"Don't be jealous. Train harder." His voice was even, calm. For once, the touch of bravado that surrounded his words seemed to vanish. "Raw ambition is what gets you somewhere around this place."

His voice mellowed for a second, "That's why I'm still an El Tee." He shook off his own self-pity and turned back to her, "So if you want to be a Black Hydra than be a frakking Black Hydra. Afraid of being a loser? Then train. Afraid of getting others killed? Then train? Afraid that you'll let someone down? Then train."

"You can die a thousand times in the sims and learn from each mistake. That's what they're there for." He put the needle away and tossed the box on the table. "Or you can be a disgrace to that uniform and and sit around feeling sorry for yourself."

"It's time to suck it up, Cupcake. No more pissing and moaning. No more blaming it on some Raptor accident that happened long before C-Day. You're a Black Hydra, start acting like one."

He looked down at her, his gaze even and firm, but not without compassion. He held out a hand to help lift her from her bunk. "What do you say, wingman?"