[ True, Alec is hiding an awful lot, but it's certainly not something he's going to show to Rufus Shinra of all people. That's a surefire way to land himself in a lab, and he does not want that at all.
Rufus starts off, the big man in charge again, and Alec gives another roll of his eyes before jogging a few paces to catch up. ]
I didn't realize you knew where you were going. By all means, lead on, oh fearless leader.
[He has a very vague idea of where he’s going, but Rufus knows the general framework of Midgar, especially the fact that the trains will be the easiest way of getting from point A to point B if you’re living on the lower plate.]
My namesake [his “namesake”, meaning Reeve] is a man who won’t let you go five minutes without going into great detail about the layout of this city. I’ve had it drilled into my head at this point.
[Though Reeve usually prefaces all of that with some ongoing project of his — an interstate, the upkeep of the pillars, the balance of what is built on the plate versus what supports it beneath — which has Rufus constantly trying to direct him to his father instead. The man’s priorities were all askew, even for an urban planner.]
Guess I should thank him at least once after all this, though.
[ Alec would have figured that the lower plate would be beneath (ha) pretty much everyone in Shinra, so learning that its layout was brought up with Rufus rather frequently is something of a surprise. Alright, so maybe Rufus isn't going to get himself lost if they stay on the beaten path, as it were.
The second they venture out of the Sectors proper and into the more wild areas, well... all bets are off. ]
Thank him twice, since you're borrowing his name and all.
[ Not that he expects Rufus Shinra to say thank you to anyone for any reason, ever. ]
[Said in a way that means that Rufus doesn't care if he does or doesn't. Really, the man should be flattered that his name is the first that came to mind.
It doesn't take too long to locate the train station, nor to wait for one going in the right direction that'll take them to Sector 4. Onboard, Rufus finds a nice corner to himself and stays there, unwilling to pay the other passengers any attention. A usual security system scans their IDs a handful of times on the way, and as the lights flash across them all in a thin beam, he has no doubt that he's being registered as "Rufus Shinra" in the system after a bit of code-wrangling. He wonders who has high enough clearance at HQ to see it ping in their operations, and what they might be thinking; if this is amusing to them, if they think it's a proper comeuppance, or if they're ignoring it with without a second thought.
Either way, this thought process threatens to send him into another irritable mood, so he breaks the silence sometime before they arrive to entice it away.]
[ Alec does kind of wonder how Rufus' ID is being flagged as they zip along through scan after scan on their way over. No doubt his dear old dad has that well in hand, making sure the proper people are aware and pay it no mind. Idly, he wonders if Rufus is going to want a fake ID to avoid the embarrassment, but that's way more effort than he's willing to put in for the fallen prince, so he won't bring it up. ]
I sure didn't.
[ Nor does he seem to be offering that information. ]
[Information that Alec's not willing to share, that much is obvious. But it’s information that might be pertinent to know for a variety of reasons, given Rufus’ new situation, and so he begins the process of trying to reel it out of him, one inch at a time.
He glances over at him with a faint cant of the head, corners of his lips tugged up into a tilted smile.
Hmm.] You know, at the end of all this monster-slaying, I’m still going to need a place to stay. Until I have enough income to stand on my own two feet again.
[Does making himself seem lesser and in need of help feed Alec’s ego in such a way that’ll make him more amenable? Rufus’ pride might sting a little at the attempt, but it’s worth testing the waters for. Playing the game comes easy to him.]
[ You can't play a player, Rufus. Especially when Alec is already well-acquainted with Rufus' ego and attitude. There is no sympathy to be found in this well that has long run dry. ]
Then you better hope this monster-slaying pays really well.
[ Alec has already made it abundantly clear that he's a very private person, and it doesn't get much more private than his own home. ]
[Rufus' smile doesn't fade, doesn't even falter. He'd be a poor businessman, indeed, if he gave up after one try -- and didn't at least attempt to sweeten the pot a little.]
You realize that I'd owe you? Not many people can say that they can call in a favor from a Shinra, and I won't forget how much help you are in this very trying time.
[ He'd love nothing more than to smack that smile right off Rufus' face, but starting a brawl on the train is never an option, no matter how tempting it might be.
Likewise, Alec keeps his expression on the vaguely amused side of neutral, unwilling to show Rufus just how annoyed he is over this whole affair. Not enough that Rufus is here, dragging him around, acting like he's in charge, now he wants what Alec absolutely refuses to give.
He clicks his tongue, unimpressed. ]
See, you're not making a great case for me telling you where I live.
[A brow arcs, eyes fixed on the other as if there might be a clue on how to make him more willing to bend.]
So then what'll it take? You seem to be adverse to mutually beneficial arrangements, so I'm willing to make it work slightly more in your favor. You just have to give me something to work with, Brennan.
"Mutually beneficial", that's rich. How do I know you won't just decide I wasn't "helpful" enough? Or that your old man isn't gonna bring the hammer down on anyone who knows you were here?
[ Any hint of amusement that Alec had been keeping in his expression is swiftly abandoned, as he leans down into Rufus' space. ]
I don't want you, or your suits, anywhere near my house.
[He doesn't lean away, but his brow angles and his smile slips off of him like it were a mask -- perhaps that isn't too far from the truth.]
That so. Maybe you should consider that you're already tangled up in this mess whether you like it or not. Ever since day one, when you agreed to funnel information for me.
[There's no real distancing himself from it all, not when he's seated right next to him on some godforsaken train on its way to Sector 4 so he can work a tedious job to scrounge up some extra gil. What a lark.
Rufus lets that hang for a moment, but then he nearly shrugs and leans right back in his seat.]
I'm only tangled up in this mess again because you decided to drag me back in. Remind me again which one of us got caught, Junior.
[ Rufus does have a point, as loath as Alec is to admit it. Alec didn't have to show up when Rufus called, he didn't have to shove a change of clothes at him or introduce him to Bobby or get on this train.
But here he is, for some mind-boggling, stupid reason that he doesn't even know himself.
Alec leans back as well, arms crossed and looking none to happy with... anything, pretty much. Maybe Rufus will get eaten by a brood of angry drakes and put an end to his troubles here and now. ]
[Rufus deigns to ignore Alec for the rest of the train ride, else conversing with him threaten to bring back that shitty mood. The truth is that they’re both in this mess together, whether they like it or not, even if most of it is Rufus’ fault — he had instigated the whole plan from the start, and he was the one who got in touch with the info broker once more after he was caught.
Doesn’t matter. He’ll figure a way out of this mess, he’ll claw himself all the way back up to the upper plate again if he has to.
The train reaches their destination, and Rufus doesn’t wait for Alec before he exits. Stepping onto the platform, here they are. Sector 4. Doesn’t look too different from what he’s seen so far, but maybe everywhere beneath the plate has the same lean-to, thrown-together apperance as the rest.
He pulls away from the crowd, and only then does he wait for Alec to catch up to him.]
Time for you to lead the way.
[Yeah, he’s unfamiliar with the Sectors themselves, the streets, the alleyways, what leads to where. And definitely where monsters might be hiding in abandoned nooks and crannies.]
[ He's definitely been on more pleasant train rides in his life. The pair of them must be putting off quite the vibe, because their fellow passengers seem to want to leave them alone.
That suits Alec fine.
For the second time today, Alec considers just ditching Rufus. He could stay aboard and let the train carry him to the next Sector over. Or maybe two or three or however long it takes him to find a decent bar. But again, he simply can't. Forgetting any lessons that will or will not be learned, if Rufus dies down here? Shit rolls downhill as they say, and it will land squarely on the people of the slums.
The wizard pinches the bridge of his nose, inhaling deeply. He may be pushing 70, but it's Rufus who's going to make him go gray.
Once the crowd has thinned some, he steps off the train finally, locating Rufus fairly easily. Probably the annoyance he's radiating. ]
Oh, may I? Keep up, then, and try not to let the notion of following someone else make you nauseous.
[ And away he goes, away from the train station and into the winding streets beyond. Wall Market is a maze of alleys and establishments of all stripes piled on top of each other, but it's a different beast from the other Sectors with their winding, narrow roads of cobbled-together homes and businesses. Nothing seems to have a rhyme or reason apart from things having just sprung up as needed. There are kids playing here, pets roaming around, and fewer open-air stalls.
Alec seems to know where he's going, following the twists and turns of the streets until at last he comes to a fence bordering the livable part of the Sector. A pair of men, armed and looking anxious, on either side of the large gate there, perk up and step forward, not with any sort of hostility, but more to warn them. ]
Hey there, if you're lookin' to go out, better you turn around. There's a nest of drakes that--
[ Alec holds up a hand. Perhaps the train ride wore his patience thinner than he'd like. ]
We know. My associate here means to take care of that for you.
[Seems like Alec’s mood has taken a dip for the worse, but that’s fine by Rufus. It just means that it’s straight to business with him, heard in the terse way he replies to the guards after their winding trek through the Sector.
Rufus gives the armed men his usual grin, confident despite himself.]
It’ll only take a minute or two.
[He gestures at the closed gate barring their way.]
Then my associate and I will be back before you know it, and you’ll be down a couple of drakes. So go on, open up.
[ The men exchange glances, apparently not reassured despite Rufus' attempt, but ultimately they decide it's not any business of theirs if a couple of ill-prepared hot-shots want to get themselves killed. The one nearest the latch on the gate even shrugs as if to say "your funeral" before opening up and waving them through. ]
Appreciate it.
[ Alec steps through the gate and waits for Rufus, allowing him to take point again. The gate is closed and locked behind them. Back here, the trails are broader and dustier without constant foot traffic to keep the dirt packed. All manner of abandoned lean-tos and straight up garbage, stuff discarded from the plate above, line their path.
Once they're well out of earshot of the men behind them, Alec turns to ask, ]
[Looks even more run-down in here, the refuse blown across the wide paths by the wind indiscriminately as they walk by. Not that Rufus really expected all that much.
He’s digging around in the bag slung around his shoulder as he replies, casually and purposefully uncaring. Eventually, he finds what he’s looking for — boxes of ammo — and in the next few seconds he’s unholstered his shotgun and begins the easy process of loading it. Rufus’ fingers move deftly, bolstered by practice.]
Fought something like it once in one of Shinra’s training sims. The one in the upper company break room— Well. You wouldn’t know.
[ Oh boy is right. To his credit, Rufus handles his weapon like he knows how to use it, and Alec believes that much is true. Dear daddy Shinra probably made sure that Rufus could fend for himself, but just how that pans out in the real world against real monsters remains to be seen. ]
Just wondering what kind of shit show I'm in for. I should have brought popcorn.
[ They have no real location of the drakes' nest, only that they're "too close for comfort", which for some people could mean "anywhere at all". The only thing for it is to just keep wandering until they find them. ]
[In this instance, Rufus isn’t bothered by Alec’s skepticism; a VR training sim might not be the exactly the real thing, but it’s sure damn close enough. The tech was beyond what most could even comprehend, the danger of injury just as real, and therefore the skills learned? Just as legitimate.
But let him think what he wants. No doubt he considers Rufus just a rich kid with a gun, but it’s no skin off his back.
The shotgun clicks back to into place with a satisfying sound, and he holds it at ready, smirking at Alec.]
You do that.
[As if fate itself was telling Alec to get his figurative popcorn ready, a distant building, barely held up by cobbled together pieces of metal, creaks, groans, and then falls over in a noisy display. The reason becomes clear — one drake had perched on top of it, its weight too much and unbalanced, then took to the air again as the building began to crumble. It hovers mid-air, looking forward another place to land.]
[ The sudden crumpling of the building, while somewhat startling, isn't all that unexpected. This part of the slums is barely held together as it is, and a stiff breeze could probably upend some of the rickety structures and piles of debris.
Well, at least they didn't have to look too terribly hard for their (read: Rufus') quarry. Apparently those drakes really are too close for comfort.
Or one of them is. There should be a brood of those things. ]
Try not to mess your hair up too bad.
[ For his own part, Alec finds some place to stand back. He claimed not to be a fighter before - in so many words - and he means to stick by that. ]
[If you're not going to be any help, Alec, then he has no need for your snarky comments!
Since this is an opportunity that shouldn't go wasted, Rufus closes the space between himself and the drake by a few paces. He lifts his weapon up, aiming the barrel in the general direction of the drake and fires off a shot.
The wide arc of buckshot misses, mostly, some of it scraping past the talons of the monster. The noise certainly is loud enough to give it a startle, which seems to be the point, if Rufus' satisfied look is of any indication -- the drake turns mid-air and flies off in a direction, further down past the fallen building into an area where there seems to be several rows of them, should they peer down that way.]
There's a whole nest, isn't there? [Tilting his gun back to rest against his shoulder, Rufus casts a look at Alec.] Let's follow. It'll save time to get this done all at once.
[ Taking the whole nest on at once is not a sound strategy, in his opinion. Better to thin them out so there's less chances of being overwhelmed, but Rufus has already scared the first drake off, so there's not much to be done about it. ]
[He’s already walking. The direction the drake flew off in is lined by large rows of once-buildings that now look like little more than hollowed out shells of their former “glory”. A few are fairly tall, enough to cast shadow beneath their forms as they amble beneath them, though they all look like they’re one stiff wind away from tumbling over, just like the other.]
So you’d rather draw this out as long as possible? I knew you enjoyed my company.
[ Alec has poked his head out here a few times on odd jobs, but the landscape is always changing thanks to decay and weather and a dozen other circumstances. They are one collapsed building away from needing to find a new way back to the gate, assuming they ever get that far. ]
This isn't about your company, Junior. It's about taking on a whole nest of drakes at once with just a shotgun and how that's maybe a bad idea.
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finalflight2020-04-22 12:49 pm
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Rufus starts off, the big man in charge again, and Alec gives another roll of his eyes before jogging a few paces to catch up. ]
I didn't realize you knew where you were going. By all means, lead on, oh fearless leader.
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My namesake [his “namesake”, meaning Reeve] is a man who won’t let you go five minutes without going into great detail about the layout of this city. I’ve had it drilled into my head at this point.
[Though Reeve usually prefaces all of that with some ongoing project of his — an interstate, the upkeep of the pillars, the balance of what is built on the plate versus what supports it beneath — which has Rufus constantly trying to direct him to his father instead. The man’s priorities were all askew, even for an urban planner.]
Guess I should thank him at least once after all this, though.
[He... probably won’t.]
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The second they venture out of the Sectors proper and into the more wild areas, well... all bets are off. ]
Thank him twice, since you're borrowing his name and all.
[ Not that he expects Rufus Shinra to say thank you to anyone for any reason, ever. ]
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[Said in a way that means that Rufus doesn't care if he does or doesn't. Really, the man should be flattered that his name is the first that came to mind.
It doesn't take too long to locate the train station, nor to wait for one going in the right direction that'll take them to Sector 4. Onboard, Rufus finds a nice corner to himself and stays there, unwilling to pay the other passengers any attention. A usual security system scans their IDs a handful of times on the way, and as the lights flash across them all in a thin beam, he has no doubt that he's being registered as "Rufus Shinra" in the system after a bit of code-wrangling. He wonders who has high enough clearance at HQ to see it ping in their operations, and what they might be thinking; if this is amusing to them, if they think it's a proper comeuppance, or if they're ignoring it with without a second thought.
Either way, this thought process threatens to send him into another irritable mood, so he breaks the silence sometime before they arrive to entice it away.]
You still never told me which Sector you live in.
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I sure didn't.
[ Nor does he seem to be offering that information. ]
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He glances over at him with a faint cant of the head, corners of his lips tugged up into a tilted smile.
Hmm.] You know, at the end of all this monster-slaying, I’m still going to need a place to stay. Until I have enough income to stand on my own two feet again.
[Does making himself seem lesser and in need of help feed Alec’s ego in such a way that’ll make him more amenable? Rufus’ pride might sting a little at the attempt, but it’s worth testing the waters for. Playing the game comes easy to him.]
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Then you better hope this monster-slaying pays really well.
[ Alec has already made it abundantly clear that he's a very private person, and it doesn't get much more private than his own home. ]
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You realize that I'd owe you? Not many people can say that they can call in a favor from a Shinra, and I won't forget how much help you are in this very trying time.
[A beat.]
Or how much help you won't be.
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Likewise, Alec keeps his expression on the vaguely amused side of neutral, unwilling to show Rufus just how annoyed he is over this whole affair. Not enough that Rufus is here, dragging him around, acting like he's in charge, now he wants what Alec absolutely refuses to give.
He clicks his tongue, unimpressed. ]
See, you're not making a great case for me telling you where I live.
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So then what'll it take? You seem to be adverse to mutually beneficial arrangements, so I'm willing to make it work slightly more in your favor. You just have to give me something to work with, Brennan.
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[ Any hint of amusement that Alec had been keeping in his expression is swiftly abandoned, as he leans down into Rufus' space. ]
I don't want you, or your suits, anywhere near my house.
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That so. Maybe you should consider that you're already tangled up in this mess whether you like it or not. Ever since day one, when you agreed to funnel information for me.
[There's no real distancing himself from it all, not when he's seated right next to him on some godforsaken train on its way to Sector 4 so he can work a tedious job to scrounge up some extra gil. What a lark.
Rufus lets that hang for a moment, but then he nearly shrugs and leans right back in his seat.]
But have it your way. I'll make do.
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[ Rufus does have a point, as loath as Alec is to admit it. Alec didn't have to show up when Rufus called, he didn't have to shove a change of clothes at him or introduce him to Bobby or get on this train.
But here he is, for some mind-boggling, stupid reason that he doesn't even know himself.
Alec leans back as well, arms crossed and looking none to happy with... anything, pretty much. Maybe Rufus will get eaten by a brood of angry drakes and put an end to his troubles here and now. ]
You do that.
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Doesn’t matter. He’ll figure a way out of this mess, he’ll claw himself all the way back up to the upper plate again if he has to.
The train reaches their destination, and Rufus doesn’t wait for Alec before he exits. Stepping onto the platform, here they are. Sector 4. Doesn’t look too different from what he’s seen so far, but maybe everywhere beneath the plate has the same lean-to, thrown-together apperance as the rest.
He pulls away from the crowd, and only then does he wait for Alec to catch up to him.]
Time for you to lead the way.
[Yeah, he’s unfamiliar with the Sectors themselves, the streets, the alleyways, what leads to where. And definitely where monsters might be hiding in abandoned nooks and crannies.]
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That suits Alec fine.
For the second time today, Alec considers just ditching Rufus. He could stay aboard and let the train carry him to the next Sector over. Or maybe two or three or however long it takes him to find a decent bar. But again, he simply can't. Forgetting any lessons that will or will not be learned, if Rufus dies down here? Shit rolls downhill as they say, and it will land squarely on the people of the slums.
The wizard pinches the bridge of his nose, inhaling deeply. He may be pushing 70, but it's Rufus who's going to make him go gray.
Once the crowd has thinned some, he steps off the train finally, locating Rufus fairly easily. Probably the annoyance he's radiating. ]
Oh, may I? Keep up, then, and try not to let the notion of following someone else make you nauseous.
[ And away he goes, away from the train station and into the winding streets beyond. Wall Market is a maze of alleys and establishments of all stripes piled on top of each other, but it's a different beast from the other Sectors with their winding, narrow roads of cobbled-together homes and businesses. Nothing seems to have a rhyme or reason apart from things having just sprung up as needed. There are kids playing here, pets roaming around, and fewer open-air stalls.
Alec seems to know where he's going, following the twists and turns of the streets until at last he comes to a fence bordering the livable part of the Sector. A pair of men, armed and looking anxious, on either side of the large gate there, perk up and step forward, not with any sort of hostility, but more to warn them. ]
Hey there, if you're lookin' to go out, better you turn around. There's a nest of drakes that--
[ Alec holds up a hand. Perhaps the train ride wore his patience thinner than he'd like. ]
We know. My associate here means to take care of that for you.
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Rufus gives the armed men his usual grin, confident despite himself.]
It’ll only take a minute or two.
[He gestures at the closed gate barring their way.]
Then my associate and I will be back before you know it, and you’ll be down a couple of drakes. So go on, open up.
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Appreciate it.
[ Alec steps through the gate and waits for Rufus, allowing him to take point again. The gate is closed and locked behind them. Back here, the trails are broader and dustier without constant foot traffic to keep the dirt packed. All manner of abandoned lean-tos and straight up garbage, stuff discarded from the plate above, line their path.
Once they're well out of earshot of the men behind them, Alec turns to ask, ]
Have you ever actually fought a drake before?
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He’s digging around in the bag slung around his shoulder as he replies, casually and purposefully uncaring. Eventually, he finds what he’s looking for — boxes of ammo — and in the next few seconds he’s unholstered his shotgun and begins the easy process of loading it. Rufus’ fingers move deftly, bolstered by practice.]
Fought something like it once in one of Shinra’s training sims. The one in the upper company break room— Well. You wouldn’t know.
Why? Worried? I’m touched.
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[ Oh boy is right. To his credit, Rufus handles his weapon like he knows how to use it, and Alec believes that much is true. Dear daddy Shinra probably made sure that Rufus could fend for himself, but just how that pans out in the real world against real monsters remains to be seen. ]
Just wondering what kind of shit show I'm in for. I should have brought popcorn.
[ They have no real location of the drakes' nest, only that they're "too close for comfort", which for some people could mean "anywhere at all". The only thing for it is to just keep wandering until they find them. ]
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But let him think what he wants. No doubt he considers Rufus just a rich kid with a gun, but it’s no skin off his back.
The shotgun clicks back to into place with a satisfying sound, and he holds it at ready, smirking at Alec.]
You do that.
[As if fate itself was telling Alec to get his figurative popcorn ready, a distant building, barely held up by cobbled together pieces of metal, creaks, groans, and then falls over in a noisy display. The reason becomes clear — one drake had perched on top of it, its weight too much and unbalanced, then took to the air again as the building began to crumble. It hovers mid-air, looking forward another place to land.]
Look who’s here.
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Well, at least they didn't have to look too terribly hard for their (read: Rufus') quarry. Apparently those drakes really are too close for comfort.
Or one of them is. There should be a brood of those things. ]
Try not to mess your hair up too bad.
[ For his own part, Alec finds some place to stand back. He claimed not to be a fighter before - in so many words - and he means to stick by that. ]
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[If you're not going to be any help, Alec, then he has no need for your snarky comments!
Since this is an opportunity that shouldn't go wasted, Rufus closes the space between himself and the drake by a few paces. He lifts his weapon up, aiming the barrel in the general direction of the drake and fires off a shot.
The wide arc of buckshot misses, mostly, some of it scraping past the talons of the monster. The noise certainly is loud enough to give it a startle, which seems to be the point, if Rufus' satisfied look is of any indication -- the drake turns mid-air and flies off in a direction, further down past the fallen building into an area where there seems to be several rows of them, should they peer down that way.]
There's a whole nest, isn't there? [Tilting his gun back to rest against his shoulder, Rufus casts a look at Alec.] Let's follow. It'll save time to get this done all at once.
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They don't pay more for efficiency, you know.
[ But he's following anyway. ]
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So you’d rather draw this out as long as possible? I knew you enjoyed my company.
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This isn't about your company, Junior. It's about taking on a whole nest of drakes at once with just a shotgun and how that's maybe a bad idea.
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dusts this off...no obligation to continue if you don't wanna!
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