Trouble
Los Angeles has those sunny warm days pretty much everyday and no one at the ranch missed the rainy weather of Seattle. The reason for the debate was a petite brunette currently in residence there.
"She can take care of herself." Zane repeated once again. "Besides what good are we going to do over there?"
"We can't leave the ranch unmanned. The way things are, we won't have a home to come back to and we're safe here." Syl looked apologetic.
"Only one of us should go then." Krit looked at his brother and sister with a slow smile. "Never was one for ranching."
"I'll say. You couldn't get the tractor working!" Zane exclaimed with a laugh.
"You're the mechanic in the family, Zane." Syl laughed. "So when are you leaving?" she asked turning to her younger brother. He shrugged smiling again. Now that it was decided he felt relieved and just a bit anxious to get on the road. The sooner he made it to Seattle the more he could do to help out Max and see Nÿx.
"Pack me some food?" he asked Syl.
-X-
He'd spent a year locked up in a cage playing possum, pretending to be broken and waiting for the prefect moment to make his escape. He'd waited a year, feeling the cold stone floor under his feet and the hard pallet they gave him to sleep on. Re-living the car chase and the freezing water as his SUV went over. He'd managed to reach the shore, shivering with the cold and they'd been waiting. Watching as he struggled to get on dry land before shoving him into the cage.
They'd tortured him, asked about 452, about her DNA code but he hadn't known anymore than they did. He would have died then but Lydecker hadn't been ready for death just yet. He struck a bargain, told them to get another X-5 and they did! They brought in one of his kids, tortured and dissected her while he watched helplessly.
Brin was gone…
But not anymore. He wasn't helpless now, no; Colonel Donald Michael Lydecker was free and headed to Terminal City with a little something extra in tow. The tide was going to turn. The Conclave had reason to worry now that one of their own was missing, now that the other side had the upper hand. Information on the 'Coming'.
-X-
It was early morning, hazy gray light drifted in the only window. She slowly untangled herself from his arm and slid out from beneath his chest. He'd draped his leg over hers and sitting up she took a second to appreciate the male specimen. There was no denying that Gryph was very handsome, he'd certainly turned out to be more resilient than she had expected… for a human. Of course, this wasn't going in her report, admitting she'd deliberately hopped in the sack with a human- that wasn't going to get her a promotion. So she pulled her legs from under his and got up. She raised her hands over her head stretching out her back feeling just a little pleased with recent activities. Her eyes wandered over him again while she picked up her clothes. Audny dressed without haste pulling her red hair up into a loose ponytail. The snoring reached a sort of coughing hack and Audny turned away with a cynical smile. Gryph lay sprawled on most of the mattress which wasn't that big to begin with. He'd fallen asleep and even drunk the blond hadn't exhausted himself until now and it was time for her to go. She had what she wanted.
-X-
"Hot run!" Normal yelled from the dispatch window just as Gryph sauntered down the ramp. He smiled tiredly at Normal who held out the package but Gryph just kept walking.
"Hey!-."
"Gimme five minutes Normal." Gryph waved lazily as he stopped by his locker. Nÿx closed the little metal door watching him. He had bags under his eyes and looked more than tired. He winced as he sat gingerly on the metal bench where she was packing her bag.
"You look like-."
"I got laid." Gryph interrupted with a smirk.
"Jeez!" Nÿx exclaimed looking as if he'd just showed her something horribly gross. "More than I need to know." Especially when Aric's drunken ramblings and the groping were brought to mind. She scowled at the bench, reminding herself he was fragile and breaking every bone in his body, while it might- just might, make her feel better was not good for his health. Then again, she'd had the unsatisfying-satisfaction of knowing all the noise she made only sent him scurrying to upchuck in the bathroom.
"I keep telling you I'm a good-."
"Don't even say it." Nÿx warned. Gryph's laughter was full of mirth knowing full well Nÿx hated hearing him talk about his sex life. He opened his mouth to give her some details but she must've known what was coming.
"I don't want to know!" Nÿx exclaimed turning away. She took the hot run right out of Normal's hand before he could finish yelling it out.
"That goes to Sector4!" he hollered to her back.
-X-
Sector4 was not a nice place to wander into or make deliveries but that's where she was. Nÿx turned left down a crowded street and wove her way through some hookers.
'They're out early.' Then again maybe that's when they got the best customers… whatever their reason for being out she had no interest in it. There was a 'HotRun' that needed to be delivered all she had to do now was find the address. Not a big problem for her, Nÿx had that photographic memory-.
"That's her!" Nÿx froze inwardly wondering who they were yelling about. Outwardly she remained calm pedaling just a little faster to get through the throng and made a right turn. She melded into a group of SteelHeads, the ones with the bio-tech implants and was forced to slow down. Then she was stopped by one shiny metal arm.
Nÿx glanced up into the ugliest face a human could ever posses. The scientists at Manticore had never purposely made the Transgenic deformed but these humans…
"That's her."
"Her who?" Nÿx asked with a glance over her shoulder. If it were possible this one was uglier than the first which just happened to move in. "Whoa, what's the deal?" Nÿx asked sitting back on the bike.
"You're friend owes us." The first metal head said with a snigger.
"Owes us plenty." A third metal head said from her left.
"So bust on him, who ever he is." Nÿx retorted with some heat knocking the hand off her handle bars. "I got work."
"You'll be working." The first metal head said.
"To pay off his debt." The one next to him finished.
"Slavery went out centuries ago." Nÿx frowned sliding off her bike. "You SteelHeads should brush up your history."
-X-
Audny watched from across the square as Nÿx dropped two huge SteelHeads. Another came up behind her slamming her down and even on the ground Nÿx didn't miss a beat.
"Ooh, looks like that hurt." She commented quietly as one hunched over clutching his sack. She didn't think they still had those in working order but obviously…
"No… Way…" Audny sighed in shocked surprise. Four SteelHeads twitched, spasmed really as they held onto Nÿx. She removed a hand from her throat as tendrils of smoke rose off their bodies and suddenly they toppled over. Nÿx stood surrounded by the smoking men when more trumped out of a side building.
Nÿx ran off weaving through the crowd which parted for her. Audny turned away a satisfied smile on her face. Everything Gryph had said last night was true.
"Pillow talk." Audny smirked. "Will they ever learn…"
-X-
"Aric!" Nÿx yelled in the empty apartment. Her voice echoed back and it was all she could do to keep from tearing the place apart. "Damn!" she stomped out of the apartment already calling JamPony.
"Normal, it's Sawyer-." Nÿx couldn't get anything else out as Normal went off on a little tirade regarding the 'HotRun' she hadn't delivered.
"Had a run in with some SteelHeads but I'm ok thanks for the concern." She quipped. The other end was pretty calm until the bike came up.
"Yep the bikes gone-." Nÿx began when she spotted Aric coming up the block. Her features hardened and she moved purposely down the street resembling the soldier she was made into. "Gotta jet, Normal. I'll see if I can't get it back." She hung up before he could respond shoving the cell phone into her pocket.
She ran the last yard to Aric pulling him into the alley.
"What the hell did you do now?" she accused without preamble.
"Me?" Aric asked confused. He looked around the empty alley feeling just a little nervous. Not to mention the scene he'd caused last night. Every detail was burned into his mind and though he knew he should feel ashamed for having…groped wasn't even in the right category. Aric swallowed convulsively, eyes dropping to her chest and quickly closing as he forced the image of bare chest from his mind. It didn't help that he couldn't get the taste of her from his mouth- hell, even his minty toothpaste tasted like Nÿx!
'I'm so bent.' Aric thought.
"I got some SteelHeads wanting to en-slave me to pay off your debt!" she hissed clutching his shirt collar tighter.
"I need to breathe…" Aric mumbled but really, all he wanted was to go back to the night before and maybe this time he'd get it right...
"Dammit Aric!" Nÿx exploded shoving him aside.
"Ow, I'm sorry Nÿx-." Aric began apologizing when Nÿx started walking out of the alley. "Look, this has nothing to do with you I'll ju- I'll just take care of it." He finished lamely.
"And get yourself killed. Sure go right ahead." Nÿx waved her hand in invitation but the look in her eyes was murder. Aric wasn't sure whether he should go ahead and go over to Sector4 or not.
"Oh get a move on, Thane." Nÿx grabbed his arm and pulled him along.
-X-
Nÿx leaned around the corner searching for the SteelHeads while Aric shuffled around behind her. He seemed overly nervous but considering where they were and what he was about to do, it was normal. Then again he was about to hand over all his cash to some SteelHeads.
"About last night…" he began hesitantly which made Nÿx stiffen. She knew he was about to start in on his drunken ramblings which she didn't want to hear and if it was an apology-. Nÿx wasn't sure she wanted one because how did anyone begin to apologize for that? Things were uncomfortable enough with the way he kept mooning over her and Nÿx had no idea what she'd done to deserve it!
"You were drunk. You passed out, no surprise." Nÿx said shortly.
Aric just stared at her back. 'No surprise?' she'd just told him she wasn't surprised by his protestations of love? She did know! But whoa! Then… 'She doesn't care. Nÿx doesn't love me.' the thoughts going through his mind were disjointed and he was beginning to feel nauseous.
"But I told yo-." He tried to make his voice sound strong but it came out as childish whine anyway.
"SteelHead's." Nÿx pointed out. Aric glanced up and sure enough there they were. All four of them, the one's he'd borrowed from then lost too in that game. He took a deep breath and went past Nÿx who hissed at him to get back. Aric ignored her threats feeling just a little safe in the knowledge that she wouldn't let him die.
Nÿx realized at that moment that Aric Thane was an idiot. Not that she didn't know that already she just assumed he wasn't deathly idiotic. Where, o where did he get the idea the SteelHead's were just going to take the money he owed and let him walk out of Sector4 unharmed?
"Damn fool." Nÿx muttered watching as the first Steelhead took the money shoving Aric into the other three as he counted the wad of bills. The other three pushed Aric around, who didn't put up much of a fight. What the hell was wrong with him?
'He's a man.' She thought and that was all the answer she needed. Aric was getting punched now and he was bleeding. Nÿx thought he'd had enough and though she'd wasnted to hurt him for the drunken 'grope' she realized it wasn't worth it. Nÿx slowly made her way to the SteelHeads.
"Why? Why do you have to be so stupid?" Nÿx asked the foursome. They all looked up recognizing her immediately. Aric was shoved aside; he stumbled falling to his knees with a painful grunt. "The guy paid you." Nÿx spared a glance at Aric as he tried to wipe the blood from his nose. He was definitely looking the part of a sad human being.
"We're charging interest, luv." The money cow said. Nÿx arched a delicate eyebrow and nodded.
"I see. You're all business men." She looked them over noticing the wide grin spreading over the porcupine face.
"That's right, luv." He sounded pleased; glancing at the others he repeated it. "Business men."
"I can play along." Nÿx crossed her arms and locked eyes with the SteelHead, the one that had more brains. "So, as one business woman to another." She glanced at the smaller dark haired steelhead to gauge his reaction. As intended he caught her slip noticing the self-satisfied smile on her face as se continued. "You owe me. One messenger bike."
"Oy! She jus-."
"Wot? Baby you're not understandin'." He began with laughter. Nÿx dropped her calm façade.
"I'm not a fucking fool! Now you're either thugs or business men, you chose the latter."
"Alright, alright." But it didn't sound alright.
"You gonna let 'er-."
"Pipe down runt." Nÿx ordered with heat. "I'm negotiating with the head CEO here." She turned her attention to the porcupine, which is what she had dubbed him.
"CEO." He liked the sound of that and it showed on his face. "A bike then." He motioned and one of his goons brought her bike out. Nÿx saw it was still in one piece and was relieved, that meant she wouldn't have to do some overtime for Normal.
"Bugger still owes us." The little one muttered with a glare.
"True. I'd be willing to work out a deal." The tone of his voice was anything but compromising. She knew he wanted a specific something; she just wasn't so sure about Aric being the one to get it.
"You know what I want." He told Aric. Nÿx pulled him to his feet giving him a look that told him he needed to get his act together. It was time to stop moping about because she didn't want to hear him bare his heart and soul, tell her -.
"You get it and we'll call us even."
Aric snapped out of his thoughts, felt his nose burn. "I told you I ca-." he began but Nÿx gripped his arm painfully.
"He'll have it for you in two weeks." It looked as if they would argue but in the end the SteelHead was getting what he wanted, what was another two weeks anyway?
"Let's go." Nÿx hissed pulling Aric and her bike along.
-X-
At first she wanted to kill him all over again. Once she calmed herself a little Nÿx began to formulate a plan, as in getting actual blueprints of the house they- she was breaking into. She'd been there once already to make a delivery and felt completely uncomfortable. For once Kirt's warning that she might be recognized seemed all too real.
"I told you." Aric whined again. "It's impossible."
"Not for me." Nÿx muttered, fastidiously studying the plans. She'd found a way in and a route to the main breaker box but what she really wanted was a way out.
"You can't get in." Aric argued even though he watched her trace the path she was going to take.
"The only problem is getting out with the merchandise. I'll get it, Aric, and save your ass again." Nÿx finally faced him and he wished Nÿx would've just kept looking at her blue prints. "After that I'm moving out and I suggest you stop gambling because I will not help you again."
-X-
1206HITS! This is great. Thanks to Superdanni for the review. Glad you liked drunk Aric and his groping hands. lol.