JINX & TWITCH

If anyone were to ever tell Jinx that, within the span of over a week ago, she would be hunted down to the point of having to release a fat man turned a gun-toting spider war machine from prison, with the help of a walking man-sized rat with a crossbow, all because she shot her adoptive father dead nearly a day after the sister whom abandoned her long before had returned, she would have an honest laugh, calling it a good one.

And then she'd shoot the joker in the face. Twice.

Plus throw a Chomper.

The problem was that Jinx was indeed walking with a man-sized rat, with a crossbow - clearly an invention of that creepy Ampare guy - all to release the mentioned fat man turned a spider war machine, named Urgot. And the man-sized rat had explicitly shown to be quite a sneaky little one with his 'introduction'.

And that's why she rather preferred, on the way back to the surface, that Twitch moved ahead of rather than behind her, even more taking into account what that baldy Rhotty said concerning him sniffing things as his way of declaring what was his property or not. Not only it was creepy and a bit unsanitary, but she'd be damned if she'd ever let that giant rat lay a single hand - well, paw - on either the sidearm, Pow-Pow or especially Fishbones. That rat already had a gun, anyway, and even the Chompers had much better things to do - exploding that is, preferably in a Piltie's face - than being a trinket to whatever collection he had.

And then came that snicker. That goddamned snicker...

'Wishing it was that baldy instead, huh?', the Mylo teased, Jinx trying to brush him off. 'I think she'd kill you too, after that show. And they say only the boys do pissing contests...'

"Shut up...", Jinx bared her teeth.

'But now I tip my hat, you probably dying to a rat, I think there should be an achievement for that. Quite the masterwork.', the Mylo continued.

"Shut up already!", Jinx retorted.

"They're really annoying at times, I know..."

The new voice, THAT voice, caught Jinx's attention.

"But, as much as it's tempting, I can't imagine being *rid* of them, either...", Twitch continued, letting out some snicker.

"You got ghosty friends, too?", Jinx dared ask, a couple of seconds later.

"What?", Twitch said. "I thought we were talking of lice."

"Huh!?", Jinx asked, shaking her head, not understanding and not believing it.

"Lice.", Twitch shrugged. "The one, only real company one ever needs, they go wherever you go and never leave you. I've my own collection, you see... Fellow Tany, Tinky, Tony, Nani, Coink, Ped-"

"Whatever, why did I even ask!?", Jinx retorted, dismissing it and rubbing her arms, totally irked by the thought of the pesky little buggy things even someone as crazy as her couldn't stand.

And of course, it gave all the fuel the annoying Mylo did. His snicker grew into a laughter of triumph.

'Of course, how come no one ever thought of that!?', he gloated, Jinx brushing him and growling, angrily.

"SHUT UP!", Jinx roared.

'They even suit you well!', the Mylo mocked, with a tone of satisfaction. 'Make way for Jinx, the Lice Cannon!'

Jinx roared, turning around drawing her sidearm, but then paused.

She could see a figment of the Silco grabbing the Mylo by the hair with one hand. The other wielded a knife shoved right through his throat.

'Focus, Jinx.', the Silco said, plainly.

Jinx, after a second musing at that before it flashed away, took a breather and holstered her sidearm back, turning around to approach Twitch back. Apparently the air was getting a bit less cold. They were getting closer to the surface.

"You know, Urgot and Ampare always spoke of their so called deliverance, of when they'd be released from that sump, of when they'd bring in the new order, that I'd get to be a part of, unafraid to everyone...", Twitch mused on their way. "I almost stopped believing that. But now you've appeared, and I'm here, to finally have my chance!"

"Hey, Rat man, you heard me down there, I'm more of a solo girl.", Jinx complained. "It was either take the catch or no dice. You're still on your own ass. Tail, whatever..."

"Ain't that the truth...", Twitch snickered.

"How'd you end up in here, anyways?", she asked. "Yikes, where'd you even come from?"

The question made Twitch stop, reflecting on the matter as he sniffed around. "I've never remembered, really...", he said, continuing to move on. "All I can recall was that I grew. More and more and more... don't even recall what I ate or licked. Was growing so much I couldn't fit into smaller pipes any more, all the others like me growing small. I could scavenge bigger things easily. Roamed the streets above, but the 'people' grew frightened. People...", he sneered, clearly with contempt. "Always infesting everywhere they roam, hoarding their own filth, only putting them neatly, killing and killing each other over scraps. Even rats have a decency!", he let out a retched sound.

Jinx, as crazy as she could be, was admittedly a bit uncomfortable with that. "Well, the Dread guy, baldy and the creepy Ampare are people...", she argued. "I'm people."

Twitch spat. "Well, at least you and these do dwell where you are, you don't pretend to be the things you're not.", he countered. "And Ampare, he... he did much for me, truly. Had me speak how they speak, had me find through trash how they would. Even taught me a bit how to fire, hence this.", he grinned, a paw of his running by the crossbow in admiration. "Still, not as marvelous as these objects of yours that you made..."

"You're really itching to want to touch'em, don't ya?", Jinx asked. "Okay, you play nice, I might even get to sharing'em with you, but that's it!"

"Sharing?", Twitch asked, snickering in subtle mockery. "What's sharing?"

They reached the end of the cave tunnel, crossing the blanket back outside, where the warmer air of Zaun enveloped Jinx, as well as a much more homely smell and scent, the night sky above the towering crack of the fissures.

'Home again...', the Claggor said, relieved.

To her right, she could see the gleaming distant lights from Zaun's downtown. To her left, she could see again the fortified entrance of the Dredge, from a distance.

'You'll be in more trouble for this.', the Vander started. 'More than you can handle.'

"So, which side do you hit them, and which one do I?", Twitch asked at the same time, eyes already fixed at the prison's gate.

"What?", Jinx said. "I never said I'd blast a way in, Mousy. Not yet, anyway, I'm outta Firelights to even try...", she then glanced the entrance to the prison, as well, for a while. "Leaves having to sneak in that stupid place and shoot 'til we get to Urgy."

'Aaaand it's on.', the Mylo said. 'Wonder how long it'll take...'

Jinx groaned, brushing him off.

"Hmm, and how will that be, oh great planner?", Twitch asked, snickering. "And will be fast enough? Please, the sooner we release Urgot, the sooner I can finally get everything I always craved for."

"You're hoping that? Really?", Jinx asked, shrugging, taking a glance at that large elevator, meant for vehicles.

"Of course I am!", Twitch said excited, walking a bit into the ruins. "All the trash in the world, a realm of my own making, and of course respect, especially from Rhott and all those other overweening Hands..."

As Jinx listened, hearing those words, a realization started creeping into her as she started snickering and then laughing, something Twitch noticed and didn't understand. "Shoulda known...", she said, catching her breath. "Urgy, Urgy, you rascal you..."

"What?", Twitch asked. "What's so funny?"

"Please, Rats, the signs are right on your face!", Jinx said. "He *knows* I can do it alone, and then he puts me up with you? Not 'cause I need the help, though, else it'd be Rhotty instead of you. And then, as you said and you showed it, you're not that popular with the guys downstairs, just Creepy-pare. It's just Urgy's chance to be rid of you."

"What!?", Twitch asked, caught off-guard. "You truly are as crazy as they claim..."

"Not that crazy.", Jinx smiled. "He's simply getting his ass covered, is all."

"Why would he!?", Twitch asked in protest. "I'm important to him, *I* bring him and Ampare the salvaged goods!"

"Until they get out!", Jinx said, in a 'in-your-face' tone. "Then you're not as much use, else he'd still keep you in with the chores."

As Twitch absorbed his words, he remained still for a moment and then raised his crossbow, aiming it at the Loose Cannon, whom in instance drew Pow-Pow at the same time. "Then I suppose I should be rid of you and release him myself!", he sneered.

"Hah!", Jinx said. "You woulda done it by now! But you're not *that* dumb, are ya? You don't even know how to get in or if you'll make it out, won't even risk...", she let out a brief snicker. "Afraid of dying alone, huh?"

Twitch sneered, looking at both sides, breathing heavily in disgust. That crazy girl did bring a point. "And you have a better idea, I suppose, people girl?", he asked.

"Yeah.", Jinx returned the tone. "We bust him out. We both. Rub it on their faces."

Twitch kept his aim, but was clearly hesitating. "Is this some trick?", he asked.

"Little lesson, Mousy.", Jinx said, lowering the gun. "You really wanna go with the big boys? Make'em all know we're ain't THAT worthless, even when they don't ask. Always, everytime. So, we do this. We bust him out."

Jinx stared back at the large elevator, a devious smile rising.

"And figures THAT will be our way in..."