Dum.
Dum.
Dum.
Beat after beat, his heart kept pumping fuel through the machine. Drop after drop, slithering through the tiny tunnels riddling his skin, meat and bones. What was it?
Excitement?
Fear?
Simple nervousness? The kind a child feels right before a life-changing exam?
As if he'd know how that feels.
All he ever knew was the nervous tingle running up and down his spine before pulling the trigger, mind focused on the bullet, eyes locked on the devil in front of his scope.
School, though? Not in his tale.
His feet tapped nervously against the cushy, wooden floor. Lemuel turned away from a wall filled entirely with hanging vinyls made of many different precious metals, her eyes quickly latching onto his. There, she had him again. Completely disarmed, as her smile filled his vision in its entirety.
"What, nervous?" She chirped, casually strolling over to his side. Andy took notice of each individual strand of hair swaying with her movements, as she cut the distance.
"Kind of…? He's your boss, after all."
"I told you, dummy, he's more of a friend than a boss! Really, you… You really didn't need to wear a tie, you know~?" Her teasing voice fled her lips, as Andy's gaze shot downwards, sliding along the soft fabric of his newly purchased, messily wrapped tie. As his face tilted, Lem immediately flicked his nose, making him flinch.
"Ow?" He was more confused than anything, now grasping and examining his cheap neckwear. "First of all, screw you." He began, to which Lemuel responded by sticking out her tongue, "Second of all, why not? Isn't he some bigshot celebrity?"
"He IS a bigshot celebrity, but a really cool one!" Her excitement rang in his ears, as she almost jumped atop him, bringing her orange doe-eyes right up to his. "He's really… Chill. That's what he says, he's really chill~! Laid back. Uh… Like, calm and…"
"I know what chill means, thanks." He murmured, not bothering in the slightest to push her away.
"I know you do~! I, uh…" She fumbled over her words, raising her fingers to scratch her chin. "... Just… You know, I always imagined they spoke a bit differently in Kazdel, so… Just wanted to fill you in~!... Yeah."
They stared at each other for an awkward moment. All that was missing was for a cricket to start chirping away.
"... Thanks." The quick word broke the uncomfortable silence, as she beamed at him again, the warmth and radiance returning at once.
"Mmmmm… He has an interesting style to him, alright? You might get a bit weirded out. I was, the first time we met." She took a few steps closer, eyes digging deep into his neck. "... And I dunno if that tie's gonna work on him. Maybe not… Definitely not if you're gonna leave it looking like THAT." Her fingers grasped the soft surface, sliding along the river of pure tar cascading down the snowy white fields of his dress shirt.
"Like what? Perfectly good tie." He shrugged, feeling a little warmth seeping into his brain just from how close she was. The fact their halos were bumping against each other from time to time didn't help at all.
"I'm not saying the tie's bad." She murmured, sliding up the silk, reaching the knot around his neck. "I'm saying you're terrible at tying them! Look at this." The grasp on its fabric only grew, as she demonstrated his lack of proper tie tying skills by pulling the whole thing apart with one, swift move. "Looks like some dog chewed on it and spat it out onto your neck." With a tiny giggle, she searched his eyes for some sort of reaction. He could only blink in return, absolutely lost in her gaze.
"...Huh?" He blinked, suddenly remembering the Victorian language. Without thinking much, he mustered up some cocky tease, anything to mask the blush. "Y-Yeah? Let's see you do better, then."
"Oh? Oh, it's on. Check this." A smirk played on her lips as her fingers quickly wrapped around his neck, sliding underneath the collar of his shirt. He could feel each individual one working its magic against his skin, each little, careful tug, each caring graze and touch. He saw the dedication in her eyes as they kept dutifully overseeing the blue-collared fingers doing their job. With a few more spins and turns, their work day was over, as the tie now laid way more comfortably, and more importantly, a heap more professionally around his neck. Lemuel took a step back to examine the end result, hands on her hips, beaming with a sense of pride.
"Ah? See?" Her voice turned cocky, as Andy ran his fingers along the fabric. "Much better, no~?"
"Mmmm… Kinda? I liked the old one better, I think." He murmured back, smirking like a smug little gray cat. Lemuel immediately smacked his arm in a playful manner, sending them both giggling.
"You're a leech. You're an actual leech, you know that~?" She remarked under her breath, dodging his little smack-back. "Hey!"
"Hey" all you want, tie-tier."
Another attempt, another dodge.
"Hey!"
Another.
"Heeey~!"
And another.
"Hey! Can't punch, can't tie a tie… Did your dad seriously not teach you to do anything~?" She giggled, frolicking around the boy.
His halo suddenly went dim. A wave of crushing cold overran his entire nervous system. His brain went blank.
He blinked, ceasing every other activity just to stand still and stare at her in confusion.
"... No?"
Lemuel stopped jumping around him, eyes widening at his sudden change in demeanor. A slither of realization climbed into the cracks between her trains of thoughts, suddenly freezing her in place.
"... O-Oh. Oh, I didn't mean to." She whispered, taking a wobbly step towards him. "O-Oh, Law…"
"No, it's alright. It's alright." Andy reassured, raising his hands to pat her down, had she decided to get all touchy again. "I just, uh… I just wasn't expecting you to mention him, that's all."
"I know, I know, I'm sorry…" Her arms fell to her sides, as she slumped a little, smiling apologetically. "I just… Oh, Law, I don't wanna say "I forgot", but my brain must've just… You know." She put a finger gun up to the side of her head to demonstrate. The merc nodded along, feeling strangely cold on the inside.
"... Yeah. Yeah, I know."
"..."
There it was, again. That awkward silence. All the warmth, the intimacy of their moment gone with the rapids of time. Neither of them was willing to speak, to mumble anything out, to change the subject or dwell on it further. Thanks, dad.
Andy opened his mouth to ask about the weather, anything, something to push the reigning discomfort away. His words were almost immediately cut off by a door slamming open, sending a vinyl or two plummeting off the wall and down towards the ground. The other discs wailed in fear, watching their brothers of gold falling down towards his certain, premature death. Lemuel squeaked a little and threw herself to the floor, barely managing to catch the precious discs.
The boy's eyes flew towards the noise, expecting the person he came here to see. A businessman of the highest caliber? A celebrity, at that? Some fancy-pants musician…? Tall, handsome, muscular, most likely? Everything he couldn't ever be…
"..."
He kept staring at the open door, nothing but the other room's interior intruding his vision. Wasn't there supposed to be a…
"Ey, homeboy, all eyes on me. I look that tall to you? Yeah, didn't think so."
"...?"
Slowly, his gaze shot towards the ground. Right there, in the doorway stood a… A penguin?
A Liberi. A very short one, with an oversized shirt thrown over their shiny feathers. It had some… Some guy with sunglasses on it? Unbeknownst to Andy, a legend long passed and forgotten.
The penguin flicked their own shades off the orange beak protruding from their miniscule, raven-black face and shot the merc a glare. Cogs turned in the boy's head as pieces had finally started falling into place.
"... O-Oh, like… That's why it's called Penguin Logistics…?" The words formed at the inner most layer of the liquidy abyss of his mind, unwilling to be spoken out loud. After the initial shock had worn off, he managed to mumble out a quick, yet confused "Hello?"
"Sup, holmes. You here to do what, exactly? I ain't got all day, beat's callin' as we speak." The creature spewed out in a quick, matter of fact way. There was some melodicism to (assumedly?) his words, as he stared up at the angel.
"...?"
The accent, the words, the… The aura, the general feel, the everything, it was too much. Way too much. Andy had to blink a few times, as his brain processed his current predicament.
"... I'm sorry?"
"Sorry for what? Y'know who's sorry? Fools who waste my time, that's who's sorry, angel-boy." He quickly assaulted back, flicking his feathery arm around, as if trying to punch the air downwards.
Andy glanced towards Lemuel, who had been lying still on the floor this entire time. His eyes told a story of a desperate need for help, as they met hers. Hers, however, kept jumping between the Liberi and him, eventually realizing that she should probably say something.
"... Hey, boss~!" She beamed, arms full of golden vinyls. Her words gathered the Liberi's attention, making the creature turn in controlled confusion.
"... The hell are you rolling 'round the floor for? You alright, Exu? Damn, y'all got way too much free time 'round here…"
Her halo shot up at once, reaching somewhere around Andy's. With a few haphazard reaches and pulls, she threw the vinyls back up onto the wall and dusted herself off, making sure she was all pretty and presentable. Andy couldn't help but shamelessly stare,
"Just some, uh… Renovations~! A-Ahem, anyway~! Boss, I've got someone I'd like to introduce to you!" She chirped, jumping over to Andy's side and pushing him forward. His eyes widened in fear and confusion, latching onto hers, finding nothing but excitement and glee. "This is Andy! And he has a nice business proposal" Her face turned towards his, warmth and feverish eagerness beaming off the soft surface. "... Right~?"
"Right, r-right." He mumbled back, feeling a nervous smile non-consensually invading his lips.
"..." The penguin stared at the two, taking in their shenanigans. His expression remained largely unreadable due to the fact he was… Well, a penguin. "Andy? Andrew? Pacific Empire?"
The merc perked up at the mention of his lowly company. "Yeah? Yeah, that."
"Mmm. Aight, and you two are…?" He began, skeptically.
"Friends~! With history! Long history~." Lem warbled next to the boy's ear, sending his heart rate skyrocketing. "From Laterano, we went to the same school, grew up t-..."
"Uh-huh. Friends, whatever. Hop in, "homie." He cut her off nonchalantly, gesturing towards the "office" behind. Lemuel did a tiny hop, joining her hands together as Andy shuffled awkwardly around the penguin and entered.
"Do you guys need anything~? Drinks? Something to smoke…?" She kept chirruping, watching the boy disappear in the depths of the cushy studio.
"Naw, you know I hate bein' sober, but your "Andy" and I gotta talk biz. Real biz, real talk, y'know. Flip this, swing that…" The penguin reassured her, before slamming the door shut.
.
.
…
.
.
Andy felt out of place.
It was way too bright in there. Too bright and too loud. Hundreds of vinyls lined the walls, professional recording equipment scattered all around. Even the cabinets and wardrobes seemed alien. As if they had been nabbed from some high-ranking radio station, all beeping and flashing colorful lights. A soft hum of a steady drum beat wafted around the room as the penguin waddled over to the massive desk in the middle of it all, struggling a little to sit behind. He took a moment to lift the chair up to the boy's eye level as Andy took a seat of his own, an incredibly comfortable bean bag.
"Did I ask you to sit?" He scowled, the edges of his eyes glowing dangerously as Andy froze in place. Just as he grasped the sides of his "chair" to stand up, the penguin chuckled jovially and flicked his wing dismissively. "Naw, I'm kiddin'. Relax, homeboy, you're a guest. Unwelcome, but still a guest. Nice tie, by the way."
Andy shuddered a little at the thought of being unwelcome here. Why'd he even come here in the first place…? Oh, right.
"Thank you. I, uh… It's nice to meet you, Mr…?"
"Don't "Mr" me, angel-boy, c'mon." He scoffed, almost along to the humming beat playing in the background. "You ain't ever heard of me? Really?"
His confusion only grew as the boy reluctantly shook his head.
"... The Big E? Lungmen's very own God of Rap? C'mon, really…? Columbian Beat Flipper? The Flipper, No Glitter? E, to the M, to the P?..."
"Uh… No, sorry. I don't really… You know, listen to, uh… To that." He tried to word it as politely as he could, hence it obviously had to come out wrong.
"That?" That's the only game that matters, you're talkin' 'bout, angel-boy." The penguin glared at him, this time genuinely. "Put some respect on Lady Rap's name."
"... Okay." He nodded, staring right back into his shades. "... I'm sorry "Lady Rap?"
"..." For a moment, they stared at each other as if the one in front had a few brain cells lacking. The Liberi promptly broke the silence with another chuckle.
"Yeah, that's better. Anyway, name's Emperor, 'cause I'm the king of the beat, y'know? Voice of a nation, leader of a generation type shit." His feathery chest puffed forward, as he presented himself proudly.
Andy nodded politely.
"I'm Andy." He added.
"I know who you are, angel-boy. You're the Pacific Empire twerp."
Silence, again. Nothing but the melodic snare-drum melody kicking off in the background.
"... Uh-huh. That's me."
"Yeah, homie, that's you. Help me visualize, aight? Bear me with me, help me visualize, 'cause I can't grasp this concept…" He leaned back in his chair, plopping his flippers up on the desk. "... How're you still kickin'? How're you still not homeless, angel-boy? I thought I asked for your company to be my ashtray, yet here you are, bangin' on my door to be let in to…"
"... I don't think my company will ever be your ashtray, sir." Andy cut in, feeling something stirring up deep within. Something very unpleasant, something that makes people do things they later regret.
"You think? Huh. Shit, maybe? Depends on what you got to say. Play your cards right, imma have Texas bag you up and drop off that highway we dump trash over." He shrugged, voice suddenly void of any hostility, just simple curiosity.
"... Okay?"
"Okay. Yeah?"
"...?"
"Okay! Holy, you're slow. Okay means okay, angel-boy. Go on, spill your shit, homie."
Andy shifted in his seat a little, preparing mentally to "spill his shit."
"So… I'm here to, uh… To propose a war-bond?"
"War-what?" Emperor perked up, muddled.
"War-bond? It's, uh… Repurposed name, it's something we used to call posses, sometimes. Like, people joining up to create a bigger group, to, uh… To work together?" He put a lot of emphasis on the "work" part, not wanting to out himself as one of Kazdel's scattered Law-marked Sarkaz of the world.
"Ah. So, collab, then?" He leaned even further back, putting his wings together to form a cushy pillow behind his head.
"Collab… Yeah, sure."
"So, you want your shitty, little company to collab with mine?"
"Uh-huh."
"Your insignificant lil' Pacific Empire? That Pacific Empire that's known for takin' one job atta time and botching it in fifteen different ways? That Pacific Empire with the sleep deprived homie drivin' a pile of trash on wheels from A to B? That Pacific Empire with the ghoul who runs things-..."
"Yeah, that Pacific Empire. Exactly that." Andy cut in, feeling his deepest frustrations growing. Who the hell did this flightless pile of feathers think he was talking to? Some nobody? Someone without the title of Half a Million Shekel Merc?
"Aight. And what do you want out of this "collab", man? Cash? Want a piece of my label?" Permeated with irony, his words cut deeper than any knife Andy's ever been stabbed by. "Want me to polish your kicks? I dunno, man, name your price."
"... I just want you to stop taking my clients. That's it." He explained, as calmly as he could, yet the ring of light above his head had already started flickering alarmingly.
"Mmm. And I want you freezin' to death on the streets, yet I can't have that. Why? 'Cause you keep clingin' to your lil' company like a fly to a pile of shit, you fucker." His feathers jolted up, sunglasses flew off his beak. "What do you know about the game? You ever been in the trenches? You ever had to fight for anything? Yeah, didn't-..."
"Yeah, the civil war in Kazdel. Spent one year in the P-... The Lateran military, then worked "pro bono" for another four."
His words brought about a veil of silence, suppressing the penguin's tirade.
"... You what? You caught five years in that shithole?"
"Uh-huh."
"Bullshit, homie. How old are you?"
"Twenty one."
"Bull-shit. Absolutely not."
Andy stood up and strolled over to the desk. Emperor flinched slightly, reaching for something underneath the table.
"What are y-...?"
"Here." The boy tore a tiny, metallic chain off his neck, grasping the dog tag at its very end. "A. Ricketts, 1087. Left in '92, lived here for two years."
The forgotten Lieutenant's tag hung in the air before the penguin, as his eyes soaked it all in, from the Lateran trident insignia, to the scratches that riddled the surface.
"..." Nothing, for once, as his fowl-slits squinted, locked on the plaque. "... That yours?"
"It says "Ricketts", no?"
"Hot damn. Five years? Hot damn…" His folds of fat curled up comfortably on his throne. "You a nutjob, then?"
Andy blinked, ready to mumble out a quick "not really", before taking a long, good look at himself in the intimate confinements of his mind. Was he a nutjob? Not bound to his own name, running around on fumes, starting mindless fights, cheating death, pushed forward by the mere thought of a girl who's as much as a Saint in his eyes by now. He may have been, actually.
So, a new mask had yet again slid onto the boy's face, burying Andrew Reiff even deeper than he had already been entombed.
"Yeah? Of course. You know what five years in Kazdel does to you?" His elbows comfortably laid against the desk, staring the penguin right in the eyes. "You know what I've seen? I've had friends die in my arms. I've had… I've had enemies squashed beneath the sole of my shoe. I've had broken ribs, pierced lungs, concussions… So many concussions, my brain's like mush at this point."
For a moment, the ex-merc chuckled like a moron, continuing his little tirade.
"I've killed thousands at this point. Hell, I almost killed one of your employees at some point. Her saving grace was that we used to know one another from school. But If we didn't? Splat, I'd have her looking like a spilled bloody mary on the concrete of some shady back alley. I…"
"Okay, yeah, I get it. You're tuff, man, I get it." He let out a snort. "Anythin' else?"
"... Uh-huh." Andy leaned in, locked in a stare-off. "... We can work together, or we can work against one another. You can take my clients, I can take your employees. You think I've got anything to lose? That there's someone waiting for me at home? No." His eyes grew more and more deranged with each mumbled word. "I have nothing but this company. I have nothing to lose and everything to gain. If you want war, we can play war, but you need to remember I've already been through one and survived."
"..."
Emperor stared back, amused more than anything else. After a moment of holding in a cheeky giggle, he finally burst, chuckling like a maniac.
"O-Oh, angel-boy, I can't take you seriously when you're all creepy, 'n that. C'mon, not with that puppy face of yours." He cackled in between the words, as Andy leaned back, feeling a little awkward embarrassment creeping up his cheeks. "... No, really, that was almost good. Almost got me. Would've had me, if not for what Texas told me about you."
Andy froze.
"Oh?"
"Yeah, she told me how y'all were dilly-dallying down in the pub. You played bartender for me for free, too, no?" He kept chuckling, slamming his feathery wing against the desk. "C'mon, I'm supposed to take a wagie seriously? Not even a wagie, you gone and done it for free, homie!"
"..." The angel could only stare at his giggling fit, radiance dim and cheeks growing hot.
"... Aaaah… But, still." He calmed himself down, fanning his temper down with a plume of feathers. "... I got enough on my head, already. Don't need no Kazdel vigilante-ass morons pilin' up. You want a collab? I'll give you a collab, sell your piece of shit company and I'll give you a job here."
The words rang in his ears, bouncing off the walls and reverberating through the sound chambers hidden within. It took them a good few seconds to get thoroughly chewed and dissected by his brain, each letter, each sound coming together to form the sentence again amidst the ocean of his gray matter.
Sell the company?
Sell… What? The library? The library that no one wanted to buy for the past twenty years? The library that had more rats living in it than it ever had customers?
And do what with the cash? Buy a tent?
Turn seventy five thousand LMD into a pile of useless paperwork and dreams he gave up on?
"... No. Can't do that."
"Whatcha mean, "can't do that?" It's either that or getting dragged out of here, angel-boy." He joined his wings together, stating his ultimatum. "You won't get a better deal, yo. And trust me, homie, my employees' happiness comes first before anything. Real spill, ain't no one ever bitchin' 'round here. Hell, I'm sure you'll turn to, like… A brother from another mother to me in no time, homeboy. This is a life-changer, yo."
"..."
He had to think of something. Anything. He couldn't just drop the company, not like that. Not after fighting his whole life for independence, not after accepting Duflot's check…
"... Your employees' happiness comes first?" He inquired, latching onto a last-resort floatie. "Like… Before everything?"
"Hell yeah. Ain't a good day without a proper party to top it off. Got you hooked?" The penguin perked up, flicking Andy a wink.
There, he had him. Time to strike.
"I can't join, 'cause I can't sell the company…" He began, only to be immediately cut off.
"Okay? Then we got a problem, homeboy."
"... But you also can't just leave me hanging or keep us both hostile towards each other." Andy finished with a little smirk and a messy attempt at crossing his arms. It had to look way cooler in his head, judging by the bird's reaction.
"How so? Ion think you can just threaten me like that, homie, that's pointless. Ain't no A, ain't no B to it, just words. I make a few calls and your little company goes up in flames, you feel me? Send someone there and you end up thrown over-..."
"Lem would be sad." He finished, delivering the final blow. With a cocky smile plastered over his lips, he straightened his back and awaited the Liberi's reaction. It wasn't exactly what he expected.
"Who?" Emperor tilted his head in genuine confusion. "Lem?" What "Lem?" You know a Lem? I don't."
"Uh… Lem, like, Lemuel?"
"Lem… Oh, you mean Exu? Wh-... What she got to do wit any of this, uh?" There was a slight quiver to his unwavering voice now, just a hint of nervous hesitation. Andy had him in his soft, fluffy claws.
"She'd be sad. She'd be sad about the fact you had me thrown onto the streets." He beamed, the gleeful, manipulative mask only tightening its marble grip around his face. Seeing the Liberi's puzzled expression, he quickly added, "Employee satisfaction always comes first, right?"
"... You… Slimy fucker…" He mumbled underneath his breath, tapping the tips of his wings against the desk. They grew in scarcity, a chorus of wild tapping now drowning out the humming beat. "... So what? You think a girl's enough to get me to…"
"Yeah." Andy shrugged. "Doubt you'd be able to live with yourself after making her frown."
"You're a… A rat, y'know? And not the good kind. Not the royal kind." Scowl after scowl, the penguin kept murmuring unintelligible nonsense. "... 'Could use someone like that. Could…" A beat, as he thought his next words through, very carefully. "... I could use a collab. A collab, yeah. Yeah!"
His entire demeanor suddenly changed as he jumped onto the desk, pulling a pistol-shaped object from beneath the surface. Andy froze in place, finding himself reaching for his own piece, only to find it missing. He should really start concealed carrying…
"W-Woah, wait…"
"I ain't waitin'! I got an offer you can't refuse, angel boy." He spewed excitedly, pressing the surprisingly warm muzzle against the ex-merc's cheek. "Your company, my company! Big collab! Penguin Logistics feat Pacific Empire, like… Y'all workin' for me now, but y'all still your own company, ah? How's that?"
Andy blinked, trying desperately to find the bullet somewhere near the end of the barrel, failing miserably with each passing second. A drop of sweat ran down his forehead.
"Working for you…? But…"
"We share whatever work we get, but y'all can take your own contracts, I don't care! If I ever need you 'round, I call and you're here! Deal?" The ring pressed deeper into the boy's skin.
"Uh…"
"Deal?"
Click! With a flick, the penguin flipped the safety off.
"Deal! Deal, Law, deal. Fine." Andy mumbled, tripping over words, feeling his legs growing numb.
"Aaaaight! Huge collab! Y'all ready for a bender? I could use a drink, I hate bein' sober…" He murmured, letting the gun fall to his side.
Andy let out a relieved breath and wiped the sweat off. "I, uh… I should probably get to work to be fair, they cut my lights again, this morning…"
"Oh? Oh, right, I forgot y'all operate from a shithole. And you're broke." His beak produced a thoughtful murmur, as the penguin aimed his gun at Andy once more, making him flinch. With a click, the trigger squeezed against the grip before the angel could even react. A small rubber band flew from the muzzle and hit him in the nose.
"O-Ow. Oh." He frowned, seeing the non-lethal toy he was so afraid of just a moment before. "Very funny."
"Yeah, you gotta get used to this life, Andy-boy. Get in the game, feel the beat, feel the heat, rise to fame! Loosen up, angel. Or… Or, no, don't. Y'all need to work a 'lil or y'all goin' extinct." After a little change of mind, Emperor slid the toy-gun back underneath his desk. "I'll slide y'all a contract or two by the end of today. You got someone to manage y'alls mail, or…?"
"Ha-ha. Funny." The merc murmured, rubbing the tiny bruise on his nose.
"Funny? What's funny? I'm askin' genuinely, y'all got a mail manager?"
Oh, so he wasn't joking around. Andy blinked.
"No…? It's just me."
"Just you?" The sunglasses went off again, as they locked in another stare down, one of disbelief and amusement. "You… Just you? And you tried runnin' a logistics company just by yourself?..."
A couple of his snorts were quickly followed by a laughing fit, as his feathery fist kept slamming down on the desk.
"AND YOU THOUGHT YOU HAD A CHANCE IN THIS CITY? WOW, HOMIE, YOU REALLY ARE A NUTJOB!"
Laughter and laughter and laughter… Andy could just sigh and nod along.
"Yeah, yeah…"
"O-Oh, man. Oh, man. Yo, you know you ain't survivin' a day more out there, right? Rat… Okay, maybe not him, but those Columbian biker-pieces-of-shit catch wind of you, you're gone."
Bikers? Again…?
"I think they already may have."
"No shit. Heard they beat you like a damn pinata out back. Texas should've let them finish… Or, not. Not on company property, naw." Slightly conflicted, he shrugged. "Maybe? I fucking hate those lil' metal huggin' punks. Fools ridin' around, got no respect for nobody, no respect for Lungmen, can't even find them anywhere and drag them to a dumpster, they be movin' locations and safehouses like an invasive species, I swear…"
So they weren't just his nuisance, then. Those "Catastrophe Riders", those "metal huggin' punks", his old shooting gallery practice targets. Maybe the two could find some sort of common ground rooted in hatred. Better this than nothing.
"Right? Hate them, too."
"And they hate you right back, homie, lemme tell you. They out there, lookin' for you, can you believe that? Honestly, couldn't care less, but since we workin' together, now…"
With a sigh, he tapped out a quick finishing beat to his melody of desk-bopping.
"... I'll get you somn' to help. With the day to day shizz, I mean. Workin', movin' cargo, all at."
Andy perked up almost immediately, his heartbeat suddenly soaring.
"Oh? Like, someone from here? Someone from… Someone I can pick? Lem? L-... I mean, Exu?" A few more excited words would be enough to send him jumping onto the desk, but the penguin thankfully cut him down with a quick "Naw."
"Nuh-uh. Ain't givin' you my best shooter, hell's wrong with you?" He squinted, as if offended by his offer.
"Oh." Andy deflated almost immediately, falling back into the warm, gooey mass that was his bean bag. "... Then who?"
"Yeah, who… Well, Texas ain't comin', even if I tell her to, that's fo' damn sure." The tips of his wings scratched underneath his cheek as the penguin pondered. "Sora… Ion think Sora'll be much help at all… Plus, I ain't got the green light from her label to loan her out like that. Naw. Not her."
Andy kept staring up at Emperor, already contemplating the negatives that would come with accepting this entire "deal" of his, failing to find any. He blew a raspberry, as the penguin clapped, suddenly hitting an epiphany.
"Yo! Yo, I know! You'll have your helper and I'll have a whiny brat off my back! No more moaning about throwin' around expensive bottles of liquor, no more limiting spendings…" His eyes widened from behind those shades, the thought of Arcadian peace finally raining down upon him filling his head with glee. "Andy-boy, you'll be workin' with Croissant from now on, aight? Y'all get along just fine, bet."
Slowly, the boy lifted his head off the bag's addictive surface.
"... Who?"
.
Bang!
.
The door swung wide open, sending a few vinyls plummeting to the floor on the other side. A soft thud followed, presumably Lem throwing herself to the ground as their only savior.
A swooshing mass of orange passed by the boy, swinging gracefully in the air, long and silky. The copper river flew down from a fluffy source above, held together by a visor cap tucked between two short, black horns. Andy felt the grabbing-claws operating his mind grasping at the salt-mines of memories, trying desperately to dig up the gnawing feeling of deja vu and beat some answers out of it.
He's never seen anyone dressed like that, the oversized coat, the… Brave amount of bare skin showing… Enough to make him blush. Enough to make him blink and finally realize, as she spoke up.
"Hooowdy, y'all! Clockin' in fa' today, baws! Ain't got nothin' but ass-kickin' on my mind today, so gimme somn' good!"
Andy and Emperor exchanged a quick glance. The boy swore he could see the Liberi smiling a little.
"Right. Got a lil' someone for you to meet today, ay? Cross, meet Andy, Andy, meet Cross."
Andy, still dumbfounded as all hell, with those massive excavating devices digging through his mind, kept staring up at the girl, unable to say anything. Her emerald eyes quickly latched onto his gray spheres of utter blankness, pulling him from those dull ponderings. It took her just a moment to piece it all back together.
"... Hey. Hey! HEY! Yer' the guy from Kazdel! Andy! Remember me?" She yelled in excitement, cutting it with a hearty giggle. Before Andy could even react, she caught onto both of his shoulders and pulled him up with a surprising amount of strength, as if he was nothing but a rag doll.
Promptly, she squeezed him in her arms, nearly crushing all of his ribs and causing every last bit of air to ooze from his lungs, like juice from a squashed lemon.
"So ya made it, fella! Ha!" He was completely defenseless in her grasp, as she swayed him from side to side like it was nothing. "I told ya, ya'd make it! All roads lead… Uh… All roads lead somewhere, Ah?" He could only look around the room for help. Lemuel, gathering herself off the floor, shot him a quick, apologetic smile and a shrug. Emperor politely waited for the girl to squeeze the soul out of the poor guy.
"I… I, y-yeah, I… C-Can you just… Can't b-breathe…" With each word came a desperate gasp for air, as his spine started loudly protesting against the hug, creaking and wailing in pain.
"Ah! Ya should've said somn, pard! Gee, golly, almost crushed ya to bits…" She uttered, letting him go immediately and stabilizing in place, so he wouldn't fall over and swoon.
Emperor took the lead again, a little disappointed that Andy came out alive. "... So y'all know each other, then? Good, good. Got a special mission for you, Cross. Long term, dig?"
"Long term? Oh, baws, yer' spoilin' me!" She giggled, flicking her hand towards the penguin. With a little breath, he continued.
"Good. I need you to take care of this moron, 'till he gets his company runnin' like a Lateran watch, not a damn joy den."
"... Wha…? Ya want me ta', what, babysit 'im?" She struggled to grasp the task, tilting her head and sending her overly long ponytail into Andy's face by accident. He recoiled back and blinked a few times, still woozy, still breathless. "Like a lil' kid?"
"Yeaaaah? Somn' like that. Make sure he ain't spendin' unreasonably, yeah? You're good at that."
"The best, baws!" Croissant beamed, grasping her hips.
"Exactly! So leave me and my finances for a lil' while and go pester that angel-moron. Aight, off. Off, off y'all go. Why am I still… Why ain't I got a cigar in my hand, ah? Exu? Exu…?" He mumbled off, yelling towards the door.
Lemuel and Andy quickly glanced towards each other, exchanging one final smirk and smile, before she gave a tiny wave and pointed behind herself, as if to signal she really had to go. Duty calls, after all.
.
Andy and the ginger-haired Forte followed suit, leaving the penguin to himself inside the musically inclined, confined prison of beats and unwritten lyrics. She stepped in front, with a tiny sparkle in her eyes.
"Aaaye, pard! Used to think ya were as good as cold 'n buried, ya know? Weren't lookin' too hawt on our way back here, were we?" She chuckled, tapping his shoulder. Andy could almost feel his bones collapsing under the mighty weight of her seemingly thin arm.
"Yeah, that was… We don't talk about that." The angel mumbled back, his mind-ruling claw-arms working overtime to discard the memories of that night.
"But 's all good now! Yer' with me, pard! Ain't no better protection out there!"
Her excitement and eagerness almost felt fake, yet so genuine at the same time. Andy gave a nod.
"... Exactly what we need. Gonna be reviving a dying company, alright?"
"Dyin' company? Can't be havin' 'at, nuh-uh!" Her finger wagged right in front of his face, as her eyelids slowly slid down. "Gonna make it flourish right up, like a prairie rose climbin' towards the bright sky!" Chirp, chirp, her heavy accent weighed down the glee and cheeriness.
"You think so?"
"Uh-huh! Got my guarantee."
"'Cause it's gonna be just the two of us."
"Uh… huh? Still! Can make it work!"
"And our HQ's in an old library."
"Uh… I like readin'! That's fin-..."
"And they cut the lights, 'cause I haven't paid the bills."
"... Well… Well, we can, uh… We can pay tha' tax-man off eventually, right?"
"And lastly, a Columbian biker gang is apparently after me."
"... Pard, come on."
.
Andy shrugged and smirked.
.
"Welcome to Pacific Empire."