gathering up as much as they could carry. Before they could run out, Ava turned to him. “Bradley, right?” He paused and turned, nodding nervously. “Y-yeah.”<br/><br/>“What’s that tent look like?” Ava asked, kicking a sheet out of her way as she moved toward him.<br/><br/>“It’s coming along.” He said, his inflection indicating the he was unsure or lying.<br/><br/>“Is it?” She asked, narrowing her gaze at him.<br/><br/>“No, no . . . I don’t know why I said that. It’s a fuckin mess and it stinks.” He shook his head.<br/><br/>“Start working together. Take thirty seconds to devise a plan among yourselves and you all could have this done with time to spare.” She told him as she moved passed him to the door.<br/><br/>“What should we do?” He followed her.<br/><br/>“I’ve already said too much and you seem like a smart guy . . . figure it out.” She said, walking along the mattresses ahead of him. Ava knew exactly how she would do it if she were in their position. There needed to be a team in the tent, a team in the barracks, and a team to move the furniture, gear, and other objects. When she saw them getting organized, she knew they were taking a step in the right direction no matter what they decided to do.