Skip Navigation
|
Post by Devi on Jun 28, 2013 2:28:23 GMT
The sun was hot and bright in a brilliant blue sky, baking the concrete and stainless steel of the city beneath it. Exhaust hung heavily in the heat as cars lined bumper to bumper in the streets, honking occasionally as though that would make traffic move any faster. It was peak rush hour, and everyone was cranky and fighting to make it home as quickly as they could.
Except for Lynx.
Lynx sat at one of the shadier benches in the park with a giant, Styrofoam cup of Dr. Pepper, shaking his head and smiling bitterly at the gruff, old man sitting across from him. Lynx pierced the man with a disbelieving look through a scuffed up pair of aviators he had lifted off a table just that morning, and the old man stared stubbornly back.
“Look, Dan, no offense, man, but you’re crazy. I’m not dropping that kind of cash- I could hunt them down for cheaper. I told you I’d give you $250 for the set, and if that’s a problem, well fuck you for wasting my time.”
“Lynx, it damned near cost me $250 to find a set, I can’t afford that kind of loss in profit. Tough times, man.”
“Tough shit, then,” Lynx snapped back resolutely. You shoulda thought of that before telling me you’d take $250. Look, I don’t have to buy this today. Waste of my fucking time, but I’m not spending more than $250.” He leaned back against the bench and took a sip of soda. “Besides, that’s all the money I brought with me. Either take the $250, or you can shove your headlights up your ass and bend over when you need a light.”
Dan’s jaw clenched, and he turned away to lean back against the bench. Lynx knew it was a done deal, he just had to wait for Dan to reach that conclusion. Headlights for his GTO were a small step, but it was all he could afford at the moment.
“Fine.”
Lynx looked back at Dan to see him looking grim and angry, but still defeated. He flashed the old man a smile. “Perfect.” Lynx handed over the cash, and Dan handed over a small to medium sized box. Lynx double checked to make sure both headlights and the required assembly was in there before closing it back up. “Keep a look out for those bucket seats for me, will ya? You know I’ve been looking for them.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Dan grumbled, waving his hand dismissively as he left. Lynx stretched his legs out in front of him, lounging back against the bench with the laziness of a cat. Today was a good day.
|
|
|
Post by Shatter on Jun 29, 2013 1:36:19 GMT
Asher scanned the side of the building from where he sat on the roof of the apartment complex, legs dangling freely in the air. An open window here, a cracked one there… So far, it looked like he’d have an easy time. With a sly grin he reached into his trusty messenger bag, pulled out a thin pair of gloves and slid them on one at a time.
He was just about to venture down when two cop cars sped by. Asher sighed heavily. He had ventured to the city to see if he could score big, but based on the sirens wailing below and the red and blue flashing lights put a quick stop to that. For now, he’d have to keep an eye out and wait for another opportunity. It could be worse, though- at least the cop cars weren’t after him. That would have definitely brought down his good mood. He swung his legs back and forth, turning his attention to the park across the street. It was nice enough: a few trees, lots of grass, a fountain. A handful people milled about in the park, including… hold on. Asher leaned forward, holding onto the ledge for support. Was that Lynx he saw? And someone else he didn’t recognize walking away from him. Interesting- more interesting than waiting around to break into a couple of apartments, at least. After all, Asher could always return later. For now, it was time to check up on his ‘friend’.
He took his gloves off and stuffed them in his pocket before making his way down the fire escape that ran down the side of the concrete apartments. No fancy flips of acrobatic tricks on his way down; Asher didn’t want to attract any unnecessary attention yet, even if he did enjoy the rush of adrenaline he got from it.
After climbing the last of the steps and crossing the busy street, Asher had reached the park. He didn’t make any attempt to be subtle as he headed towards the bench where Lynx was lounging. He ran a hand through his dark brown hair as he approached.
“Hey there, Lynx,” He said, leaning against the back of the bench with a wide grin spread across his face. “Making deals are you? What, couldn’t manage to take what you needed on your own?” Asher’s tone was mocking but lighthearted, and he figured that Lynx wouldn’t take it the wrong way.
|
|
|
Post by Devi on Jun 29, 2013 5:23:07 GMT
The sound of his name startled Lynx; not too many people knew him on such friendly terms in the City. He turned with a frown, but as soon as his eyes fell upon Asher, his expression lightened considerably. "Hey, kiddo," Lynx replied with nearly the exact same tone as Asher- mocking, yet lightheartedly so. "Doesn't it count if I at least stole the money for the deal?" he asked with a lazy sort of shrug, leaning back against the bench so he could turn and look at the young thief more easily. This wasn't just to be polite; in fact, it had nothing to do with manners and everything to do with keeping an eye on Asher's hands. That kid had stickier fingers than Lynx did, something which Lynx maintained a healthy respect for. He had lost his wallet to the kid on more than one occasion, and every time he got it back he'd be missing a $5 here, sometimes a $20 there. Of course, Lynx never held it against him. If he was good enough to get it without Lynx noticing up front, he earned that money. Besides, it made Lynx sharper. In a way, it was almost a win-win situation.
"What are you doing down here, anyways?" he asked curiously, glancing briefly at the gray messenger bag. Typically Lynx ran into Asher in town, not the city. The city was...well, it was dangerous, but that wasn't exactly what Lynx would call it. The city just wasn't a place for people like him or Asher, and Lynx wondered what had been so pressing as to bring the kid to downtown.
"Wait," Lynx started before Asher could speak, "You're not stalking me, are you?" he flashed a sarcastic grin to go along with the sarcastic question, shifting the box with the headlights a bit closer to him.
|
|
|
Post by Shatter on Jun 30, 2013 4:19:08 GMT
Asher considered the older man’s words. Did it count if he stole the money? “Maybe. Though it seems a roundabout way of doing things, don’t you think?” He answered out loud, forearms pressing into the bench. “Just not my style, I suppose. But then again, I don’t know too many reasons why I’d need to make a deal with anyone.”
A mischievous grin tugged at his lips as Lynx questioned him. “I’m just trying to score a bit bigger, anything wrong with that?” He jerked his thumb over his shoulder at the apartment complex behind him. “You’d be surprised at what people leave by their windows while they’re out. Money, jewelry, watches, stuff I can pawn.” Asher’s fingers tapped on the bench and his voice took on an almost whimsical tone. “I just was sitting on the roof, scoping the place out, when these cop cars went whizzing by.” He tucked the gloves deeper into his jean pocket and held up his hands, feigning innocence. “Luckily they weren’t for me. I mean, I wasn’t doing anything. And there’s just clothes and a few other things in there, nothing of value,” he added, watching Lynx’s blue eyes wander down to the bag hanging by his waist. He learned long ago to be wary of Lynx, but it was a playful sort of caution. “Anyway, I’ll probably hit the place up later. Less cars, less witnesses.”
“But what about you?” He shifted the topic back to Lynx, wandering his way around the bench with slow, light steps so that he was facing the taller man straight on. “Cutting deals instead of purses, hmm?” It was only then that Asher spotted the box sitting on the bench by his side. “Ooh, what’cha got there?” He pointed to it; his face was filled with an almost child-like curiosity. After all, he was only eighteen.
|
|
|
Post by Devi on Jun 30, 2013 15:31:04 GMT
"Nothing wrong as long as you don't get yourself killed, or worse: recruited," Lynx replied, his tone too easing going to be reprimanding. He listened to Asher talk about the stuff one could easily snag from a window, a topic Lynx certainly did not need educating on, though he rarely committed such thefts any more. Nothing to do with morals and everything to do with style...or rather, laziness. Swiping a smartphone or a pair of designer shades as he passed by a table on his way out of the coffee shop was just so much easier these days! People were remarkably stupid with where they kept their possessions and how little they looked after them, whether it was leaving a Rolex on a table by the window or leaving the latest gadget on the edge of a table as they read the morning news on their laptop. Hell, Lynx had once sat down at a table of a guy who had left his stuff out while he went to the bathroom. He had casually packed up the laptop and left without anyone even looking at him twice! Yes, it was definitely true that the City was easier to pull off a bigger score; in town, too many people knew you, and too many people saw you. In the City, you could move around almost entirely unnoticed.
Snapping out of his reverie as Asher moved around the bench, Lynx grinned when the younger kid noticed the box. "Something that if I could have stolen, I would have stolen ages ago," he explained, lifting the cardboard lid to show Asher the contents. "Original headlights AND assembly for the GTO. Took me ages to find a set that worked. I thought I was going to have to go with something new made to fit the '69." He closed the lid before Asher got any bright ideas about touching anything in the box (if Asher touched it, he could probably steal it).
"Bastard I got them through tried to rip me off in the end, too," he added as an afterthought. "So, anyways, no success yet for you? Cops raining on your parade? Did I tell you I got arrested the other day, by the way?"
You would think Lynx, a self absorbed 27 year old, would not have much respect for or interest in an 18 year old thief. But the 18 year old thief had proven himself an interesting sort of friend and a good ally to have. He took care of himself in a way Lynx respected, and he enjoyed the friendly banter. After all, Lynx might not have wanted to be involved with a bunch of people (especially Elementals and ESP), but he wasn't a hermit. Besides, the kid had that "reminds me of myself when I was that age" vibe, and Lynx couldn't help but like him.
|
|
|
Post by Shatter on Jul 1, 2013 22:42:36 GMT
Asher nodded as Lynx spoke. He knew full on that the city was dangerous- what fool didn’t?- but danger was a part of his job description, right between lying and being stealthy, and he did enjoy the thrill of it. But being recruited, that was a whole ‘nother story that Asher had no intention of being a part of. All this talk of old magic and new magic- or just magic in general, for that matter- made him extremely uncomfortable. The only magic he cared for were the simple card tricks he learned back at the circus, and he would be completely fine if that was the only kind of ‘magic’ he ever came in contact with for the rest of his days. Of course, he had made a friend in Lynx, but that was different; Lynx was like a kindred spirit, and so far, hadn’t used his ESP or whatever it was called powers against Asher. He hoped it stayed that way.
It was with a sudden realization that Asher noticed his face had taken on a grim look from thinking about the magic. His blue eyes brightened quickly, a friendly half-smile taking the place of a frown. “Could have, would have, should have,” he mumbled with a smirk, leaning forward ever so slightly to see the contents of the box. Cars he didn’t know much about, but it seemed pretty interesting.
“Not today, but I’ll probably try again later. If not there’s always tomorrow.” He shrugged nonchalantly. Money, besides for survival, wasn’t a terribly pressing matter; he had at least two years before his sister would be let out of the orphanage. He knew that he had to start small- if he ‘acquired’ too much money at once, especially as a jobless teen, it’d raise way too much suspicion.
He blinked at Lynx’s mention of being arrested, half surprised. “Oh really? You, of all people, got arrested? No wait, let me guess.” He pretended to thing, tapping his finger on his chin and snapping for an emphasized effect. “It wasn’t your fault. It never really is though, is it?”
|
|
|
Post by Devi on Jul 2, 2013 2:10:27 GMT
A rakish grin stretched widely across Lynx's face at Asher's oh-so-correct assumption. "Of course it wasn't. We all know I'm a respectable, law-abiding citizen." He didn't even attempt to make his face reflect his words, and if anything he looked smugly proud about the fairly blatant lie; there was very little about Lynx that was respectable or law-abiding. "It was a total drag. Stumbled across something I shouldn't, got caught up and something I didn't want to, and ended up behind bars. Story of my life, AmIRight?"
He left out the specifics about Tabitha, the ESP, and the super minor detail about him helping Tabitha murder the ESP and shoving the body into the trunk. It wasn't so much that he didn't trust Asher as he knew the kid would be better off not knowing. Besides, Lynx knew the younger thief wasn't exactly a big fan of the whole magic scene anyways...not that Lynx could blame him. I mean, the Magics really did kick the door into this world, tumbled through, and started a big fat war in the middle of everything without so much as a HowDoYoudo.
"Not to change the subject, but you wanna help me install these later?" Lynx asked, patting the box next to him gently. "And my later, I probably mean tomorrow."
|
|
|
Post by Shatter on Jul 2, 2013 3:40:10 GMT
“Mhmmm.” Asher hummed, unconvinced. Not that Lynx had even remotely tried to convince him, and either way, it would have been a wasted effort. The boy figured he was hiding something, but he wasn’t about to pry. Asher had a few secrets of his own that he hadn’t told anyone; he figured it best to leave Lynx’s his own secrets as well. “Maybe you should be more careful,” he said with a slight wink, knowing full well that the man would do no such thing.
He considered Lynx’s offer. It did sound fun, messing around with a sweet car. “You’d trust me not to take your stuff? I’m surprised,” he mocked, placing a hand over his heart. To be honest, Asher had considered stealing for a brief second- it was in his nature, after all- but figured it a fruitless endeavor. If it had taken Lynx this much trouble to simply acquire the parts he needed, Asher seriously doubted he’d find a place or a person to sell them to. But it sounded fun, and anyway, Asher was sure he could give up thieving for a few hours, at least.
“You’ll have to let me know when and where, of course. I have a tight schedule I have to stick to, you know.” A cheshire grin spread across his face. Yeah, a tight schedule- pickpocket here, steal a bit there, try out his latest endeavor… Sometimes Asher thought he was addicted to the thrill, but then he always thought with a bit of smugness, why should I care?
|
|
|
Post by Devi on Jul 2, 2013 13:36:28 GMT
"I'd trust you to be smart enough to know not to mess with my car," Lynx countered without missing a beat, his tone still playful, though it had an underlying note of seriousness. If it had been anyone else, his tone might have been more threatening, but Lynx liked Asher enough to give him a bit of a break. Still, his car was about the only thing Lynx took seriously in this world, and it was definitely something not to be messed with. After all, the amount of time and love Lynx had poured into that vehicle already surpassed any other aspect of his life, including alcohol and women. With a little telekinetic tweaking, and with the patience to find the right parts (like these headlights), Lynx knew this car was going to be the sweetest piece of machinery the town/city/forest had ever seen.
Lynx scoffed when Asher mentioned his tight schedule, replying dryly, "Well, I hope you can pencil me in." Lifting his eyebrows in cool amusement, Lynx looked like he might have continued when his eyes registered something off-putting enough to divert Lynx's attention from Asher. Frowning slightly, he looked over Asher's left shoulder, across the expanse of green grass, to where a row of benches sat facing the row Lynx was currently occupying. A man in a suit stood, hands in his pockets, watching Lynx and Asher with more interest than Lynx found appropriate. Even more disconcerting, the man didn't bother concealing his curiosity and coolly met Lynx's gaze.
"Mmm, you don't happen to know that man, do you?" Lynx asked in a low voice, nodding his chin across the park. Maybe it was somebody Asher had stolen from, or maybe Asher wouldn't find anything odd about the man and Lynx could pretend it was totally normal for a man in a suit to be in the park in the middle of a hot summer's day staring at two men across the park...yeah, put like that...?
|
|
|
Post by Shatter on Jul 3, 2013 20:09:25 GMT
“Okay, okay,” Asher raised his hands defensively as he laughed. “I won’t mess with your car. And I’ll work on penciling you in, sure.” It did sound fun, and maybe Asher would find that he was good at something other than acrobatics and swiping things. The thought made him grin. He seriously doubted it, though from time to time he did miss the circus, the high-flying stunts and wires- and, of course, his family.
It took him a minute to realize that Lynx was looking over his shoulder with a surprisingly serious stare. His brow furrowed; that had to be bad news. Casually, Asher stretched his arms, looking over his own shoulder as he did so. A man in a suit on a sweltering hot day? Not natural. Still, the man didn’t look familiar to Asher. Up until now he had stuck to pick pocketing, and he’d remember taking something from a man that was obviously higher class. That, or just really, really important. Either way, it was a bad sign for sure.
He turned back to Lynx, hands now residing in his pockets. His head shook in response to the other thief’s question, mimicking his frown. “You sure you don’t know him? Not one of your magical friends or anything like that?” Asher asked, using the term ‘friends’ lightly. His blue eyes flashed worry, a rare sight coming from the younger thief. He considered bailing and leaving Lynx, knowing that whatever happened, he’d be able to take care of himself using his ES-whatever powers it was that he had. Asher wasn’t too sure on the details, nor did he care to know.
“Maybe we should avoid this guy,” Asher muttered, nodding his head slightly in the opposite direction. As much as the teen wanted to leave, he’d stay if Lynx asked him to. Reluctantly, but he’d do it. After all, what were friends- he used the term loosely once again- for?
|
|
|
Post by Devi on Jul 11, 2013 18:12:22 GMT
"Never seen him before in my life," Lynx replied, a faint frown creasing his brow. "Doesn't mean he's not a magic, though," he added, standing up and sliding the box of headlights under his arm. Asher's suggestion that they should maybe avoid the suit was deeply considered. Lynx did not like the look of the man, and he had no desire to get involved in anything, not even if the man was selling fucking girl scout cookies... okay, maybe if it was girl scout cookies, Lynx would buy a box or two. He did love girl scout cookies, after all, and even Lynx wasn't low enough to steal from girl scouts. But this man definitely did not look like he was in the cookie business, not unless it was the cookie of the internet-variety, and last time Lynx had checked, the girl scouts hadn't carved a niche into the tech market.
"Hmmm," Lynx hummed thoughtfully, his desire to know exactly why this man was staring at them competing with his desire to avoid complicated problems of any sorts. Before he could decide, the man- as though realizing his quarry was contemplating escape- started across the park at a brisk pace. "I think it might be too late for that, or at least too late for an inconspicuous getaway," he commented, nodding towards the approaching suit. "Maybe he wants your digits?" he suggested almost seriously, though the snarky half-grin gave the joke away. It was Lynx's way of saying let's stay and see what he wants, and although he wasn't nervous, he was definitely on guard. Gripping the box tighter under his arm, Lynx watched the man approach with a level gaze, already feeling around the environment telekinetically for potential weapons in case it came to that.
"Gentlemen," the man greeted with a smile once he was within earshot. "I hope I didn't alarm you."
"Of course not. One dude staring at another from across the park? That's not creepy at all," Lynx answered sarcastically. His cheek had no apparent effect on the stranger
"Stuart McPhearson, am I right?" the man asked, looking at Lynx with the same unfazed smile. "If that's even your real name, of course." Then, turning to Asher, he added, "I'm afraid I don't know your name."
|
|
|
Post by Shatter on Jul 13, 2013 2:17:31 GMT
If Lynx could still joke around, maybe the situation wasn’t as serious as Asher first suspected. He relaxed slightly, but his gaze never left the man as he made his way over. “He can have my number just as soon as he buys me a phone,” he half muttered, though a slight grin pulled at the corner of his lips. He didn’t like the idea that this other man could have magic, and at the first indication of it, he planned on bailing. Lynx would just have to forgive him later- after all, he knew how Asher felt.
As the man grew closer Asher folded his arms across his chest. Despite his doubts, he stuck around. Maybe everything would turn out fine in the end… Right. He couldn’t even convince himself to see what could possibly go right with this situation, which was strange because he was normally a quite cheery person.
But Asher couldn’t contain himself when Lynx quipped at the man, and a wide grin broke across his face. If the stranger expected to get a straight conversation from the two of them… Well, that simply wasn’t going to happen. But it would be entertaining to participate.
“You don’t know my name? I’m hurt,” Asher said, pretending to pout. “I’m rather famous around these parts, after all.” Or infamous, he added to himself silently, but he kept up the smart-assed smirk he so commonly wore. He swore that he saw a vein in the man’s neck twitch, though whether it was from annoyance or anger he couldn’t be sure. To be honest, being annoyingly cheery did help him loosen up a bit. “Call me… Asher,” he said, purposefully failing to explain that it was his last name. “Stuart here is my friend.”
Asher figured that it wasn’t Lynx’s real name- the older man was careful with things like that. He should have thought up a nom de plume for himself, but he couldn’t think of one quickly enough, and he knew that hesitating would have only aroused suspicion.
“But don’t pin this all on us. You have yet to introduce yourself. And what your… Business is here.” The last sentence carried an undertone of wariness that Asher hadn’t meant to let slip loose.
|
|
|
Post by Devi on Jul 13, 2013 15:18:52 GMT
At Asher's words, the faint traces of a grin twitched at the corners of Lynx's mouth. The suit didn't look annoyed, exactly, but his face was certainly a bit more...strained. Lynx didn't care, of course, especially as he was beginning to think this guy had something to do with the police. After all, that's really the only way he would have known the name "Stuart McPhearson." Lynx didn't believe getting arrested and running into a guy like this just a few days later was purely coincidental; shit like that just didn't happen.
"A friend?" the stranger repeated, eyes skimming over Asher with purposeful calculation. "Or colleague?"
Lynx did not like the sound of that question. Nothing it implied was anything good- colleague rogue ESP? Colleague thief? Colleague cellmate? There was really no "colleague" of Lynx that would be flattering, except perhaps mechanic, but Asher didn't look like much of a mechanic, and that didn't really look like the type of "work" this guy was after.
"What do you want?" Lynx asked flatly, no longer looking amused. He didn't want to get mixed up in any of the above mentioned fields- ESP, thief, or jail- and he sure as hell knew Asher wasn't about to get mixed up in it either, especially if "ESP" was involved.
"My name is Douglas Atkinson, I'm an agent in a newly established sector of the FBI."
Uh oh.
The man pulled out his badge and flashed it briefly for both Asher and Lynx to see. "We've been monitoring your kind for awhile now, just trying to understand what's going on and to ensure the protection of the American people," Douglas continued to explain.
"Why Doug, as an American citizen, I'm hurt you don't consider me part of the American people," Lynx interrupted with a wounded expression. Douglas' smile became rather thin in response.
"The non-magic portion of the American people," he clarified stiffly. "We know there's a conflict that's been going on, even though neither side will talk. You can imagine the American Government doesn't like the idea of a private civil war going on where non-magic American citizens become collateral damage-"
"Look, Dougie, just stop right there," Lynx interrupted again, his expression dangerously neutral. "I'm not part of any fucking conflict, so if you're looking for an interview, you're barking up the wrong goddamn tree."
"I know you're not!" Douglas replied hastily as Lynx turned to go. "We've been tracking you since you're little detour to jail. We know you were working with an Elemental, and we know you killed an ESP!" Lynx paused, stiffening slightly as he turned back to face the FBI agent. "Now, we haven't found out who the Elemental is, but we know your two factions don't often work well together. We only want your help gathering intel. If you truly don't like this conflict, and if you truly respect being an American Citizen, you'll help."
Lynx was quiet for a moment. "You accuse me of murder, and then you ask me to volunteer? Bro, you've been watching too many Vin Diesel movies."
"I didn't ask you to volunteer- you or your colleague." Douglas' eyes flickered briefly to Asher. "There will be some money involved if you accept, and some consequences if you don't."
The thinly veiled threat made Lynx bristle, his lip curling in angry disgust at the coercive bribe, but he bit back any sarcastic response that rose in his throat. Instead he stole a brief look at Asher, curious how the non-magic thief was processing all of this, including the accusation that Lynx had murdered somebody. Not that Lynx had truly murdered anyone- that had been all Tabitha. Lynx was just an accomplice, though he wasn't sure that distinction would matter to Asher OR the FBI.
|
|
|
Post by Shatter on Jul 15, 2013 0:34:23 GMT
“A friend? Or a colleague?”
That was the inquiry of a man that knew way too much about the both of them. Asher’s face grew serious almost as quickly as Lynx’s voice did, though he stood silently as Lynx cut to the chase. His muscles grew tense and a hand rested on his messenger back protectively, ready to bolt at any moment.
"My name is Douglas Atkinson, I'm an agent in a newly established sector of the FBI."
Shit. Shit shit shit shit. His eyes grew wide. Asher’s mind was suffering a loss of vocabulary as the single word echoed over and over in his mind. Did he seriously just give his real last name to a freaking FBI agent? Was he seriously that stupid? He might as well have handed over all of his life’s secrets along with it, along with anyone related to him- his sister came to mind and his blood ran cold.
He remained frozen as Lynx and the man- Atkinson, he recalled- went back and forth with their conversation. Concerned about his own well-being, his thoughts racing, Asher only caught half of the conversation: civil war, tracking, you killed an ESP…
Wait. Asher shot an incredulous look at Lynx. Was that why he went to jail? No, they never would have let him out if that was true; there was no way the older man had the money for the bail. But Atkinson had no reason to lie, and the way ‘Stuart’ stood stiffly next to Asher was cause for concern.
His blue eyes flicked back up to the FBI agent as he referred to him once more. Money if he helped, consequences if he didn’t… It felt like he was talking directly to Asher now instead of Lynx, and he didn’t like that. His sister flashed in his mind. If Atkinson knew about that (and there was little hope that he didn’t), Asher knew he wouldn’t have much of a choice. Wonderful.
“Can my friend and I have a moment to discuss your proposition?” Asher chipped in finally, shooing the agent away with the back of his hand. The man nodded curtly and took a few steps backwards, but his eyes never left the duo. Fair enough.
He grabbed Lynx’s free arm and pulled him closer, so that they could whisper without being overheard. “Okay look, you can explain the whole conflict, civil war, and murder charge to me later.” Asher cut through the air with a wave of his hand to emphasize his point. He was definitely going to be asking questions later, and the tone in his voice addressed that, but there were more important matters to deal with that moment. “The way I see it right now, we have three options. One, make a break for it now and probably end up dead within a week.” Or worse- he just couldn’t get his sister out of his head. Asher cursed himself a hundred times more. “Option two, we go along with his little plan. Option three, we pretend to along for a little ways, but the first chance we find to get out of this, we take it.”
He folded his arms across his chest, waiting for Lynx’s response. He wasn’t angry per se, just severely worried. “Personally, I’m not fond of option one.”
|
|
|
Post by Devi on Jul 15, 2013 0:52:39 GMT
Lynx remained silent as Asher shooed the FBI agent away and pulled him closer so that they could speak quietly. He had the decency to look pretty guilty when Asher stated they could discuss the murder charge later, and he didn't bother speaking up as the kid laid out the options. He had to agree with him; there weren't many ways out of this without lots of strings attached. Dangerous strings. And Lynx hated strings. Wasn't that why he had left the whole ESP faction to begin with? To be free of all this shit?
"I'm not exactly fond of any of the options," he muttered at length, glancing briefly to the agent before looking back to Asher. He thought about Tabitha for a moment and wondered how much the FBI knew about her- obviously they lacked her name, and that was a good thing. He was pretty sure the Elementals would hang the woman for treason if they knew she had worked with an ESP...on more than one occasion. Not that he was primarily concerned with her well being; no way, he was definitely more preoccupied with his own predicament, but that didn't mean he wanted her head taken off...or however Elementals dealt with traitors.
Lynx heaved a sigh, scratching the back of his neck thoughtfully. "Let's go with door number 3. Not that I see any opportunities out of this clusterfuck in the near future unless we feel like disappearing off the grid." Lynx grimaced. He could do it if he had to, but shit that would take a lot of work, and he really, REALLY fucking loved his life. Before they called Atkinson back over, Lynx frowned, adding, "I'm sorry, man, I don't know how you got caught up in this." He knew Asher harbored a mistrust of magic and did his best to avoid it whenever he could, and Lynx respected that, he always had. Now, somehow, Asher had gotten thrown right smack in the middle of the War, and Lynx couldn't help but feel slightly responsible.
Oh well. They were chin deep in this shithole, and Lynx had the distinct feeling they would need each other to pull themselves out of it. Lynx heaved another sigh, looking resigned. He had no idea exactly what the FBI would require of them, and all he could imagine was having to break into the Elemental camp, or worse- the Skyscraper. Happily, Lynx never got a code, which meant he would be pretty useless trying to hack the supercomputer. Good thing, too. Lynx hated computers.
"Whaddaya think, kid?" Lynx asked, crossing his arms as he stole another brief look at Atkinson.
|
|
|