Spike's Pub - Open 1/16

[ac-brothers.livejournal.com]

They still hadn't agreed on anything for the pub except for one thing.

Business as usual.

At least until they could, in fact, make up their mind and actually agree.

The TV was on, Loz flipping between Rugby and Boxing for Yazoo, the bar was ready and with Yazoo feeling better, things were good to go.

Comments

[freelancerchick.livejournal.com]

To say that Tex was stubborn would be an understatement. Sometimes stubborness must give way to other needs, though. One of them would be needing a drink without having to listen to teenagers sing off key in the background.

So when she showed up in the pub, the press of her M6D comforting against her back, it was because she needed the burn of alcohol at the back of her throat. And definitely not for something else entirely.

[ac-brothers.livejournal.com]

All three tensed up when Tex entered the pub. Kadaj came from the back room and Loz moved around the bar so he wasn't hemmed in at the end.

Yazoo smiled a little and poured Tex her drink, having it ready for her when she sat down.

[freelancerchick.livejournal.com]

Tex looked up at Kadaj and Loz, holding out her hands in what was supposed to be a reassuring gesture. Even if she had a gun with her, she hoped that the fact that she had come without armour would speak for itself.

Then she sat down, ignoring the two brothers in favour of Yazoo as it almost seemed like she was studying him closely for visible injuries. Her fingers closed around the glass and she gave him an almost imperceptable nod as she raised the glass to her lips.

[ac-brothers.livejournal.com]

He saw his brothers shift into position and nodded to them. Everything was good so far and Yazoo was surprisingly unconcerned. Leaning on the bar in front of her, he searched her face, looked into her eyes and smiled. "Hey."

[freelancerchick.livejournal.com]

She put the glass back down, grateful for the familiar burn, and met his eyes. After a while, she returned the smile and the greeting.

"Hey," she said softly and when she reached out to touch his cheek with the tips of her fingers, the movement was slow partly to keep his brothers from jumping her and partly to give him time to pull away. Or maybe for once, Tex wasn't sure about something.

[ac-brothers.livejournal.com]

Yazoo blinked slowly, the touch was gentle and nonthreatening so he didn't pull back, just waiting patiently. "He's gone?"

[freelancerchick.livejournal.com]

Her smile faltered and she dropped her hand. "Yes," she picked up her drink once more. "Killed him myself, as far as you can kill a memory."

[ac-brothers.livejournal.com]

"That's good," he said, straightening up and folding his arms over his chest. "Glad you're back." He tilted his head, still watching her and still smiling.

[freelancerchick.livejournal.com]

Which might have been unsettling, not that she was going to show it. "Funy how I keep hearing that and yet no one seems to be bothered enough to push for a real explanation."

[ac-brothers.livejournal.com]

"Or maybe they don't want to trigger a relapse," Yazoo said with a shrug. "But I can't imagine anyone trying to press you for anything but I'm listening."

[freelancerchick.livejournal.com]

Tex frowned as this suddenly felt like she was volunteering the information. Which she wasn't, but if she owned anyone an explanation... "You're good," she admitted with a grin and took a long drink from her whiskey.

[ac-brothers.livejournal.com]

Laughing lightly, Yazoo shook his hair to get his bangs out of his eyes. "So I'm told."

[freelancerchick.livejournal.com]

Tex tilted her head, studying him for a moment longer before she nodded. "Have you heard of A.I.s?"

[ac-brothers.livejournal.com]

"I assume that stands for artifical intelligence," Yazoo said. "But that's the extent of my knowledge of it."

[freelancerchick.livejournal.com]

"Pretty much, my military uses them. The armour's designed to hold one A.I. program which is supposed to make us better soldiers." She sneered as he looked up, meeting Yazoo's eyes. "Mine was supposed to make me more stronger. More agressive."

[ac-brothers.livejournal.com]

Yazoo pulled down a glass and pulled himself a beer. Hey, he owned the place now, he could do that and not worry. "But something happened?"

[freelancerchick.livejournal.com]

"You could say that," she finished the last of her glass regretfully. "My A.I., Omega, got out of control. Out of their control and out of mine. It took over and they could get it out without killing me at the same time."

[ac-brothers.livejournal.com]

Refilling her glass, Yazoo sat the bottle with in reach and he leaned against the bar again. "So you've had it inside your head all this time?"

[freelancerchick.livejournal.com]

"No," she shook her head and gratefully emptied the glass in one go before continuing. "O'Malley left me not long before I came here. He jumped when he thought I was going to die. I don't know where he is now. This wasn't him, it didn't come from my armour. Something triggered it in my mind."

[ac-brothers.livejournal.com]

Yazoo's brow furrowed. "Like a bad memory or something?"

[freelancerchick.livejournal.com]

"I've never heard of a memory that can take over your mind," Tex shook her head. "It was stronger than that, way stronger. Even with O'Malley I had some sort of control, this..." She trailed off, not sure how to describe it.

[ac-brothers.livejournal.com]

"Like it was triggered from outside your head?"

[freelancerchick.livejournal.com]

"Yes," she frowned and stared at Yazoo, not really seeing him. "But no one here knew about O'Malley and I don't see how anyone can trigger a memory to begin with."

[ac-brothers.livejournal.com]

"And you don't remember whacking your head," Yazoo asked, gesturing to his. "Or getting clobbered in a deal gone wrong?"

[freelancerchick.livejournal.com]

"Yes, but that was some time before this happened." Tex ran a hand through her hair as she strained to remember. The day O'Malley had taken over was still hazy in her mind. "I had only one deal going on then, business on this dump isn't exactly booming."