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

[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?

[sentryslinger]

I've got plenty, so I don't think you'll have to worry about that.

[not_onyourside]

Well zhen zhere will be no problem. And zhere ees not much een zhe world I want zhat I cannot just take.

[sentryslinger]

What would you? If you could, I mean.

[not_onyourside]

What would I take?

[sentryslinger]

Yeah. If it could be anything at all.

[not_onyourside]

Hmm. I have not zhought about zhe perfect heist een years.

[He's silent for a few minutes, churning over various things he's wanted in his life. But most of those things he could afford to simply buy now. It would have to be something he couldn't get otherwise.]

I would kidnap people off zheir bases and carry zhem off eento new lives away from zhe Administrator.

[sentryslinger]

You've got one hell of an altruistic streak, you know that?

[not_onyourside]

I steal zhings. I cannot be zhat altruistic.

[sentryslinger]

It's a little like Robin Hood. You know that story?

[not_onyourside]

Somezzing about stealing from zhe rich and giving to zhe poor? Also I recall arrows were involved somehow.

[sentryslinger]

That's right. He was this fella back in medieval times who took from the corrupted nobles and gave it all away to those who needed the money. He was a thief by all standards, but that didn't make him a bad person. Same goes for you, Spy.

[not_onyourside]

Except I am not giving what I have away.

[sentryslinger]

And I guess kidnappin' mercenaries ain't exactly the same thing, but I'll stand by what I said.