Disclaimer: Don't even be like that. This isn't mine, you know it, I know
it, we all know it. So let's just drop it. Have Cameron's people call my
people, we'll do lunch.
Owl's Notes: This fic is officially AU because I hated the ending of "Proof of Purchase," so I worked it into here, new and improved. Oh, btw, spoilers for "Proof of Purchase" ahead. (
~~~
She hid from view, only a partial wall between her and whoever else had just stormed in. Then she heard the ex-Manticore lab tech say, "Yeah, thought so. Planted a few myself back in the day. Mind my asking how you ended up with one of these pop guns attached to your brain stem?"
//Pop guns? He must mean a microexplosive implant or something.//
She was startled to hear Max's voice as she ranted, "Because he's a cold-blooded, opportunistic showoff who thought he could run his game on a major bad guy who, it turns out, is an even bigger scumbag than he is! That about cover it?"
Then a male voice answered, "Yeah, that's pretty much how it happened."
Max again: "Oh, before I forget, thanks so much for not killing me."
She had no clue what Max was talking about, but if she was being sarcastic, she couldn't be *that* grateful.
Then she heard another man's voice say, "Me too." He didn't sound sarcastic.
The tech said, "I can disarm it." Then he dropped the bomb. Figuratively speaking. "It'll cost you ten grand."
Max sounded irritated as she asked, "That the only number you know?"
She heard what could only be the sound of money changing hands. The "cold-blooded, opportunistic showoff" said, "I can get you the rest later."
"Need it up front," the tech informed him.
She heard the sound of someone abruptly getting up. Before she realized what was happening, the aforementioned showoff had the tech pinned to the wall by the throat, scant inches from where she was hiding.
"Where the hell am I gonna get that kind of cash in the next five minutes, huh?"
Then Max's voice: "Wait. You're paying me back."
He released the tech and sat down again. "No problem."
"Great," the tech said, obviously relieved. "I can leave town tonight."
"What?" Max exclaimed. "You haven't finished my job!"
"Have I not mentioned that my life is in danger?"
Her eyes narrowed dangerously. //No, but it will be,// she thought, still not moving from her vantage point behind the wall.
"I'll make sure nothing happens to you," Max said desperately.
"Not good enough."
//Bastard.//
"Look, you can have the work that I've done so far. Take my analysis. You can find some other Manticore geek to help you finish it off."
"Where?" Max demanded.
"Don't know," the tech replied. "If they're smart like me, they're probably already on their way out of town. We got a deal? This guy's got about two minutes to live."
The room was silent.
"Do it."
Max's words seemed to thunder in the small room. She heard some movement as the tech took, presumably, the rest of the cash and went to work. A short time later, the guy said, barely contained fear in his voice, "Time's almost up, pal."
"Don't distract me," the tech said in a strained voice. A moment later, she heard a pop. Was anyone dead? "Congratulations. You're not dead."
Guess not.
She watched the tech shove some things in a suitcase and shut it. If he had turned his
head, he might have seen her, lurking in the shadows. But he didn't.
"That's it. I'm out of here."
That's when she chose to step out of the shadows.
"I don't think so."
The tech whirled around. "Who are you?" he demanded, fright making his voice just a little bit higher than it should be as she pulled out a switchblade.
"I could be melodramatic and say your worst nightmare. Or I could tell you that I'm the person who's making sure you don't leave until you finish her job." She nodded towards Max, her eyes flashing dangerously. "In either case, both would be true."
"Oh, no," the lab tech said, backing up, "I'm out of here."
She stepped up close to him, glaring. Her voice was low and threatening as she said, "Let me make something real clear to you. Those guys that are after you, if they find you, they'll just kill you. I, on the other hand, don't have to promise anything as nice as that." For effect, she flourished the switchblade. "And I already found you." Just in case he still wasn't getting it, she added, "Let me put it this way: finish her job, or I'll make you a eunuch. Deal?"
He nodded, shaking, and she stepped away from him. Baby. She wouldn't be surprised if he peed in his pants.
She glanced at the others, and almost jumped back in shock. One of the interlocutors had the unmistakable attributes of a dog as well as a man. Assuming he was one of the earlier X-series, she sincerely hoped his looks belied his nature.
The other one, the one with the microexplosive, looked like someone she knew. Ben. Manticore had gotten to him even when he was on the outside. Except he was dead. She shook her head. It didn't make sense, but she didn't have time to ask.
She glanced at Max. "Hey, Maxie. Why don't you go home, and I'll call you if something turns up. I'll explain everything later."
Max nodded and grabbed Showoff, who was still staring at her, and left. Dogboy followed them, with a demeanor more like a puppy than the ferocious German Shepherds they had back at Manticore. She turned back to the lab tech. "Start working."
Owl's Notes: This fic is officially AU because I hated the ending of "Proof of Purchase," so I worked it into here, new and improved. Oh, btw, spoilers for "Proof of Purchase" ahead. (
~~~
She hid from view, only a partial wall between her and whoever else had just stormed in. Then she heard the ex-Manticore lab tech say, "Yeah, thought so. Planted a few myself back in the day. Mind my asking how you ended up with one of these pop guns attached to your brain stem?"
//Pop guns? He must mean a microexplosive implant or something.//
She was startled to hear Max's voice as she ranted, "Because he's a cold-blooded, opportunistic showoff who thought he could run his game on a major bad guy who, it turns out, is an even bigger scumbag than he is! That about cover it?"
Then a male voice answered, "Yeah, that's pretty much how it happened."
Max again: "Oh, before I forget, thanks so much for not killing me."
She had no clue what Max was talking about, but if she was being sarcastic, she couldn't be *that* grateful.
Then she heard another man's voice say, "Me too." He didn't sound sarcastic.
The tech said, "I can disarm it." Then he dropped the bomb. Figuratively speaking. "It'll cost you ten grand."
Max sounded irritated as she asked, "That the only number you know?"
She heard what could only be the sound of money changing hands. The "cold-blooded, opportunistic showoff" said, "I can get you the rest later."
"Need it up front," the tech informed him.
She heard the sound of someone abruptly getting up. Before she realized what was happening, the aforementioned showoff had the tech pinned to the wall by the throat, scant inches from where she was hiding.
"Where the hell am I gonna get that kind of cash in the next five minutes, huh?"
Then Max's voice: "Wait. You're paying me back."
He released the tech and sat down again. "No problem."
"Great," the tech said, obviously relieved. "I can leave town tonight."
"What?" Max exclaimed. "You haven't finished my job!"
"Have I not mentioned that my life is in danger?"
Her eyes narrowed dangerously. //No, but it will be,// she thought, still not moving from her vantage point behind the wall.
"I'll make sure nothing happens to you," Max said desperately.
"Not good enough."
//Bastard.//
"Look, you can have the work that I've done so far. Take my analysis. You can find some other Manticore geek to help you finish it off."
"Where?" Max demanded.
"Don't know," the tech replied. "If they're smart like me, they're probably already on their way out of town. We got a deal? This guy's got about two minutes to live."
The room was silent.
"Do it."
Max's words seemed to thunder in the small room. She heard some movement as the tech took, presumably, the rest of the cash and went to work. A short time later, the guy said, barely contained fear in his voice, "Time's almost up, pal."
"Don't distract me," the tech said in a strained voice. A moment later, she heard a pop. Was anyone dead? "Congratulations. You're not dead."
Guess not.
She watched the tech shove some things in a suitcase and shut it. If he had turned his
head, he might have seen her, lurking in the shadows. But he didn't.
"That's it. I'm out of here."
That's when she chose to step out of the shadows.
"I don't think so."
The tech whirled around. "Who are you?" he demanded, fright making his voice just a little bit higher than it should be as she pulled out a switchblade.
"I could be melodramatic and say your worst nightmare. Or I could tell you that I'm the person who's making sure you don't leave until you finish her job." She nodded towards Max, her eyes flashing dangerously. "In either case, both would be true."
"Oh, no," the lab tech said, backing up, "I'm out of here."
She stepped up close to him, glaring. Her voice was low and threatening as she said, "Let me make something real clear to you. Those guys that are after you, if they find you, they'll just kill you. I, on the other hand, don't have to promise anything as nice as that." For effect, she flourished the switchblade. "And I already found you." Just in case he still wasn't getting it, she added, "Let me put it this way: finish her job, or I'll make you a eunuch. Deal?"
He nodded, shaking, and she stepped away from him. Baby. She wouldn't be surprised if he peed in his pants.
She glanced at the others, and almost jumped back in shock. One of the interlocutors had the unmistakable attributes of a dog as well as a man. Assuming he was one of the earlier X-series, she sincerely hoped his looks belied his nature.
The other one, the one with the microexplosive, looked like someone she knew. Ben. Manticore had gotten to him even when he was on the outside. Except he was dead. She shook her head. It didn't make sense, but she didn't have time to ask.
She glanced at Max. "Hey, Maxie. Why don't you go home, and I'll call you if something turns up. I'll explain everything later."
Max nodded and grabbed Showoff, who was still staring at her, and left. Dogboy followed them, with a demeanor more like a puppy than the ferocious German Shepherds they had back at Manticore. She turned back to the lab tech. "Start working."