Getting Strong Now (Ch. 2: Day 9)

Mie · Posted: Sat Jan 15, 2011 7:10 pm

"It wadn't really... Rock's idea," explained Jam somewhat defensively. "His trainer don't seem t'like new things, an' this was how they did it back in the day, 'r so 'e says."

Pausing to once more purse her lips, and observe the old-fashioned training methods, she cleared her throat quietly, and added in mild exasperation, "In what alternate dimension remains t'be seen."

Greens · Posted: Sat Jan 15, 2011 7:21 pm

"Yeah, I figured this wasn't Rock's... uhh, style," he admitted with a subdued grin. "But, whatever his trainer's doin's been workin' so far, so." He shrugged through crossed arms, and watched for a bit, but no matter how long they kept at it, it didn't get any less odd. "Euh-- how long've they been goin' at this?"

psikeout · Posted: Sat Jan 15, 2011 7:37 pm

Some random swerve of the rooster brought Rock trotting to a stop near Ace and Jam, bending with his hands on his knees. He didn't look quite so embarrassed as frustrated, though he did mutter, "This is stupid."

He still hadn't caught Mack, though.

"Mack, I got company," he called over his shoulder. "I'm gonna say hi, get some water, a'ight?"

He wasn't expecting an affirmative answer or caring to hear one at all. He wearily stood straight, exhaled, and nodded to Ace with a ragged-puffed "Hi."

Mie · Posted: Sat Jan 15, 2011 7:50 pm

It's good that Rock's break didn't hinge on Mack's answer, because the closest he'd get is a dismissive wave of the geriatric rooster's hand, and indistinct, but clearly disgruntled mumbling that might or might not have included the words, "take my pills, anyway."

Jam, contrastingly, was quite pleased to see a cessation to Rock's frustration/humiliation/make-to-look-stupid-ation, and popped up with a hand towel, a bottle of water with an apologetic grin, as she assuaged, "I was laughing with you, by the way. You just couldn't hear yourself."

Greens · Posted: Sat Jan 15, 2011 7:54 pm

Ace's arms unfolded themselves. "Yo," he answered back with a smile, still amused with the monkey's arduous task. No, Ace had no proof he'd even been training to begin with, but whatever he was or wasn't doing, chicken-chasing was not a part of it. "Old geezer's got you workin' hard out there, huh?"

psikeout · Posted: Sat Jan 15, 2011 8:15 pm

"It's harder than it looks," he mumbled as he took the towel and water, but elected to ignore his girlfriend's quips. After wiping his face off and taking a very long drink, the simian swayed back a couple steps and leaned against the wall.

"So, I doubt you tracked us down out here in Ghettosville just for a laugh," he observed, cutting directly to the point.

Greens · Posted: Sat Jan 15, 2011 9:26 pm

"Believe me," he conceded. "The opportunity's tempting, but..." He seemed to shift his weight slightly, tilting his head just a bit up and beyond Rock's scruffy head to ensure the old chicken wouldn't catch any snippets of their talk downwind.

"There was a report on the news last night," he explained, gazing to the heavens as if to help him remember the details more specifically. "Some shots fired, several explosions, and... minor vandalism, goin' all the way from a hotel to a chemical plant. Now I know 'such is life in Casino Night', but..."

psikeout · Posted: Sat Jan 15, 2011 9:31 pm

A telling grin began to widen the corners of Rock's mouth, while his eyes wandered off in some other direction.

He sniffed in a breath; "Yeahhh, we went out to get some exercise last night," he admitted, trying to hide his satisfaction.

Greens · Posted: Sat Jan 15, 2011 9:49 pm

"Ah?... Ah, hah! Hwell...! Okay, that simplifies things, I guess."

Ol' alley cat was... actually taken aback for a second or two, before gradually cracking under mirth. One step back was taken for a better look at both of the primates. He'd searched out Rock in hopes of answers, sure, or maybe just another lead, but he had no idea the pair was there first-hand. Mentally, he made a note to not be surprised should something like this occur again.

"Okay, so you got some 'exercise'. But that doesn't usually entail explosions, even for you."

Mie · Posted: Sun Jan 16, 2011 12:24 am

"Pfft," interrupted half of the accused with all her usual charm. "Sure, it does."

Jam's posture straightened and lapsed all in one smooth motion. As her hip jutted outward to catch one falling hand, the other dragged through her hair in an otherwise unnoticeable gesture were it not for the faint, but still visible bruise it revealed.

"How 'bout you tell us the public version, and we can tell you what really happened."

Greens · Posted: Sun Jan 16, 2011 1:13 am

Although his eagle eyes readily caught Jam's only slightly unsightly blemish, Ace decided not to dwell on it for the time being, and answered with a shrug. "Not much beyond what I told you already, really. S**t like this just ain't that uncommon around 'ere, so the report was pretty vague on its own. News media doesn't know what the hell's going on, police are perpetually 'looking into it'..."

He shook his head with a huff and a scowl. His words were already rolling in disdain even before he mentioned,

"Nothing here's changed."

psikeout · Posted: Sun Jan 16, 2011 5:34 pm

Rock was quiet for a moment; he'd never particularly asked about Ace's past. For the time being, that continued to be true; he got back on the business train and answered the cat's question.

"Rekk set me up with a CE sensor," Rock explained. "Went out for a little run to see if it would find anything. Ended up at the chemical plant. It gets confusing from there."

He looked off toward the street, watching the cars pass by.

"When we got there, we found one of the bombers from the GUN HQ incident in Central City—the big bird guy. He was fightin' some kid. Human kid. I dunno how, but he made off with the emerald, and he ran damn fast, too."

He scratched under his jaw a couple times and continued. "Jam chased the boy; I went after the bomber. I beat'im senseless, he shot me in the stomach with a grenade launcher..."

His gut still had a dark bluish-purplish spot about the size of a large fist.

Greens · Posted: Sun Jan 16, 2011 8:29 pm

Ace paid close attention, as he certainly should have. There was a lot of info to take in for those few sentences Rock gave him. One hand in his pocket, his brows went up and down several times as he listened. There were several questions he'd like to have asked, comments he'd like to have given. 'Is that where Jam got her bruise?' 'Was the bomber the freaky deaky dude with the girl in the briefcase?' 'A human kid did all that on his own?' 'There's another party involved?'

But with the opportunity for only one inquiry at a time, one of them stood out above the others.

"...A grenade launcher."

psikeout · Posted: Sun Jan 16, 2011 8:36 pm

"Yep," affirmed Rock casually with a slow nod. A few seconds of silence later, he added, "I took it away from him after that."

Mie · Posted: Sun Jan 16, 2011 8:49 pm

"The kid was faster than me," blurted Jam, steering the conversation back on topic. Starkly contrasted to moments prior, a deeply troubled expression trickled over her ordinarily easy-going facade, and spread throughout her rapidly stiffening posture.

"Manipulative, lying sonuffa b***h, too. He knew about us; about Rock, and me, and that we're affiliated with Rogerz."

She paused to fold her arms rigidly across her chest, and jerk an implicit nod towards the whiter primate, adding, "Knew the specific emerald his dance partner had was snatched right outta GUN's nest. Little bastard's definitely got eyes and ears; dunno whose."

Getting Strong Now (Ch. 2: Day 9)

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