TITLE: Rock On
AUTHOR: MikeJaffa
SYNOPSIS: Responding to a challenge by InuskyeYash: Jo + Meg + a Def Leppard song.
DISCLAIMER: Burst Angel is owned by Gonzo. I am not making any money off this fic.
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"Meg!" Jo called as she hung up the phone handset in the trailer's kitchen. "Meg!"
Meg came out of her room into the trailer's living area. "What?"
"That was Sei. She, Kyo, and Amy are ok. She wants us to drive the trailer to pick them up."
"Us? Drive it?"
"We just got our licenses, and she checked us out in it. Sei said she doesn't want any scratches on it, but I don't see any problems." Jo paused. "I'll drive. You ride shotgun."
"Are you-"
"Meg."
"Fine."
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When they go on the mega-highway, Meg asked, "How long?"
Jo's eyes flicked to the dashboard. "Nav system said twenty minutes."
Meg groaned. "I'm bored! I want to hear some music." She started playing with her console.
"Meg-"
"Don't worry, Jo. I've saved all Sei's preference and favorited the last track she was listening to. I just want to see-" She broke off. "That bitch!"
"What?"
"She has the whole history of rock and roll here- everything! I've had to scrimp and save and beg and do everything but give sexual favors for old CD's, and she has everything-wait-let's see…." Meg scrolled through menus and options. "Yes, she has it! Screw it! I'm playing what I want. She doesn't like it, she can fire us and hire other assassins just as good as us."
"'Us'?" But Jo smiled. Then a very familiar guitar rif started. "Hmmm…Let me guess: Armageddon It by Def Leppard?"
Meg snapped her fingers and wriggled in her seat to the music. "How'd you guess?"
"You mean aside from all the karaoke contests you've won with it?"
Meg sang part of the first verse, then said, "You should try it sometime, Jo. Karaoke night at The Firing Pin allows duets." She went back to singing.
"Not my thing," Jo said, "but I'll go if you can find someone else to sing with you."
"Nnn, you're no fun, Jo…" She started singing along again.
Even though Jo focused on her driving, she tapped one finger to the music. But it was hard to ignore the way Meg danced in her seat to the music, singing along to the song and occasionally playing phantom guitar.
The console beeped. Jo looked at the rear view camera. The cybot they'd been dealing with was coming up fast behind them, it's right arm missing, smoke pouring from gashes in its hull. It was damaged, but still dangerous.
"Meg," Jo said.
Meg was lost in the song; she kept singing along to the rock song, ignoring Jo.
"*Meg*… Meg!… Dammit, Meg!" Jo punched a button on her console and the music stopped.
"Jo-!" Meg protested.
"Meg, we've got company." Jo pointed at the screen.
Meg peered at it. "Damn! That thing doesn't know when to quit."
"You take the wheel," Jo said. "Then I'll launch Django and take that thing out for good."
Meg unstrapped herself from her chair and got next to Jo. "Ready when you are."
"One…" Jo unclipped her safety belt. "…two…three!"
Jo leapt out of the seat; Meg grabbed the wheel and fell into the chair. The trailer barely wobbled out of its lane.
"He's gaining!" Meg called.
Jo was already running out of the cockpit. "Good! This will be over quicker."
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Sei stood by Amy and Kyohei as the trailer pulled into the abandoned shopping mall's parking lot. Black smoke could be seen in the distance on the highway.
The trailer came to a stop; a moment later, the door opened, and Meg and Jo came down the steps.
Jo said, "Our friend came back, but I put it down for good. And brought the trailer to you undamaged…"
A maintenance panel fell off the nose.
Jo winced. "More or less."
"But the cybot is down?" Sei asked.
"Yes," Meg said. "He didn't get the point before, but we made sure he Armageddon-ed it."
Kyo laughed.
Meg got in his face. "Something funny, cook boy?"
"N-nothing, Meg," Kyo said. "You just reminded me of this really old rock song, 'Armageddon It' by a group called Def-"
"-Leppard. I know that song."
"One of my favorites."
After Kyo sang a few bars, Meg said thoughtfully, "That was pretty good. Ever done karaoke?"
"Used to. Haven't gone to a Karaoke club since I started at Love and Happy."
"I see." Meg smiled. "Y'know, Kyo," she said, putting an arm around his shoulder as she lead him towards the trailer, "there's this merc hangout, The Firing Pin, and they have Karaoke contests, and they have a category for duets. Would you like to go sometime?"
"What - me sing with you!? You don't like me!"
"Oh, puh-shaw, I just get cranky. It's nothing against you…really. And I should do something to show how much I appreciate your cooking, and now would be a good time to put some effort into our…friendship."
Jo watched Meg and Kyo go up into the trailer. She squeezed her eyes shut and hissed, "This will not end well."
THE END
