(AN: I know, this chapter sucks. But the next one is better, I promise! Johnny doesn't belong to me, the rest do … don't sue me and don't steal my characters, kay?)
The little club fell silent when she entered. And Piper merely pretended not to notice she was the reason they suddenly lost their voices. When you were a disgrace to your profession, you just had a tiny feeling that it was you who caught everyone's tongues.
She quickly surveyed the tiny club, a frequent "hang out" for Guardians, or at least the ones who were closest. After spotting Terra in a booth at the back of the room, she swept passed the hushed voices and the disappointed glares toward her only friend in the Guardianship.
"So, enjoying your little vacation?" Terra asked, a hint of jealousy in her voice. Her appointed waste-lock was rather busy these days, so Terra was as well. Watching over someone was an almost twenty four seven job.
A small smile pulled at the corners of Piper's mouth. "Vacations over … he's back."
Terra shook her head. "I've never seen anyone so … pleased to get back to work like you."
"Don't you get it Terra? This is my big chance! My opportunity to set things straight!"
Terra sighed. "Piper, honey, understand that I only tell you this because I'm your best friend and I want to see you as happy as possible. Just … let it go. He's ruined. The Elders completely understand and-"
Piper scowled. "He's not … ruined. He's just lost. But I'm going to set him straight and then things will be back to normal! Or … at least as normal as things can be." Terra didn't look convinced, and Piper stood up … tired of her disbelief. "You'll see. Things are gonna change. I'll make sure of that!"
"What … change for the worse?" Piper cringed at the sound of Rodie's song-like, "I told you so" tone. "Look everyone … Piper's going to find a way to screw things up more than they already are."
Piper's eyes narrowed. "Things aren't that screwed up …"
Rodie's face split into an annoying sort of grin as he continued. "Oh they aren't, are they? Lets see … because you couldn't keep a better control on your waste-lock … there is another out there … running around without a guardian. I do hope you don't consider that sort of thing normal, Piper. Sounds pretty screwed up to me."
Piper's eyes narrowed. Her mind churned with about a million things she wanted to say to him at that moment … but she narrowed it down to two simple words. "Just wait." She turned, and as gracefully as she had entered the club, she left it again. She'd show them, she'd prove to them she wasn't a total screw up. She'd make things right again, they'd see!
They'd eat their words …
"And what does … this one do?" Tristan asked of a particularly painful looking machine.
"Uh …" Nny replied. He was still a bit confused by the aspect of anyone but himself being interested in his torture devices. "Well … it really depends one what you're going for. You strap the person in here, and if you're going for just blinding pain … you pull the lever a little. If being ripped apart at the limbs is what you want, then you pull it the whole way."
"Impressive …" Tristan awed, petting the gears. She peeked up at him for just a moment to ask, "Why leave a house with such neat little toys inside?"
"… I needed a vacation." He responded, not really wanting to give her any more details. He took this moment, as she was being quite docile and not carrying any weapons, to ask her a few questions of his own. "What about you … how did you end up … here? Your accent … you're not from around here."
Tristan hummed. "Correct. I was born in a little town, just outside of London. From the time I was a baby, until my parents died in a horrible fire. Then I was shipped off to an orphanage … and no one wanted to adopt a horrendous little brat like me, so I stayed there until I was eighteen. By the time I was 20, I'd committed the most gruesome things, and I knew the police were on my trail … so I escaped to this country. Then a year ago … this little place just kind of called to me I suppose." She explained.
"And Phillip … who is he?"
Tristan smiled genuinely. "My only friend. He can be quite a pain in the arse … but he's all I've got. My parents thought I was mad, because I'm the only one he talks to." Her smiled widened. "They sure didn't have much to say about him when I lit the house on fire while they were asleep." She boasted, as if that were her greatest accomplishment.
Johnny simply nodded, and Tristan apparently lost interest in the gears. "I'm famished. Why don't we go to that taco joint … where we can discuss our new found partnership."
"Our what?"
"Come on! Think of the damage we could do as a team! We could cover the city in the blood of those who mock us."
Johnny cringed; he didn't like the sound of that.
"Like I said … we'll discuss it over tacos. C'mon … I'm buying."
He decided that if free food was part of the deal, it wouldn't hurt to hear what Tristan had to say. He followed her up the stairs and into the living room, where she stopped in front of the couch and spoke to a small stuffed gray cat sitting against the armrest. "Johnny and I are going out for tacos … I'll be back in an hour or two." She explained, and then turned to Johnny to whisper. "He gets very upset with me if he doesn't know where I've been …"