Josi held back ... but noted that vein that bulged on his forehead. All she did was smile. "Equipment."Alyssa Ashe wandered in from the hydroponics garden, her hands shoved deep in her pockets and headed for the cafeteria. She glanced about the cafeteria as she stood in the still open doors. She nodded to those she recognized and gave a semi-cautious look at those she didn't, then she moved to see what food was being offered.
Josi looked over as the emerging Alyssa. She beamed her a smile, bright and real before assuming her innocent little expression as she glanced back at One Eye. Zac arched a brow, gave a sigh of relief... He hoped the subject could be further avoided at the sight of Putter's would be friend. Alyssa let a grin dance over her lips for a moment before giving a quick wink to her cohort. She couldn't hide a slight smirk at the thinly veiled annoyance on One-Eye's face.
Zac waved Putter off like a father to an irritating child. "Go play in the street or something."
Josi slid a bit closer and yes ... oh yes ... dared to sit in a chair opposite of him. "Nope. I like sitting here better. So.....you gonna move my stuff or what?"
A cigarette was placed back into the corner of his mouth after the stew was done. He nodded as he leaned back once more. "Yeah..."
"When?"
His hand washed over his face, careful enough so as to not knock the cancer stick from its perch. The gesture was the measure of just how irritated he was. "When I am damn good and ready."
"I wouldn't wait to long," the girl said and rose from the chair. "You ain't the only man around with a vehicle. I can do my trading with someone else."
"Yeah ... you can," he said with another dismissive wave of his hand. Then he smiled to himself and muttered, "Too bad they'll kill you first." He shifted the cigarette from one corner of his thin mouth to the other.
"Alrighy then... deals off. And nope ... they wont be killing me. I fix the tanks...."
He tilted his head. "Tanks?" Suddenly his interest in her was peaked but she was slithering her amongst the tables once more.....heading for the door. His irritation was learning new bounds. After all, he'd told her to go, hadn't he? He gritted his teeth and let out a muttered curse.
Josi nudged open the door with a wave to Alyssa and she headed for the lobby.
Bliss rubbed the back of her neck absently as she spoke with Justice. "Seen Grenny?"
Justice took one last bite from the apple. He tossed it into the nearest bin with perfect aim. "Nope...must be off eating Churchmen." Bliss did her best to stifle a chuckle but didn't quite manage it. "I can't wait to hand over that vampiric Reverend to Grendel. Poetic Justice."
"Glad you said that before I had to."
"You can't always be the comic relief...though you try damn hard."
She lifted a pale brow. "You aren't supposed to notice that."
"I'm not? Sorry."
====
Gid slipped into his sister's lap. "Miss me?"
"Uh huh of course..." his sister grinned and poked his side. "So is the doc on duty tonight the one you are talking about?"
"Nope … she's not here. May be later though." He was titillated by the possibilities that ranged in his head.
Rach whispered, "You know another of the docs sees *spirits*"
"Sees spirits?" His eyes lift up slightly. "...do tell." He adjusted himself in her lap, his rear wiggling lightly against her as he did so. Then, dissatisfied with that position, he raised himself up slightly and turned his back to the room to sit straddling Rach. He leaned in close to hear the gossip she had about Ash and what the Medic reportedly "saw." As she was talking, he slipped his hands around her waist and pulled her close, pressing up against her, to kiss her full on the lips. She kissed him back and let her own hands wander.
Justice' hidden eyes never left looking at the siblings, Gideon and Rach. To himself he whispered, "Disgusting."
Bliss looked down at herself, thinking he was referring to her. "Wha', don't like the outfit?"
"No. I was talking about that," and he nodded his head to indicate the brother and sister who's hands were all over one another in a most non-familial fashion.
They all heard a rumbling that shook the hospital and when Grendel lumbered through the cafeteria doorway, Rach looked over to see him despite the insistence beneath her. She had moved into her brother's lap, rather than he in hers. She watched as Justice' winced at the loudness as did another woman not far away who muttered something that the rumbling drowned out. The mech swiveled his head around to look for familiar faces.
"Hey boss," Grendel said as he rumbled his way over to Justice.
"Disgusting," Justice repeated. Then looked to the huge Mech who sat down on his armored haunches. "Evening, Gren."
Bliss didn't turn to look. She just caught the reflection of their antics in his shades. "If you say so."
"They're brother and sister...I've run into them before. Incestuous."
She gave a shrug. "Happens."
There was a gleam in Gid's eye as he looked up at his sister. "He remembers ... how sweet."
"Yeah...I remember. I remember you turning tail and running," Justice said to them from his table.
Gid moved his sister careful and stood slowly to turn around and face Justice. "You want a piece of this?" His tone was aggressive and suggestive at the same time. His sister reached out to put a hand on his arm. "We've outsmarted him before sis ... he hasn't gotten any smarter," he reassured her.
"I don't feel like hide and seek tonight, punk."
"I bet that Messiah guy would pay big bucks for him to disapear," Gid said in an audible aside to his sister, who let a slight grin curve her lips.
"Perhaps," she responded nonchalantly. "But why bother?"
"Then he could have that Doc lady all to hisself," Gid finished.
Justice went on, his voice very quiet but carrying, "I'm tired. Maybe Gren here is a little hungry."
"I haven't fed in three days," the big Mech said and the sunglassed man smirked.
"What does he have to do with that doc? This is confusing...." Rach asked her brother.
Gideon smiled his fingertips trailing gently up his sister's arm to tease her lightly. He's her protector or something. He's the one who stopped in when the Messiah guy with the teeth chased her down."
"Well, I hope he's fireproof."
"I protect everyone, punk. The only prejudice Justice partakes of is against turds like you."
Gideon chuckled. "Even refers to himself third person."
Zac had remained leaning back in his chair, his feet propped up on the table while he watched carefully. Out in the lobby, Ed Archer came into the hospital. He wasn't really in the mood to eat, since "Cafeteria food is people!" ... even though that was essentially why he was here... He sat on the couch alone...hearing the increased hustle and bustle from the mess hall. "Too many people..." He grunted to himself. He looked up as Josi Putter came from the cafeteria. "Hey there," he called to her. She ignored him while she loitered in the lobby waiting for Alyssa. Ed rolled his eyes at Josi and lay down on the couch. In Syrynykk he muttered what would have translated as, "Jerk..."
Josi saw Alyssa head her way as she came out of the cafe' and greeted her. She straightened from her normal hunched crouch, her entire demeanor changing and grinned at Alyssa. "Hey." She took a quick glance over at Archer and stuck her tongue out at him, but he didn't notice. "I ran into a glitch getting my large stuff over here" Her clear eyes slid back to Alyssa.
Alyssa glanced at Archer, not having noticed him before, and made a slight arch of a brow at Josi's reaction to him. "Oh?" She frowned. "Hadn't had any luck getting mine here either… I've been looking at everything though."
"My ride is being stubborn ... acting all bad ass." She snorted out harshly through her nose in irritation, the innocent little simpleton that was usually Josi all but gone.
"Was that who you were talking to?"
"One Eye. Don't know his real name. He is useful though."
Not at all surprised at the change in her associate, she just nodded. "Sometimes they can be … most times they're a pain."
She shook her grimy head, one greasy hand raking though shorn hair. Alyssa smiled wryly and Josi's was a mirror image...a mimic of that smile. "A pain to be sure. He ain't the only one ... I have another possibility. Though that alternative may be more trouble then it is worth. I don't really want these other people knowing where I hole up."
"Gee… I can't imagine why not." Alyssa nodded firmly. "Well, if you need a hand, let me know."
"I Can't let all my secrets out in the open. But we gotta get to work on the stuff upstairs."
"Always a good move to keep something secret." Alyssa sighed and raked her fingers through her own short-cropped hair. "Yeah." Clearly she wasn't looking forward to getting to work upstairs. "I been looking at the rest of the room … it's a mess … that centrifuge is a piece of cake."
"How far are you way from here? How much stuff you got to move?"
Alyssa gave a little half shrug. "Not far actually … but there's a lot of activity lately." She scowled a thoughtful frown. "Too much to move; more than I can pack."
The other nodded. A glance spared back toward the cafeteria. "I would prefer to use One Eye. Don't trust him much......but more then the others." She watched as Ed got tired of the two women talking about stuff he barely understood and walked into the cafeteria.
Alyssa offered up a wry smile. "No contacts here yet … unfortunately."
====
Rach glared with a snort at Justice, or as she put it, "Mr. Righteous." Gid told her he wasn't anything to worry about as he slid his hand into his pocket and wrapped it around something. Faster than could be seen, Justice' hand blurred and let fly a dagger which landed in the table near Gid. Close, much too close, to him. "Shut your mouth, punk," Justice told him.
"This gonna be another fun night at the hospital Shades?" Bliss asked.
"Nice toy," Gid said as Rach glanced at the dagger and picked it up.
"Get out your gun, Bliss," Justice told her in confirmation. "Coroner's gonna have some work tonight."
Bliss took her hand out of her jacket. "Done that already," she said and flicked off the safety. Grendel locked the cannon on his shoulder into position, no words needed to prompt him to the action.
A sly grin crossed Rach's face. "My we are popular tonight."
Gid grinned and removed the small object from his pocket. "Wanna play Russian roulette? I've got something in my hands ... wanna guess and see if it goes boom?" He smiled sadistically.
"Wanna see how many holes I can put in your head before your next breath?"
Gideon said, "Holes aren't going to stop it from going boom."
Bliss turned in her seat, taking aim. "No, but you and yours die first."
Rach was annoyed and maybe, deep down, just a little concerned. She cast a cool glance at them all. "Just get of your high horse. We aren't bugging you."
"You bug me just by being here," Justice said.
"Ohh really? Well, at least I don't hide behind shades." She mumbled then, trying to convince Gideon as much as herself perhaps that this was, "not worth it."
"You and that Dental nightmare think too linear," Gid told them.
"That's what Grendel is for. He covers the booms..."
"Not this boom," Gid said. "If I want ... we All go boom and you need to realize there Supercop there isn't anything you can do about it." He grinned. "This is a thinking game."
"Hey boss," Grendel piped up, sounding for all the world like a goon from some old Gangster vid. "If you end up killing them do you mind if I drain them?"
"You can drain them now," the magnanimous Justice told him. "I'm tired."
Grendel took a more careful look at the brother and sister. "Probably rot my reactor out."
Zac had watched with earnest too, and his hand once more slipped inside his coat. Though most of the words were lost on him, the tenseness was not. He offered a nod to Justice just then, the weapon held under the table.
"You obviously don't play well in games of thought," Gideon was saying. "Now I suggest you and your deputies... Just sit down and get off your self righteous horses and we can all go nice and easy."
"How much thought does it take to threaten a hospital full of souls with a big boom?" Bliss wanted to know, her gun still at level aim.
"A lot more thought than trying to beat a bomb with a gun."
At that moment, Caine brushed off the errant residue of this dustbowl of a world from his pristine white jacket as he stepped into the cafeteria. His appraising gaze drifting over those assembled. He claimed one of the tables that commanded a view of the door as his own. A small pad removed from his jacket's inner pocket became his focus after giving a glance to one of his best customers, the woman named Bliss.
"Justice has a bigger bomb with him right now pal," Gren spoke again.
The comparison wasn't lost on Gideon and he smiled. "OK.. so if he's ready to, then let him blow it up."
Bliss smiled darkly. "You and yours go first, I'm happy."
"And they will. The Son of Derell will die for his cause," Justice smirked at his own humor, a quote from the legend.
Rach raised a brow and said quite distinctly, "Who?"
"Actually it blowing up is my call," Gren said proudly.
"OK, then blow yourself up." Gid suggested helpfully. "Point made here is, You don't want none, then don't start none."
Rachel was clearly getting bored as it all turned to a male ego, super Id pissing contest. Who has the bigger bomb ... ho hum. "Love," she said almost petulantly. "They aren't worth our time any longer."
Bliss was still grinning somewhat visciously. "I agree," she said.
"You're a coward."
Gideon just laughed at Justice for that. "I'm a coward because I'm smarter than you?"
"Hiding behind your bomb."
Caine shook his head at the sounds of the egotistical boasting echoing through the room. He could understand the look on the girl's face that said she was bored. "Kids and their games," he murmured as he tapped out a few more buttons on the pad and then returned it to his jacket pocket. Despite it's foolishness, his attention now drawn to the still raging argument. After all, a bomb was a bomb and tended to be even more dangerous when wielded by a foolish, randy boy.
Rach shrugged. "So … who cares? If we're cowards and we stay alive where the supposed brave are dead in their tracks, seems we've the better of the deal."
Gideon shook his head. "You need to learn a better way of thinking. You and Fang face."
"What do you know about Locutus?
Rach whispered to Gid, "Ohh he wants info?"
"I know enough," Gid told him, already ahead of his sister. "I know you to got an itch in your crotch for each other. How much is more knowledge worth to you?"
With a spin his gun was holstered, and Justice said, "Put your bomb away."
"Tell your deputies to holster as well."
"Gren, Bliss...stand down." The information was clearly more important than his offended sensibilities.
Gren followed the order, his cannon swinging into its normal rest position. Gid looked to Bliss who put her gun in her lap. The kid slipped his hand into his pocket but didn't miss the nod and head shake between the other man who'd entered, Caine, and Bliss. "Holster it, chickie poo," he said to Bliss.
"Bliss," Justice told her, "put the gun away."
She did so only after asked by Justice. Then, an eye on Caine, she rose to her feet. "Got business, yell if you need me." She moved off from the confrontation.
Letting his hand out of his jacket, Gid said, "There ... now we're playing nice."
By this point, Ed Archer who'd made his way from the lobby into the cafeteria had made it known that he was disgusted with the carelessness of Justice and Gideon who seemed more concerned with their egos than the lives or property of anyone else. "Careless Huumunns," he muttered. "This is a hospital. When will they have a policy that makes people check their guns at the door?"
Her decision made, Josi slinked back down the hall, the simpleton once more, and pushed open the door of the cafeteria. Her crystalline eyes fixed on One Eye. He was the better choice. The easier choice. He looked as tense as before, but she crept back in anyway and stayed near the wall even as she approached him. She asked him if he wanted to deal or not. He told her that if she was going to bail every time they tried to make a deal, then no. She got tougher than she ever had before; told him to cut the crap and just say if he wanted a deal or not. He'd been nervous by the incident in the cafeteria and brought his gun out from under the table where he'd kept it trained on Gideon and Justice by turns. He shoved it up under her chin and said, "No. You cut the crap."
Shad exited the elevator in the lobby in time to see Ash too moving into the lobby from the other elevator. Another woman with dark hair was with her, but Shad didn't recognize her. Ash gave the slender, young, dark coated man a polite smile that didn't betray her surprise at seeing him walking. His gray eyes were cautious as he looked around him, then went back toward the cafeteria, swinging wide of the conversation between the two women. He paused close to Ed after he moved back into the cafeteria. It seemed all too tense in there – far more than before. Ed walked past Shad and suggested quietly that he leave. Shad saw Zac’s gun at Putter’s throat and let out a sigh. It was proof enough for him that tensions were high even if he’d not been able to sense it already.
Ed explained that there was a bomb in the possession of a careless huumunn and that Shad pulling his own artillery wasn’t wise. Shad countered that he was cautious, not stupid and Ed argued that he’d be dead either way if hostilities broke out beyond the pissing stage. A bomb was far more deadly than a gun. The war fifty years ago had proven that. Shad wanted to know who had the bomb and Ed smirked and leaned against the wall. Sometimes there was no understanding Ed. "Lovely," Shad said and walked his way carefully through the group, trying to figure out who it was who had the bomb.
Zac, his gun to Putter’s throat still, said, "We already had a deal. We finish it."
"Then stop pussy footing around and get off your ass."
The hammer was bought back carefully, the gun once more holstered. Setting his feet to the floor, he rose and gripped Josi by the arm. "OK sister...time to go." Alyssa came back into the cafeteria just in time to see Zac manhandling Josi. She didn't want to do anything about it until she caught her eye. One never knew what Josi was up to. She stood in the doorway and watched as he pushed her ahead of him, yet his grip remained.
"Pushing me around ain't part of the deal One Eye," she pointed out as she shuffles on ahead of him. She looked to Alyssa in the doorway, seeing Ash behind her trying to make her way in, and winked to Alyssa. The girl relaxed imperceptibly, nodding slightly at the wink. Then she cleared out of the way to let Ash in and Putter and One-Eye out without being obvious about the whole maneuver. She headed for the elevators, jabbed the button and leaned against the wall to watch Zac and Josi.
Zac reached into his pocket and pulled the piece of paper he'd crumpled in there earlier from Elliott's printer. Ash pushed her way into the cafeteria and just shook her head. Zac shoved that crumpled piece of paper into Ash's hand as he walked by, still nudging Putter along ahead of him. The Medic blinked at the paper thrust into her hand, and then at the man and woman who were shuffling by. "What's this?" She automatically smoothed the printed sheet out in her hands, grumbling as she scanned the words on it. Zac apparently had no time to answer her. As she moved off toward a table away from everyone, Ash slouched low in her chair, till her chin disappeared behind the tabletop.
When he let go of Putter, Zac said, "You get who you need. What you need," pointing at her the while. "Ten minutes ... outside, in front."
She blinked, suddenly finding her arm free. She made a show of rolling her shoulders ... and then rubbing her arm. "Fine." With that, One-Eye spun, his coat billowing behind him as he headed for the bay doors.
Josi walked across the lobby she walked over to Alyssa and spoke to her quietly for a moment. The other leaned a bit, watching Zac until he was gone, and nodded every now and then at what Josi was saying. Finally she murmured, "Works for me." Her gaze leveled a look at Josi. "Be careful."
Josi flashed a grin at Alyssa as she turned. "Always," she said, and all but skittered out the way One Eye went. Alyssa on the other hand shook her head, chuckling softly and tapped the button again as the elevator came and went. She took the first one that opened up, up to the second floor and made her way to the burned out lab where everyone knew Garth Lowinn, Legion of Freemen Special Ops Commander had died.
====
Justice approached the pair, his hands held out. "What do you know?"
"Depends on how much your paying."
"Moneys not worth much these days."
"Whattya have in ways of trading?" Gid knew money was no longer the goal of the greedy and he was flexible.
"What are you askin' for? I can probably get it."
Gideon didn't question how this was possible. He just seemed to know intrinsically that it was. "What do you want to know about him?"
A slight snarl curled Justice lip beneath the shades. "Everything."
Rach tilted her head and listened quietly as her brother explained how he worked. "I work info. Quid pro quo. I tell you, you tell me. Since you're wanting the whole deal … if either of us get the feeling the other is holding out info we split."
"What do you want to know, punk?"
"We gotta work on your people skills."
Rach couldn't help but toss in the jibe, "Maybe he isn't huumunn."
"I want info," Gid chuckled. "You find out the info I want, I find out the info you want. You want a dossier on the Messiah boy, I'll get it; but, when I come to you for the info I want you come with it."
"I can work with that. Again, what do you want to know?"
"I'll have something for you in time," Gid said. "Like I said, I deal in information. You'll have yours soon." He stood and turned to his sister. "Come on Rach. Let's split."
"Yes, lets get outta here."
As they reached the doors, Gideon tucked his hand into his pocket, the same in which he'd claimed to carry the bomb. He pulled his hand out and tossed something to Justice. Falling to the floor in front of the man in shades him was a Common cigarette lighter. "Gotta play the mind game Supercop," he chuckled as he and his sister left the cafeteria.
Justice tilted his head down, his mirrored gaze taking in the lighter. As he bent to pick it up, he murmured, "Next time...you die, punk." His black-gloved hand crushed down on the lighter, breaking the metal and letting the fluid ooze out over his glove and drip to the floor. "And your Sister, too." T
Shad had watched the whole conversation from the moment he'd entered
and Ed had warned him about the "bomb" ... the same device which now leaked it's flammable fluid all over the cafeteria floor. He walked over to Justice, murmured, "Hmm," and scratched his chin absently as he looked at the broken lighter laying in it's self made puddle in Justice hand. The other tossed the useless lump of metal into a
recycling bin and then turned his mirrored gaze to Shad.
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