Red's Office Hours at Town Hall

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Red finally emerged from beneath the paperwork that littered his counter at the shop. Ready to do some final organization, he picked up the phone to call Gladys at the office when someone answered...in a foreign language.

After a few minutes of going around and getting no understandable answer, or being able to give one, he hung up and tried again...only to talk to static.

"Perhaps a line is down," he said, looking at his cubs.

"Dada!" Pollux responded enthusiastically.

"I agree," Red nodded his head. "We should just walk to the office."

Gathering up his papers and a few toys for the cubs, he loaded up his wagon and the three set off for the Town Hall office.

Comments

[freelancerchick.livejournal.com]

Tex was grateful that Zhaan had easily let her leave the shop. At least the blue woman knew not to argue with her. She was slowly starting to feel better, but a concussion and MJOLNIR armour didn't mix well but she was grateful she had retrieved her own clothes from the apartment.

When she entered Town Hall, she wasn't surprised to get funny looks from everyone. Especially not as she was carrying her gunblade with her in its holster.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_red_xiii_/]

He got the calls from people warning about her coming in before Tex even got to his office and Red had sent the cubs to stay in the copier room until he could figure out what she wanted and if what he had heard was true.

Sitting at his desk, he waited for Tex to appear in his doorway.

[freelancerchick.livejournal.com]

She had expected to have at least some cops on her back by now, but she supposed it was a good sign when no one resisted her and she easily made it to Red's office.

For a moment she just stood there, taking in the office without noticing a sign of the meeting Red had with O'Malley. She clenched her fists beside her to keep from resting her hand on her gunblade. "I see you cleaned up," she remarked.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_red_xiii_/]

"Usually a by product of having a fight in my office and scattering paperwork all over the place." He grinned at her and nodded to the chair. She smelled like Tex again and she acted like Tex. The fact that she didn't have ducks with her was a good sign too. "The upside was I lost my notes for the budget meeting and as a result, got a larger budget then they were going to give me."

[freelancerchick.livejournal.com]

"So now you know what to do next time you want to get more money," Tex said with a smirk as she this time around took the offered seat. She could probably postpone and keep up the small talk, but she was still tired and part of her wanted to get it over with.

"O'Malley is gone. I don't know where he came from, but I do know that he won't be coming back."

[http://users.livejournal.com/_red_xiii_/]

"Good," Red said. "While we got an increase in budget, I can't afford to keep replacing furniture." He leapt up onto his desk. "Do you know what happened?"

[freelancerchick.livejournal.com]

"No, but I intend to find out." Tex replied and shook her head. It seemed almost too easy for Red to believe her right away. "O'Malley's an A.I. The way he turned up, it doesn't make sense."

[http://users.livejournal.com/_red_xiii_/]

"He was different from you," Red answered to her unspoken thought. "You're an unusual person, Tex. No one else like you. So when you started to act weird, people noticed. And this A.I. thing explained why the Tick asked about knocking out the radio transmitters for a certain time period. Seemed to think this O'Malley would use them to jump away. I am guessing he didn't get away?"

[freelancerchick.livejournal.com]

"No," Tex shook her head. "Normally that's how he transmits himself, but he wasn't an A.I. I'm pretty sure he didn't come over the radio or the armour, I would have had more control over him if he did."

[http://users.livejournal.com/_red_xiii_/]

"Foul play? Someone maybe sent him to you?" In this town, anything was possible.

[freelancerchick.livejournal.com]

She shook her head. "No, that doesn't make sense. The only people to know about O'Malley are from my time and I closed the only way to the island." This was far too subtle for Wyoming anyway.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_red_xiii_/]

"Hmmm," Red said, thinking hard. "I don't know then, but don't discount anything or anyone. Things happen around here and sometimes they have no rhyme or reason."

[freelancerchick.livejournal.com]

"There's always a reason and I'll find it out," Tex replied. She knew something must have triggered it and she didn't believe in coincidence at all. Not this big.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_red_xiii_/]

"Try to leave my town in one piece," Red said with a chuckle. "I take it he was unsuccessful in getting to your weapons and ammunition, considering the minimization of damage."

[freelancerchick.livejournal.com]

"Not by lack of trying, but I don't like to share my toys with idiots who think they can take over the world with the help of ducks," Tex sneered. "He never found out the password at least."

[http://users.livejournal.com/_red_xiii_/]

"Although ultimately unsuccessful in his world domination plans, this O'Malley was persistant," Red said with a chuckle. "Glad to have you back, Tex."