Vacationing

[sentryslinger]

[Continuing this thread, in which Spy has convinced Engineer to spend a vacation with him. Fishing, fine dining, and some enemy bonding ensue.


Engineer steps into the elevator, hitting the button for their floor, pulling at his collar to loosen that next button.]

Hey, thanks again for the dinner and the suit. I'll have to put it to use some other time to justify your spendin' money on all this.

Comments

[not_onyourside]

Eets good to enjoy zhe finer zhings een life.

[Finer things in this case being chocolate sundaes.]

I am glad zhe power ees back zhough. I did not want to freeze tonight. I believe we have done zhat enough already.

[sentryslinger]

Given what we went through in that warehouse? I'd say so.

[not_onyourside]

I am glad you are not at zhat base anymore. Eet seemed horrid even wez working heating.

[sentryslinger]

It wasn't so bad, most of the time. Just cold.

[not_onyourside]

Yes. Zhat would be my point.

[sentryslinger]

[He grins with the spoon still in his mouth.]

The company could've been better. I was glad to get to warmer temperatures, though. Ain't all that used to that kind of weather.

[not_onyourside]

What ees eet like where you come from?

[ He puts the empty glass and spoon on the table, his sundae long gone by now. ]

[sentryslinger]

Pretty warm, most of the year. You get that when you're so close to the border, though.

[He takes another bite, thinking of better ways to describe his home town.]

It ain't a real big place, either. Everyone knows everyone, that sort of a thing.

[not_onyourside]

Ah yes. So everyone knows your business. Eets good to get away and have some anonymity.

[sentryslinger]

That's about right. It's hard to go home when people know exactly who you are and what you come from.

[He looks a little more pensive with that bite.]

[not_onyourside]

And zhose zhings are bad I take eet?

[sentryslinger]

When you come from a family who has a history with our line of work? Yeah. it is.

[not_onyourside]

Making machines?

Or making guns specifically?

[sentryslinger]

Makin' the machines that kill folks over some petty squabble that's been goin' on for far too long. My hometown ain't anywhere near the Badlands, but word gets back. With the way my granddaddy was, people weren't surprised I had a taste for it at a young age.

[He finishes his dessert, but it doesn't seem to have picked up his spirits.]

[not_onyourside]

He was simply supporting his family. As you will be one day.

Do not dwell on eet. You are here, and zhey are back home.

[sentryslinger]

[He sets his glass aside, leaning back and closing his eyes.]

Supportin' his family with blood money. I'll be lucky if I ever get that chance, and damned at the same time.

[not_onyourside]

Or you could quit and do somezzing else. Zhis ees not zhe only job available to you.

[sentryslinger]

You and I both know men like us can't just quit. I don't think I could pull off a disappearing act like you might, either.

[not_onyourside]

I could help you eef you wished.

[sentryslinger]

[He glances over to Spy, the temptation in his eyes genuine, but only for a moment.]

I couldn't. Couldn't just up and cut ties like that just to save my own hide, as much as I appreciate the offer.

[not_onyourside]

Well eef you change your mind, zhe offer ees out zhere.

[He frowns and lays back on the bed with his arms behind his head, not liking that everyone working for TF Industries was trapped in the job somehow.]

Eet would be better zhan being dead, which might happen should zhey decide zhey no longer have a use for you.

[sentryslinger]

I guess either way, someone might miss me.

[He settles into his own pile of pillows, resting his arms on his chest.]

It's not that this job is a bad one for a fella like me, in the overall sense, but some of the decisions we make ain't easy. We're sacrificing something, one way or another, whether it's our lives, our families, our principles, or our souls.

[not_onyourside]

But look at all zhe fun machines you get to make! Zhere are some positives, but many more negatives.

At least we get to go on vacations like zhis.

[sentryslinger]

And even then, we're still breakin' enough rules that they'd have us killed if they knew we were out here together. Or they'd turn us on one another, like they did with Soldier and Demo.

[not_onyourside]

Are you planning on selling me out for a new screwdriver?