"How the hell... do you have... so much... stamina..." Michelle panted as she lay on the ground, "We have been at it for... five hours, and you... haven't broken a... sweat."
"Please be mindful of how you phrase things. If you said that while near to anyone, especially to a JoJo fan or Evan, there will be a ship between the Stands we are in." Rodeo sighed, shaking his head with a smirk. But his expression suddenly changes to a frown. "Or it might be worse... Rule 34 artist."
Telling him to get his mind out of the gutter, Michelle said it wasn't like that till she remembered how thirsty some shippers in the fandom were. Helping her to her feet, Rodeo handed her a towel and a bottle of water to drink. Thanking him, before chugging the water down, Michelle told him she appreciated letting her have some of his time.
"So, what's next? Another round or...?"
"Let's try boxing."
Right now, Rodeo and Michelle were in the gym, training together. It was 8 AM in Site-17 and Rodeo was watching Michelle boxing a punching bag, he was making sure her movement and footwork are correct and power in her punches are correct as well.
Doing a right hook then a left uppercut on the punching bags, Michelle quickly sidesteps and does four fast jabs on it before spin kicking it, which causes the thick punching bag to almost launch and break out from its attachment.
"Good work." Rodeo claps his hands in appreciation, "Your footwork is perfect and I can see the speed in your jabs. Outboxer style does suit you well."
"Thanks. Can we take a break?" Michelle asked as she continued to pant tiredly while wearing sleeveless white t-shirt and black yoga pants.
"Sure. Even rest is necessary." Rodeo said as he and Michelle sat on the floor cross legged.
Turning to Rodeo's direction, she smiled and asked, "Rodeo, can I ask you something?"
"Sure."
"How old are you?"
"Twenty. You?"
"Nineteen."
"We're not far off then. But still, why are you asking me this?" Rodeo asked as he raised a brow, looking at Michelle in confusion.
"Just curious." She answered with a grin.
"I see. Hey Michelle, back in site-19, you mentioned losing some people in the real world. What did you mean by that?"
Rodeo's words seemed to change Michelle's expression as she looked down in sadness.
Knowing what he did, Rodeo apologized, "Oh, sorry if I asked. If it's something you don't want to talk about, then I understand."
"It's ok, Rodeo. You were just curious. That's all."
"Well, curiosity killed the cat as they say. And that cat being me. Get it?" Rodeo said in a sarcastic way just to cheer her up.
Michelle covered her mouth as she chuckled, "Ok, now I have no idea whether that was a good or terrible pun."
"Hey at least I tried to cheer you up."
"Yes, a little bit."
As the two continued to talk, laughed, and had a great time for each other, when all of a sudden, an orange gooey creature jumped on Rodeo's face, hugging him tightly.
This was Scp-999, also known as the Tickle Monster.
"What the!?"
"coo :3"
Seeing the little creature, Michelle instantly stood up and shouted with hearts in her eyes, "Oh my God!! It's the most adorable Scp in the universe. Come here!!!"
Grabbing Scp-999, Michelle pulls it off from Rodeo's face and hugs it close to her chest tightly, as if she's trying to keep it to herself.
"You're so cute!"
"coo... coo ^^"
"That he is." Wiping his face, Rodeo said and smiled at the two, but then he asked, "But who brought him here?"
"That would be me."
The two turn to see Molly, Amelia and another woman who had dark skin, bald and was wearing a light yellow shirt and a jacket over the shirt while wearing blue jeans and wired black leather shoes.
"So you're the one who beat the ever living shit out of 953?" The black woman asked.
Rodeo got up from the floor, followed by Michelle who's still holding 999 in her arms.
"Yes I did. Names Rodeo by the way." He greeted himself.
"Names Michelle." She followed.
"Agent Ramsey." The woman named Ramsey greeted the two.
"Nice to meet you, Ramsey. So what brings you to Site-17?"
"Pretty much I'm the one who brought 999 here from another site, and to make sure no other freaks break out their containment. Like that psycho bitch, 953."
"Language." Amelia said to her in her usual behavior.
"Whatever. I'm heading out." She turned and headed for the exit, but before that, she faced back, "And Rodeo..."
"Yeah?"
"What you did to 953.... she deserved every bit of it." Ramsey said to him before leaving the gym.
Looking at Amelia, Rodeo then asks, "Does she have some history with 953?"
"Yes, a very bad one in fact. Her fiance was brutally killed by her. She has a hate for 953 and even requested a termination order once for 953 but the request was denied. 953 even knows where she lives as well, but I highly doubt that 953 will break containment anytime soon. Since you did break 953 to the point she can't move."
"Yeah." Rodeo smiled wryly.
"So Rodeo, since 999 hugged you. Do you feel better mentally?" Molly asked.
Rodeo then looks at 999 and says, "Well seeing this little guy does make me feel better. Can I hold him?" He asked Michelle.
"But I don't wanna! It's too cute." Michelle shook her head and held 999 facing another direction.
"Please..."
"coo... coo... :3"
Looking at 999's adorable face, Michelle couldn't help but sighed in defeat, "Fine. Only because 999 is saying it."
Handing 999 to Rodeo, he holds him for a moment.
"Now Rodeo, do you remember the crash?" Amelia asked.
Rodeo, who was holding 999 for a couple of moments without anything happening. Thinking it might have worked, Rodeo was about to tell them it worked until he witnessed multiple flashes of the crash and the GOC soldiers he killed in the forest. He dropped 999 on the floor and saw his hands shaking and saw blood on it.
Rodeo realized 999's ability didn't work in curing his PTSD.
Molly and Amelia's eyes widen, Amelia quickly approaches him and holds his hand, which it calms him down.
"I don't understand. It should have worked! Please don't tell me your immunity to certain Scps is preventing his ability from not working?"
"I.... think that's the case. I felt happy and joy holding it but the memory of that incident is still inside my head."
Molly holds 999 in her arms.
"coo... :("
"It's ok 999. You made him happy."
"coo...? :3"
"Yes, you did."
Meanwhile, Michelle also agreed with what Rodeo said, once she holds 999 and expects to cure her trauma when she still remembers the car crash that she witnessed in the real world. 999 can cure anyones PTSD but given that humans who have become a Stand have immunity to certain Scpss, it didn't help much.
Sure 999 made them happy but couldn't cure their past trauma or PTSD due to said immunity.
"It's alright, Amelia. It will go away eventually." Rodeo said.
"But this was our one shot at making you feel better."
"Amelia, even if it did work. One way or another I have to face another traumatic experience again, but I'm glad you tried to help me and I thank you for that."
Amelia sighs, "You're welcome.... I guess."
"Don't worry. I'll be fine."
"I hope so."
"Also I need to discuss something with you." Rodeo proposed.
"Is it regarding 'that'?"
"Yeah."
Standing up, Amelia looks at Molly and Michelle and says to them, "We'll be heading out for now. We need to discuss something important."
"Sure, go ahead." Molly said.
"I'll see you back in the room then Rodeo." Michelle waved at him goodbye.
Rodeo and Amelia nod and left the gym.
Once they were lost in sight, Michelle looked at Molly and asked, "Can I hold him now?"
"Hmm... let me hold him for ten more minutes."
"Ugghhhh! Fine..." Michelle said sadly.
———————————————————————
In Amelia's office, Rodeo and Amelia were currently sitting on a chair and discussing the mole matter.
"So Gustav and Carson are your prime suspects?"
"Yeah. But we only know the reasons why they might be working with the Chaos Insurgency. We're not sure which one of them is actually the mole for the CI and if we try to interrogate one of them, the other will try to pull a stunt or better yet escape. Also we don't have solid leads or evidence to declare one of them as the mole."
"So what should we do?"
"For now we will wait. When they make a move, that's when we will make our move. If fate favors us then no doubt we will stop the mole."
"Let's hope you're right."