"Since when are you picking up strays, brother? "
Methos looked up from his book and towards Kronos.
The other horseman was standing beside the cot the boy was sleeping on. He had been in his office when Methos had brought the boy in. Oh course Kronos would have felt their approach but as was so often the case he had preferred to keep working unless there was any realy sign of a threat.
It was most likely curiosity that had brought him from his work now, or maybe he was just finished with it. Either way he had come in here expecting to find just his brother and found the boy as well.
Methos still sometimes had problems judging his brother's mood but he thought Kronos did not approve of the kid being here.
Unfolding his legs Methos stood up from the sofa and motioned for Kronos to follow him to the kitchen. No need to wake the boy up. This conversation was better had out of his earshot.
Kronos reluctantly followed him to the kitchen and perched a flank on the table.
"So? Did I miss the memo that we're recruiting? "
Grabbing two beers from the fridge, opening them and handing one to Kronos bought Methos time to formulate his answer.
"I don't think 'He followed me home, can I keep him?' is going to work? Yeah, didn't think so. "
Methos grinned sheepishly at Kronos' unimpressed look.
"The two of us won't be enough in the long run, Kronos. We're good apart, we're unstoppable together but every king needs his pawns. "
Kronos lifted an eyebrow. "I sure hope you aren't numbering me among the pawns, brother. "
"Of course not, you're clearly the queen!"
A big, cheeky grin spread across Methos' face and Kronos couldn't help but laugh.
"One of these days that mouth of yours will get you into big trouble, my friend."
He had actually missed this, Methos realised, not just the power or the killing but the brotherhood, the light-hearted moments that always happened between blood shed. Bantering and winding each other up and sometimes a little bit of a harmless brawl. He had missed belonging somewhere and knowing someone had his back.
"And should I find myself in trouble I'll rest assured in the knowledge that you'll soon storm in, guns blazing, to rescue me. As you did last time, even after what I did to you. "
Methos dropped his gaze to his beer at the last sentences and started picking at the label. All that time since Kronos came crashing through Jillie's living room window like a demon from hell they had avoided that topic. He just wasn't sure how Kronos would react, if he would seek revenge and was just waiting for the best moment or if he had truly just forgiven him.
It was always hard to say with Kronos. He took the whole revenge is a dish best served cold to a whole new level. Some of his revenge was so old it wasn't only cold it was buried under a glacier. And yet if the opportunity presented itself he'd take his revenge even after millennia had passed.
"So the boy is a pawn? Not your student? "
Methos breathed a sigh of relief that Kronos apparently was happy to avoid the topic in favour of more urgent ones. Looking back up at his brother Methos gave him his best are-you-kidding-look.
"I don't take students, you know that. Sure, I'll tell him about the game and might even teach him a bit of sword fighting but he won't be my student. He'll be more like hired help, someone to do the leg work. And he'll be loyal because I saved him from all those crazy men coming after him with swords. We give him a roof over his head and some food and money and he'll eat out of our hands. Like I said, a pawn. And should we have to we'll sacrifice him. "
Methos looked very pleased with himself for finding the kid. Kronos tilted his head to the side and gave the matter some thought.
"Yes, it will be useful to have an immortal foot soldier. One can only rely on mortals to a certain extend. I take it the kid isn't much older than he looks? "
Methos shook his head.
"He's basically a newborn and we can shape him into anything we wish him to be."
Kronos nodded. They spent the next few minutes drinking their beers in companionable silence. After they had dumped their bottles into the trash they heard movement from the other room.
The kid came walking in carefully like a skittish woodland creature, looking around sheepishly and running a hand through his sleep mused hair.
"Um, hello, sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt but...where do I find the bathroom around here?"
Methos stepped forward and put an arm around the boy's shoulders.
"Brother, this is Richie. He might currently look like a street urchin but I am sure he cleans up nicely. And he's got some raw talent that could be useful for us. Richie, this is Kronos. He and I run this little operation of ours."
The boy blushed a bit at the unexpected praise.
"Pleased to meet you, Mr. Kronos, and thanks for taking me in and not coming after me with a big sword and everything..."
He trailed off under Kronos blank look and nervously rubbed the back of his neck.
"You'll do", Kronos merely said and walked off.
"Come on, kid, I'll show you the bathroom and we'll find you some new clothes. You can clean up and then we can talk. "
"No, keep your arm up, like this, and block my swing, like this."
Kronos watched as Methos positioned the boy like a store mannequin. The kid had already complained that his arms ached after a mere fifteen minutes of training and by now he looked about ready to pass out. His arm holding the sword was shaking badly and dropped down again as soon as Methos let it go.
"I'm exhausted, can we take a break, Methos? Please? "
The kid gave his brother a very good attempt at puppy dog eyes and Methos relented and sent him to the shower.
Methos himself sat down next to Kronos to clean his sword.
"You better watch he doesn't faint in the shower, brother. Modern boys are too soft, too weak. We were trained to wield weapons from the time we could walk but now all they can use are computers and skateboards."
He pulled a disgusted face.
"Don't be so harsh, brother, the times have changed a lot. And them being weak only makes things easier for us, doesn't it? "
Kronos shrugged but still looked a bit morose.
"Do you want to spar? Training a newbie is much more talk than action and I feel restless. Come on, Kronos. One fight, loser buys the beer for the next month? "
Methos smiled at him and nodded towards the space they had cleared for training.
"Ok, one fight. "
Kronos got up and shrugged out of his leather jacket. He grabbed his sword and got into position, waiting for Methos. They smiled at each other for a second, eyes gleaming with excitement, then Methos attacked without warning and the fight began.
They were still at it when Richie returned from the shower ten minutes later and he just stopped dead in his tracks as he realised what he was seeing.
He stepped as close to the fighters as he dared and just watched them open mouthed.
He'd never seen anyone fight like that. Their movements were so fast that he had trouble keeping up and they fought without any care for their own or the other's safety.
When he had returned there had already been bloody cuts in both their shirts. While he watched Methos got through Kronos' defence and gave him a deep cut to his upper arm.
Kronos merely grunted and changed the sword to the other hand while his arm healed.
They fought like they felt no pain or exhaustion. The kid thought it was a scary yet fascinating thing to watch.
Richie didn't know how much time had passed but very suddenly the fight was over. A very tiny mistake on Methos' part allowed Kronos to drive him to his knees and bring the sword to his neck.
"Yield, brother. "
They were both breathing hard and sweating and Richie thought he even saw the slightest tremor in Kronos' sword arm but at the same time they looked happier than he had yet seen them.
"I yield, Kronos."
Kronos pulled back the sword and helped Methos to his feet.
"Good, victor gets to shower first. "
With a smirk Kronos walked over to the bathroom while Methos watched him go with a wry smile.
"Smug git."
Richie thought he detected a trace of affection under the put on annoyance. Methos stole the towel Richie had been dying his hair with right out of his hand and rubbed the sweat off his face and body.
Then he walked to the kitchen and came back with two bottles of beer. He gave one to Richie and kept the other himself.
"He can get his own when he comes back, the old shower hogger. I bet he'll use up all the hot water, too. "
Methos let himself fall into a chair and slouched down low, the only concession to his exhaustion.
Richie took a chair next to him and sipped his beer.
"That fight was...just...wow. I've never seen anything like it. You're good, I mean really good."
Methos shrugged.
"We've had a lot of practice. And Kronos was already a great warrior before his first death."
Richie gave that some thought.
"You're both really, really old, aren't you? I know asking an immortal how old they are is a big no-no but seriously, man, I bet you are very old. "
Methos just smiled and shrugged.
Richie sipped from his beer again and tried to come up with a better topic of conversation.
"So, what exactly is it you two do? I've seen the piles of cash you keep around and the big guns, so I doubt it's anything legal. "
Methos went through different replies before settling on: "We do a bit of this, a bit of that, really. A little import/export, a little weapons trading, a little black mail. Kronos might not act like it or like to admit it but he makes for a more than decent hacker and I have some small computer skills myself. "
Methos gestured with the beer bottle.
"Currently we're just making money and sneaking into influential positions. Buy a politician here, a mayor there. Just get our fingers into a lot of pies. It's just the set up for a larger operation of course but we'll get there in time. "
Richie was impressed despite himself. They were just two men but it seemed that they really knew how to get what they wanted. He thought there was a lot he could learn from them and then no one would push him around ever again.