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mindcrackloveVery hella supah late prompt swap fill~
Pause and Beef are in a gang.
There was a brief moment in his life when he had thought his future would be something more. More than just living everyday without having that constant feeling of impending doom weighing down on him.
At one point he had wanted to be a photographer. He had the equipment and everything, all he had to do was venture down a different path. Instead he said yes to the wrong people for the right reasons and instead of a camera hanging around his neck he had a gun tucked into his pants.
For a long time, longer than when he and Pause had even heard of the Mindcrackers, they had territory over the city. Having the power from the forrest to the eastern coastal line that took place as the town border had given the Mindcrackers a name for history books.
Now, there was a new comer. A rival. Something no one could have been prepared for. They had never been put in a situation where they needed to compete, to face loss. There was a new tension that the city had never seen before. The first couple of months, things had gone unspoken. Then when a deal went south and blood was shed enemies emerged. It was new and terrifying and real.
Everyone in the city knew that without the import and outport of emeralds, or diamonds the order of how they lived would fall and things would have no way to return. People knew it was wrong, needed to stop, and at least try to rebuild without the crutch of something that toxic and unworthy. The only problem was they didn't want to be the ones to bring their city to the ruins they knew it would become. They didn't want to have to endure the pain and agony it would take to bring the healing needed to bring the city back to where it was now.
As for himself, he knew change would be right around the corner.
"You got the popsic?" Pause asked him when he walked through the door. He tossed one of the grocery bags into his lap and moved to get the others down onto the kitchen counter's surface. "I didn't mean actual popsic, dude."
"You should be more specific next time," Beef called, putting the milk into the refrigerator.
"I thought we established when I need bread I'll say bread and when I need popsic I'll say popsic," Pause said, setting the bag down next the others as he helped with putting away everything else. (For once.)
"You do realize we're not supposed to be suspicious, right?" Beef asked, turning to put the peanut butter and salt into a more than empty cabinet.
"But the guy three floors up wanted to know if-"
"Pause! We're supposed to be normal people! You can't be making deals with the residents of this place!" Beef yelled, throwing his hands above his head. "You heard what Guude said, we have to keep a low profile in order to get GenerikB to fall for the-"
"Yeahyeahyeah, I heard this spiel a million times, even in Portuguese when I brought the rifle over."
"You were carrying it out in the open!"
"It was at night and Etho was with me, anyways. Lighten up will you? Why are you trying to be all domestic and shit when we're only here to keep an eye on the guy?" Pause leaned back against the counter, throwing a raised eyebrow and pursed lips his way.
"I..." Beef sighed, then tension that had risen in him rolling out of him. "I dunno man. Nevermind."
He brushed past Pause, feeling his fingers attempting to catch at Beef's shirt sleeve. He collapsed on the bed that had no sheets and stared up at the ceiling that had a fan with no lightbulbs.
The apartment they were assigned to had been something only normal people with normal jobs and normal worries lived in. They would set up their internet to get on social media and read news articles posted there. They would have regular everyday furniture.
Instead, he had an empty apartment with one roommate, one couch, and one tv. Nothing on the walls, no pictures magnetized to the fridge, and the only decoration was the paint the previous owner had put up.
Beef would never say it out loud, but he could think it loudly at the ceiling above him.
"Why couldn't Anderz have been assigned with you?" Pause whined the next afternoon while Beef was sitting at the window watching as GenerikB and Skyzm greeted each other on the sidewalk below. He gave them props for being so brave as to do so in the broad daylight.
"I was meaning to ask you the same question," he replied, glancing back to find Pause laying on the floor with his feet resting on the couch. "You jumped at the offer when Guude was talking about this at the meeting. You knew you were going to be bored out of you skull. Why'd you agree?"
He kept his eyes trained on the two below, watching at one gesture and the other laughed. Pause didn't answer and silence came down in the room. Beef didn't turn, forcing himself to keep his eyes on the pair. But then they were picked up by a sleek black car and off went his excuse.
"Pause?" he asked, turning around then.
"I just wanted some down time," the other blurted, "Or, I thought I did. You're right, I am bored out of my mind. Did they leave?"
"Yep, so you're free to go do whatever for a few hours. I'll call if anything happens," Beef said, having to step over Pause in an attempt to get back to his own room.
"You don't want to do anything?" Beef stopped short, having to turn and watch as Pause pulled himself up from his position.
"Someone has to stay here."
"If you stay here all the time it's going to look pretty suspicious," Pause said, pulling on his coat.
"I get groceries, I get the mail. I greet anyone who sees me, I think I'll be okay for awhile. Now go, before you start breaking something," Beef shooed at him, moving his hand towards the door. Pause looked like he was going to continue the argument before shaking his head and leaving with slamming the door behind him.
Generik got back before Pause did. He hadn't been dropped off by a car, Beef had only seen him walking down the sidewalk. He decided this man was either terribly stupid, arrogant, or highly confident in whatever defenses he had.
Surveillance had never been one of his strong suits. Beef had always been the person in the background, the one who held up the blue prints, who put the plans together. They found this out after three totaled cars, two near-death encounters, and one unlocked door later.
What was new, was the briefcase GenerikB was carrying in his left hand. His first thought was how terribly cliche that was, but his second went in the correct line of thinking. What was inside?
They didn't live right across the hall from where GenerikB was living, knowing that would have caused to much attention, but they were stationed within the same hallway. Beef sucked in a breath, counting the seconds it took to enter the building and how long the elevator took to arrive on their floor. They had said that physical contact had been out of the question unless absolutely necessary.
He waited by his door, getting himself in the right mindset. Letting his internal clock tick by before the sound of the elevator doors signaled him. He let himself jiggle at his door handle, furrow his brow down at his key chain, and when the seventh second ticked by he muttered a curse. Sighing loudly, he let his head fall against the door as if in defeat.
"You alright there?"
Beef looked up, blinking at GenerikB. He smiled, shaking his head.
"Oh, yeah I'm fine," he said, letting his voice settle into a casual tone. "I think my roommate just locked me out and I still haven't put a key of my own on the keychain."
"They're not home then?" GenerikB asked, raising an eyebrow and glancing at the closed door. Beef rolled his eyes and shook his head, as if it was normal for his roommate to be late.
"No, he's probably out doing something stupid or-" he cut himself off, getting out a bite of laughter. "I'm sorry to be bothering you. I'll go get the landlord. Thank you for listening to my rambling."
"It's all good," the other said, giving him a smile now. "You're the new attendant right?"
"Yeah," Beef nodded, stepping forwards down the hallway. "I'm Vintagebeef, it's nice to meet you."
"GenerikB, and you, too." He watched cautiously as Generik stepped closer to him with the unoccupied hand extended out to him. He took it firmly and with what he hoped was a warm, everyday smile.
"Well, I guess I'm gunna go get the landlord and let you get back to your own life," Beef said, motioning to the door GenerikB hand been stopped in front of.
"I don't know if you'll want to do that," the other said, stepping back over to his door, his hand digging into his pant pocket.
"Why not?" Beef asked, keeping to where he stood, "I thought this is the kind of thing they were for? Besides rent or a leaky roof."
"Have you met the guy?" Generik chuckled and pulled out a keychain of his own. He unlocked his door with ease as if it was a normal everyday thing he did. As if this whole conversation was normal and easy. "You're better off waiting for your roommate."
"Hmm," Beef said, looking back at his own door. "I think I'd rather at least try for the landlord. Then I'll be doing something instead of wasting phone battery and sitting in the hallway."
"If you say so," GenerikB said, stepping into his apartment. Beef started walking towards the elevator at the end of the hall. "I'll make sure to check on you in an hour. Feel free to knock if you need the bathroom."
"Thank you," Beef said, throwing him a smile over his shoulder as he pressed on the downwards arrow. GenerikB nodded, returned the smile, and retreated into his apartment.
As soon as the elevator doors closed Beef let out a long breath and held onto the wall for support.
He could remember when it had all been a game they would play in elementary school. When running around in the playground was the way to get out all the energy before having to back in and sit for another three or four hours. When it was cops versus robbers and the only gun they had was their finger and thumb.
He never thought that when he and Pause ran from the other children they would ever end up where they were now. He had only ever thought they would be together where ever they went and for that part he was right.
Hell that was the whole reason he was even there was for Pause. Beef knew what he was getting into when it had all began.
He also knew it was better to be there and protect him than to see the story of his death on the late night news.
It took another three weeks and brief greetings in the hallway for Beef to actually be invited inside GenerikB's apartment. He turned it down, his excuse something about having promised Pause dinner.
"Fuck, dude," Pause said when Beef told him, "seriously?"
"Yeah," Beef nodded, the nerves and fear running shivers through him. "Either he knows and as soon as I walk in the door I'm dead or-"
"Or he doesn't know and you deserve an emmy."
"A what?"
"You know," Pause motioned towards the television that had been playing some western movies all day long. "The awards they give out to the people who act really well?"
"I see you're struggling to pay me a compliment, but thanks anyways."
"So, what're you going to do?" he asked after a moment of uncomfortable silence passed between them.
"I...," Beef shrugged and pulled at his shirt sleeve, trying to give himself something to look at other than the intense gaze Pause was holding him under.
"You knew we were never supposed to make any contact with them. Any of them."
"Of course I did, Guude only said it ten thousand times."
"And you, the one guy who's never stepped a foot out of those lines, safe for what we do on a daily bases, decides to just go ahead and break the one thing we were probably not supposed to do at all?"
"Why do you care?" Beef scoffed, looking up at Pause now. "You're always the one telling me I have to let loose."
"I didn't mean it like this! You know how dangerous these people are. Before they came along all we did was bend the law, now people are dying...or worse."
"And?"
"And...I-" He watched as Pause struggled to get sounds to emerge from his vocal chords. In the end the other just closed his mouth and turned back to the black and white movie.
Beef stood, making his way towards the door. Pause didn't protest.
"What?"
"We've been told it's happening sooner than we've previously thought," Guude said, his voice calm.
"How? Who the fuck said that?" Pause was up and pacing around the room.
They stood in the middle of an abandoned warehouse that was due to be knocked down to make way for a new grocery store. If there was one thing their city could do, it was build.
"You know how long we've been on this, Pause, don't act like it's such a surprise," Beef sighed, stuffing his hands into his jacket pockets. Although fall was still settling in, the wind never ceased to make the air that much more bitter.
"You don't honestly believe-" Pause was cut off by Guude raising a hand.
"If this is our chance to take down the B-Team once and for all, we are going to take it."
"Guude, this plan-"
"Pause," Beef warned, watching Guude's facial expressions.
"No! No, I'm sick of being left in the dark. For years we've been putting our asses on the line and we're still being left without details or what anyone else is going to do about this. I mean look around!" Pause motioned around them, the shadows of broken down machines and dirt covering the place the only thing in sight. "We're meeting in some shit hole to be told what exactly? Oh, that's right, to wait for the signal? What kind of fuckery is this?"
"You know exactly why we can't tell you everything," Guude hissed, "you and Beef are living three doors down from the second in command. He's not stupid other wise he would already be dead. If you get caught you can't have everything ready to be given away the split second they throw you in a dark room never to see an ounce of daylight again!"
The wind picked up at that point, rustling the forgotten papers and kicking up various amounts of dust as it winded its way through the broken windows.
"Fine," Pause gritted out. "I'll go."
"I've already said that Beef is the one to tail him," Guude replied, his voice softened now.
"Look, the only way I'm ever going to agree to this little shit show is if I'm the one going in blind. He stays out of it," Pause said, his eyes boring into Beef's now. He stared back unwavering.
"Pause," he started, but Guude beat him to it.
"Beef has had more experience in-"
"You know I'm a better shot and can take more hits when I'm down than he can," Pause argued, turning his gaze away from his and onto Guude. "I know you don't want to fuck up, seeing as your boyfriend or whatever isn't the one you want to take you down. I know, and I'm sorry." Pause's voice cut off, the usual loud yelling tone he took when arguing or trying to get his point across was gone. "But I'm going in."
Beef waited for Guude to shake his head, dismiss Pause's bickering and whining. He waited for him to send them on their way and call when everything would be set into motion. Guude would never agree, he never did.
But the look on his face was almost as if Pause had punched him in the gut. Hurt and shock all in one expression, something not even Beef had seen on Guude's face.
"Fine," Guude took a step closer as it was Beef's turn to display the surprise. "But if you fuck this up, we aren't going to be able to save you."
"Guude!" Beef yelled, watching the exchange between them, "You can't be serious right now. You've never gone back on your word. Guude, please, you know I'm the better pick for this."
Pause nodded once. Guude smiled, a sad form that fell flat on his features. He turned, walking towards the way they had walked in. He gave Beef's shoulder a passing squeeze before disappearing into the decaying building.
"Why did you do that?" Beef asked as they were settling inside the car. Pause turned the keys in the ignition. "Is it because you think I'm not capable of doing something like that?"
Pause didn't answer. Wordlessly he pulled out of the parking lot where weeds and cracks had found somewhere to belong and be unbothered. The clouds had covered the moon and the stars from his view. Starring out the window, he was only able to make out the faint glow of the moon behind a passing cloud.
"Is that why you were so eager to be with me on staying in the apartment? Because you didn't think I could handle it?" Beef shot, turning in his seat to look at him. Pause only kept his eyes on the rode that fell under them.
"I can take care of myself, I didn't get the name 'Butcher' for nothing," Beef continued, letting his glare settle on murderous. "I'm perfectly capable of following someone without making an idiot of myself, Pause. You know that!"
Again, Pause kept silent. This only gave the kindling fire in him the fuel it needed to burn brighter.
"We aren't kids anymore! I know what I'm doing! If it wasn't for you I wouldn't even know how to shoot a gun! You can't just treat me like I'm some amateur who needs you to take his job for him," Beef yelled, watching as Pause winced.
He still didn't answer.
"You got everything?" Beef asked a few days later, watching as Pause shrugged on his coat.
"Me, myself, and a gun? Should be good to go."
"And you know what to do when-"
"Calm down, dude, I've done this a couple of times before," Pause grinned and stationed his hand on the door handle. "I'll be fine."
"We'll be right behind you then," Beef watched as Pause flung the door open.
"Wish me luck!"
It took for the door to slam, the trip to walk to the window, and the sight of Pause disappearing into a crowd for Beef to say, "Good luck," into the empty apartment surrounding him.
The mini van picked him up a block from that apartment two hours later.
"What's happening?" he asked, after they pulled back into the traffic. Kurt was behind the wheel, not to Beef's surprise. Anderz was riding shot gun, his head furiously moving from one rearview mirror to the next. In the back where the seats had been taken out Doc and Seth were loading all kinds of weapons, getting ready for what was to come.
Beef looked to Guude who was loading his own gun.
"Pause sent the text, he found where the shipment is coming in," Guude turned, "we've got them."
"What's he doing now?"
"Waiting at the location for us and two other vehicles to show up," Seth answered from the back, looking down the barrel of a rifle when Beef looked back at him. "But knowing him, he won't be sitting still for long."
"Which is why," Kurt said, his voice tense. His knuckles turning white from the grip on the steering wheel, "I'm having to break the speed limit."
"You are doing a wonderful job of dodging traffic," Anderz encouraged, smiling in the driver's direction.
"I wouldn't go that far," Kurt laughed, having to accelerate through a yellow light. "Not in this thing. I feel like a soccer mom on the way to the big game."
"Better than Beef or Milbee," Guude chuckled.
The tension lifted, if just for a second.
It only took about ten minutes for it to settle back down again.
It didn't take long for Kurt to navigate threw back alleys and off roads to get to the out skirts of the city. A shipping yard along the coast came into view and Beef wondered how they could've not known where this whole ordeal was going down.
"There," Doc voiced, cutting through the silence that had been coating them for the remainder of the drive.
Kurt cut the lights on the van and slowly pulled up behind a large pile of crates.
"Where's everyone else?" Beef asked, having to squint to see the figures far off in front of them.
"They're here, come on," Guude said, cocking his gun, "we've got work to do."
"Well, well, well," a smug voice chuckled, "look what we have here. The Mindcrackers have finally come out to join us."
Beef kept his face straight, knowing that whatever was going to happen now wouldn't, couldn't, be stopped. He glanced to the left and right of himself. More of the Mincrackers had shown up behind himself, Guude, Kurt, Anderz, Doc, and Seth. He could see everyone making their way to the pod, their faces showing no fear or any sign of dread.
The only person he couldn't seem to find was Pause.
"Good to see you again, Guude," someone said. A man stepped forwards from the opposing crowd. He wore and a hat that sat low on his head, in the darkness of the night the shadow hid his face from Beef's view. The rest of his attire consisted of a nice suit and red tie that stood out on the darkness.
"Bdoubleo," Guude stated, Beef having never heard the tone of voice he was using. Never had he heard his voice take something that..hostile.
"Is this my welcome home party?" Bdoubleo laughed, looking around at all of them, his head turning slowly. "A bit late don't you think?"
"Not so much a 'welcome back party' as it is a 'get the fuck out of my city party,'" Guude spat.
"I don't think anyone would be able to fit that on a cake."
"Good thing I didn't buy anything for the occasion."
"How did we get like this?" Bdoubleo asked, stepping forwards so that he stood outside the shadows of the crates. Beef was able to make out the details of his face now, his expression held nothing. The only thing that seemed to be telling anything were his eyes and they were concentrated solely on Guude.
"You decided money was more important," Guude replied. Beef could tell there was something else going on within this conversation that could only be known between the two who were having it, as for the rest of them they were only waiting for someone to make the first move.
"I see," Bdoubleo nodded, his former tone returning to his voice. Once again he returned his steps into the shadows where the B-Team was waiting. "I'm sorry it had to end like this."
"No," Guude said, raising his arm slowly, "you're not."
Just like that everything began and ended.
He remembered pulling Pakratt back into a unlocked crate, careful as to not make his leg any worse than it already was.
"God, the first shots and of course I'm the one who has to go down," Pak mumbled, wincing as Beef moved him to sit up against the metal wall.
"I'll leave the door opened slightly so you can get a shot on anyone you can see, just stay here. I'll be back when this is all over," Beef looked up at the door as the gun shots and yelling didn't cease. If this had been the top secret plan Pause had gotten so worked up over, he would need to tell Guude a thing or two after they left.
"Just don't die and come get me when you can, alright?" Pakratt was managing a smile for him as he stepped towards the door.
Beef could remember stepping out and getting a shot on the guy attacking Mhykol, watching him sink down to the ground, and moving on.
He remembered how it seemed different, not having Pause yelling a curse every second. Not feeling Pause's movements at his side as they covered one another. They had never been in anything this intense, but whatever it had been they'd managed to find one another and stick together through it all. But he was alone then, feeling exposed and off balance.
"Pause!" he called out, having to take aim at someone shooting off to his left.
He remembered someone answering him, the momentary distraction that had caused everything.
Beef turned to see where his name was being called from, had Pause been here all along and he just hadn't seen him? Or was someone in need of back up else where?
At first he didn't notice, not until he had started turning. The pain. It was pulling him down, down, down until his shoulder hit the pavement. But, fuck, it hurt to be on his side so his body moved him to his back where his eyes looked towards the stars.
Why had they done this at night? was the first thought that echoed in and out of his mind. The answer was probably something simple and he could have probably answered it himself, but then the pain was taking over all his thought process and his train of thinking went quiet. It was as if he had swallowed a lit firework.
He struggled to breath as people and shadows came in and out of his line of vision.
"Fuck," he heard somewhere above him. He gasped when a hard pressure was put into his stomach. The burning only seemed to get worse. "Damnit, you son of a bitch! The one time I'm not here-"
"Pause?" he managed, slowly letting his head turn. Pause was looking up at something in front of him, then shouting something that sounded like Etho's name.
"If you die on me, you fucking idiot, I will never forgive you," the pressure became harder as Pause spoke. Obviously it was hopeless, he knew it and he knew that Pause knew it, too. They were to far away for any medical attention to reach them. With a bullet in his stomach he only had so much time.
"Pause-"
"Nope, you can shut you're fucking mouth. Unless the next word out of your mouth is an apology for being a dumb fuck, you can just shut up," Pause raised his arm and shot towards something Beef didn't bother to turn his head to see.
"I'm..sorry. Pause," Beef clenched his teeth, swallowing back a noise of pain as Pause pressed down harder and harder. "Pak's...Pakratt is in the shipping container behind us, you...you gotta get him out when this is all over."
"When this is all over, you can show me what container he's in and we can get him then, alright?" Pause's tone was softer now, but no less angry. Beef blinked harder, his vision was starting to bleed together slowly turning into the same shade of white.
"Pause, you know-"
"Shut up! You can't just...," Beef watched as Pause struggled, his eyes unable to find his own. Something Beef had never known Pause to avoid. His stomach felt as if someone was trying to pull him inside out, and the burning was unbearable.
"You gotta go, man. You can't sit here in the middle of no man's land. Help...you need to..," he felt winded and cold. He still had so much he needed to say. To Pause. And there he was, sitting right by his side as Beef bled to death.
"No, no, no," finally, Pause looked up so Beef could see his face. "Please."
"I'm...I-" he pushed at his air, needing to get this out. "Pause I-"
"I know," Pause said, Beef could feel something crushing his hand. "Me too."
"You ever think about what we're going to do when school's over?" Beef asked. He turned his gaze away from the large rain clouds off in the distance to look at Pause for his reaction.
"Not really," Pause shrugged, returning Beef's gaze. "I'm more of a, 'live in the here and now' kinda guy."
"You're an idiot," Beef rolled his eyes and turned back to where the lightning was flashing. "I'm serious, what do you want to do when you get older?"
He heard a sharp in take of breath, but didn't turn to look at the other. He knew being pinned down under someone's eyes while trying to give a proper answer was terrible. (Just ask his math teacher.)
"I never really thought about it," Pause answered after awhile. "I just..never thought I had a choice in that."
"What the hell are you talking about, man?" Beef blinked as a large round of lightning bolts bounced around the cloud. "You're your own person with your own life, you gotta want to do something with your life that you think you'd enjoy."
"Why are you asking me this?" Pause asked, moving so his legs were hanging off the edge of the roof. They had been there ever since the first crack of thunder had sounded. The storm would be there soon, but they still had time. They were both young enough to not really mind the rain.
"I...well, I was thinking about what JSano said about wanting to help people when he got older. I just started wondering about what I wanted to do before everyone starts throwing college and their suggestions in my face."
"Hm."
"What?"
"Nothing," Pause shook his head. They both turned to stare at one another for a long moment. A loud thunder clap rang out into the afternoon air, but neither of them jumped or made so any move.
"Do you want me there?" Pause asked suddenly, the wind started picking up speed and tussling his hair into his face.
"Where?"
"In your future, stupid, what else have we been talking about?" Pause glared as Beef grinned and scooted towards him.
"Of course," he said, moving forwards enough so that their shoulder's and thigh's were pressed into the other's. "I wouldn't want a future if you weren't there."
HAHA WOW THIS IS SO LATE OMG I'M SO SORRY. :C
if this wasn't super terrible it was really depressing, so oops sorry.
Pause and Beef are in a gang.
There was a brief moment in his life when he had thought his future would be something more. More than just living everyday without having that constant feeling of impending doom weighing down on him.
At one point he had wanted to be a photographer. He had the equipment and everything, all he had to do was venture down a different path. Instead he said yes to the wrong people for the right reasons and instead of a camera hanging around his neck he had a gun tucked into his pants.
For a long time, longer than when he and Pause had even heard of the Mindcrackers, they had territory over the city. Having the power from the forrest to the eastern coastal line that took place as the town border had given the Mindcrackers a name for history books.
Now, there was a new comer. A rival. Something no one could have been prepared for. They had never been put in a situation where they needed to compete, to face loss. There was a new tension that the city had never seen before. The first couple of months, things had gone unspoken. Then when a deal went south and blood was shed enemies emerged. It was new and terrifying and real.
Everyone in the city knew that without the import and outport of emeralds, or diamonds the order of how they lived would fall and things would have no way to return. People knew it was wrong, needed to stop, and at least try to rebuild without the crutch of something that toxic and unworthy. The only problem was they didn't want to be the ones to bring their city to the ruins they knew it would become. They didn't want to have to endure the pain and agony it would take to bring the healing needed to bring the city back to where it was now.
As for himself, he knew change would be right around the corner.
"You got the popsic?" Pause asked him when he walked through the door. He tossed one of the grocery bags into his lap and moved to get the others down onto the kitchen counter's surface. "I didn't mean actual popsic, dude."
"You should be more specific next time," Beef called, putting the milk into the refrigerator.
"I thought we established when I need bread I'll say bread and when I need popsic I'll say popsic," Pause said, setting the bag down next the others as he helped with putting away everything else. (For once.)
"You do realize we're not supposed to be suspicious, right?" Beef asked, turning to put the peanut butter and salt into a more than empty cabinet.
"But the guy three floors up wanted to know if-"
"Pause! We're supposed to be normal people! You can't be making deals with the residents of this place!" Beef yelled, throwing his hands above his head. "You heard what Guude said, we have to keep a low profile in order to get GenerikB to fall for the-"
"Yeahyeahyeah, I heard this spiel a million times, even in Portuguese when I brought the rifle over."
"You were carrying it out in the open!"
"It was at night and Etho was with me, anyways. Lighten up will you? Why are you trying to be all domestic and shit when we're only here to keep an eye on the guy?" Pause leaned back against the counter, throwing a raised eyebrow and pursed lips his way.
"I..." Beef sighed, then tension that had risen in him rolling out of him. "I dunno man. Nevermind."
He brushed past Pause, feeling his fingers attempting to catch at Beef's shirt sleeve. He collapsed on the bed that had no sheets and stared up at the ceiling that had a fan with no lightbulbs.
The apartment they were assigned to had been something only normal people with normal jobs and normal worries lived in. They would set up their internet to get on social media and read news articles posted there. They would have regular everyday furniture.
Instead, he had an empty apartment with one roommate, one couch, and one tv. Nothing on the walls, no pictures magnetized to the fridge, and the only decoration was the paint the previous owner had put up.
Beef would never say it out loud, but he could think it loudly at the ceiling above him.
"Why couldn't Anderz have been assigned with you?" Pause whined the next afternoon while Beef was sitting at the window watching as GenerikB and Skyzm greeted each other on the sidewalk below. He gave them props for being so brave as to do so in the broad daylight.
"I was meaning to ask you the same question," he replied, glancing back to find Pause laying on the floor with his feet resting on the couch. "You jumped at the offer when Guude was talking about this at the meeting. You knew you were going to be bored out of you skull. Why'd you agree?"
He kept his eyes trained on the two below, watching at one gesture and the other laughed. Pause didn't answer and silence came down in the room. Beef didn't turn, forcing himself to keep his eyes on the pair. But then they were picked up by a sleek black car and off went his excuse.
"Pause?" he asked, turning around then.
"I just wanted some down time," the other blurted, "Or, I thought I did. You're right, I am bored out of my mind. Did they leave?"
"Yep, so you're free to go do whatever for a few hours. I'll call if anything happens," Beef said, having to step over Pause in an attempt to get back to his own room.
"You don't want to do anything?" Beef stopped short, having to turn and watch as Pause pulled himself up from his position.
"Someone has to stay here."
"If you stay here all the time it's going to look pretty suspicious," Pause said, pulling on his coat.
"I get groceries, I get the mail. I greet anyone who sees me, I think I'll be okay for awhile. Now go, before you start breaking something," Beef shooed at him, moving his hand towards the door. Pause looked like he was going to continue the argument before shaking his head and leaving with slamming the door behind him.
Generik got back before Pause did. He hadn't been dropped off by a car, Beef had only seen him walking down the sidewalk. He decided this man was either terribly stupid, arrogant, or highly confident in whatever defenses he had.
Surveillance had never been one of his strong suits. Beef had always been the person in the background, the one who held up the blue prints, who put the plans together. They found this out after three totaled cars, two near-death encounters, and one unlocked door later.
What was new, was the briefcase GenerikB was carrying in his left hand. His first thought was how terribly cliche that was, but his second went in the correct line of thinking. What was inside?
They didn't live right across the hall from where GenerikB was living, knowing that would have caused to much attention, but they were stationed within the same hallway. Beef sucked in a breath, counting the seconds it took to enter the building and how long the elevator took to arrive on their floor. They had said that physical contact had been out of the question unless absolutely necessary.
He waited by his door, getting himself in the right mindset. Letting his internal clock tick by before the sound of the elevator doors signaled him. He let himself jiggle at his door handle, furrow his brow down at his key chain, and when the seventh second ticked by he muttered a curse. Sighing loudly, he let his head fall against the door as if in defeat.
"You alright there?"
Beef looked up, blinking at GenerikB. He smiled, shaking his head.
"Oh, yeah I'm fine," he said, letting his voice settle into a casual tone. "I think my roommate just locked me out and I still haven't put a key of my own on the keychain."
"They're not home then?" GenerikB asked, raising an eyebrow and glancing at the closed door. Beef rolled his eyes and shook his head, as if it was normal for his roommate to be late.
"No, he's probably out doing something stupid or-" he cut himself off, getting out a bite of laughter. "I'm sorry to be bothering you. I'll go get the landlord. Thank you for listening to my rambling."
"It's all good," the other said, giving him a smile now. "You're the new attendant right?"
"Yeah," Beef nodded, stepping forwards down the hallway. "I'm Vintagebeef, it's nice to meet you."
"GenerikB, and you, too." He watched cautiously as Generik stepped closer to him with the unoccupied hand extended out to him. He took it firmly and with what he hoped was a warm, everyday smile.
"Well, I guess I'm gunna go get the landlord and let you get back to your own life," Beef said, motioning to the door GenerikB hand been stopped in front of.
"I don't know if you'll want to do that," the other said, stepping back over to his door, his hand digging into his pant pocket.
"Why not?" Beef asked, keeping to where he stood, "I thought this is the kind of thing they were for? Besides rent or a leaky roof."
"Have you met the guy?" Generik chuckled and pulled out a keychain of his own. He unlocked his door with ease as if it was a normal everyday thing he did. As if this whole conversation was normal and easy. "You're better off waiting for your roommate."
"Hmm," Beef said, looking back at his own door. "I think I'd rather at least try for the landlord. Then I'll be doing something instead of wasting phone battery and sitting in the hallway."
"If you say so," GenerikB said, stepping into his apartment. Beef started walking towards the elevator at the end of the hall. "I'll make sure to check on you in an hour. Feel free to knock if you need the bathroom."
"Thank you," Beef said, throwing him a smile over his shoulder as he pressed on the downwards arrow. GenerikB nodded, returned the smile, and retreated into his apartment.
As soon as the elevator doors closed Beef let out a long breath and held onto the wall for support.
He could remember when it had all been a game they would play in elementary school. When running around in the playground was the way to get out all the energy before having to back in and sit for another three or four hours. When it was cops versus robbers and the only gun they had was their finger and thumb.
He never thought that when he and Pause ran from the other children they would ever end up where they were now. He had only ever thought they would be together where ever they went and for that part he was right.
Hell that was the whole reason he was even there was for Pause. Beef knew what he was getting into when it had all began.
He also knew it was better to be there and protect him than to see the story of his death on the late night news.
It took another three weeks and brief greetings in the hallway for Beef to actually be invited inside GenerikB's apartment. He turned it down, his excuse something about having promised Pause dinner.
"Fuck, dude," Pause said when Beef told him, "seriously?"
"Yeah," Beef nodded, the nerves and fear running shivers through him. "Either he knows and as soon as I walk in the door I'm dead or-"
"Or he doesn't know and you deserve an emmy."
"A what?"
"You know," Pause motioned towards the television that had been playing some western movies all day long. "The awards they give out to the people who act really well?"
"I see you're struggling to pay me a compliment, but thanks anyways."
"So, what're you going to do?" he asked after a moment of uncomfortable silence passed between them.
"I...," Beef shrugged and pulled at his shirt sleeve, trying to give himself something to look at other than the intense gaze Pause was holding him under.
"You knew we were never supposed to make any contact with them. Any of them."
"Of course I did, Guude only said it ten thousand times."
"And you, the one guy who's never stepped a foot out of those lines, safe for what we do on a daily bases, decides to just go ahead and break the one thing we were probably not supposed to do at all?"
"Why do you care?" Beef scoffed, looking up at Pause now. "You're always the one telling me I have to let loose."
"I didn't mean it like this! You know how dangerous these people are. Before they came along all we did was bend the law, now people are dying...or worse."
"And?"
"And...I-" He watched as Pause struggled to get sounds to emerge from his vocal chords. In the end the other just closed his mouth and turned back to the black and white movie.
Beef stood, making his way towards the door. Pause didn't protest.
"What?"
"We've been told it's happening sooner than we've previously thought," Guude said, his voice calm.
"How? Who the fuck said that?" Pause was up and pacing around the room.
They stood in the middle of an abandoned warehouse that was due to be knocked down to make way for a new grocery store. If there was one thing their city could do, it was build.
"You know how long we've been on this, Pause, don't act like it's such a surprise," Beef sighed, stuffing his hands into his jacket pockets. Although fall was still settling in, the wind never ceased to make the air that much more bitter.
"You don't honestly believe-" Pause was cut off by Guude raising a hand.
"If this is our chance to take down the B-Team once and for all, we are going to take it."
"Guude, this plan-"
"Pause," Beef warned, watching Guude's facial expressions.
"No! No, I'm sick of being left in the dark. For years we've been putting our asses on the line and we're still being left without details or what anyone else is going to do about this. I mean look around!" Pause motioned around them, the shadows of broken down machines and dirt covering the place the only thing in sight. "We're meeting in some shit hole to be told what exactly? Oh, that's right, to wait for the signal? What kind of fuckery is this?"
"You know exactly why we can't tell you everything," Guude hissed, "you and Beef are living three doors down from the second in command. He's not stupid other wise he would already be dead. If you get caught you can't have everything ready to be given away the split second they throw you in a dark room never to see an ounce of daylight again!"
The wind picked up at that point, rustling the forgotten papers and kicking up various amounts of dust as it winded its way through the broken windows.
"Fine," Pause gritted out. "I'll go."
"I've already said that Beef is the one to tail him," Guude replied, his voice softened now.
"Look, the only way I'm ever going to agree to this little shit show is if I'm the one going in blind. He stays out of it," Pause said, his eyes boring into Beef's now. He stared back unwavering.
"Pause," he started, but Guude beat him to it.
"Beef has had more experience in-"
"You know I'm a better shot and can take more hits when I'm down than he can," Pause argued, turning his gaze away from his and onto Guude. "I know you don't want to fuck up, seeing as your boyfriend or whatever isn't the one you want to take you down. I know, and I'm sorry." Pause's voice cut off, the usual loud yelling tone he took when arguing or trying to get his point across was gone. "But I'm going in."
Beef waited for Guude to shake his head, dismiss Pause's bickering and whining. He waited for him to send them on their way and call when everything would be set into motion. Guude would never agree, he never did.
But the look on his face was almost as if Pause had punched him in the gut. Hurt and shock all in one expression, something not even Beef had seen on Guude's face.
"Fine," Guude took a step closer as it was Beef's turn to display the surprise. "But if you fuck this up, we aren't going to be able to save you."
"Guude!" Beef yelled, watching the exchange between them, "You can't be serious right now. You've never gone back on your word. Guude, please, you know I'm the better pick for this."
Pause nodded once. Guude smiled, a sad form that fell flat on his features. He turned, walking towards the way they had walked in. He gave Beef's shoulder a passing squeeze before disappearing into the decaying building.
"Why did you do that?" Beef asked as they were settling inside the car. Pause turned the keys in the ignition. "Is it because you think I'm not capable of doing something like that?"
Pause didn't answer. Wordlessly he pulled out of the parking lot where weeds and cracks had found somewhere to belong and be unbothered. The clouds had covered the moon and the stars from his view. Starring out the window, he was only able to make out the faint glow of the moon behind a passing cloud.
"Is that why you were so eager to be with me on staying in the apartment? Because you didn't think I could handle it?" Beef shot, turning in his seat to look at him. Pause only kept his eyes on the rode that fell under them.
"I can take care of myself, I didn't get the name 'Butcher' for nothing," Beef continued, letting his glare settle on murderous. "I'm perfectly capable of following someone without making an idiot of myself, Pause. You know that!"
Again, Pause kept silent. This only gave the kindling fire in him the fuel it needed to burn brighter.
"We aren't kids anymore! I know what I'm doing! If it wasn't for you I wouldn't even know how to shoot a gun! You can't just treat me like I'm some amateur who needs you to take his job for him," Beef yelled, watching as Pause winced.
He still didn't answer.
"You got everything?" Beef asked a few days later, watching as Pause shrugged on his coat.
"Me, myself, and a gun? Should be good to go."
"And you know what to do when-"
"Calm down, dude, I've done this a couple of times before," Pause grinned and stationed his hand on the door handle. "I'll be fine."
"We'll be right behind you then," Beef watched as Pause flung the door open.
"Wish me luck!"
It took for the door to slam, the trip to walk to the window, and the sight of Pause disappearing into a crowd for Beef to say, "Good luck," into the empty apartment surrounding him.
The mini van picked him up a block from that apartment two hours later.
"What's happening?" he asked, after they pulled back into the traffic. Kurt was behind the wheel, not to Beef's surprise. Anderz was riding shot gun, his head furiously moving from one rearview mirror to the next. In the back where the seats had been taken out Doc and Seth were loading all kinds of weapons, getting ready for what was to come.
Beef looked to Guude who was loading his own gun.
"Pause sent the text, he found where the shipment is coming in," Guude turned, "we've got them."
"What's he doing now?"
"Waiting at the location for us and two other vehicles to show up," Seth answered from the back, looking down the barrel of a rifle when Beef looked back at him. "But knowing him, he won't be sitting still for long."
"Which is why," Kurt said, his voice tense. His knuckles turning white from the grip on the steering wheel, "I'm having to break the speed limit."
"You are doing a wonderful job of dodging traffic," Anderz encouraged, smiling in the driver's direction.
"I wouldn't go that far," Kurt laughed, having to accelerate through a yellow light. "Not in this thing. I feel like a soccer mom on the way to the big game."
"Better than Beef or Milbee," Guude chuckled.
The tension lifted, if just for a second.
It only took about ten minutes for it to settle back down again.
It didn't take long for Kurt to navigate threw back alleys and off roads to get to the out skirts of the city. A shipping yard along the coast came into view and Beef wondered how they could've not known where this whole ordeal was going down.
"There," Doc voiced, cutting through the silence that had been coating them for the remainder of the drive.
Kurt cut the lights on the van and slowly pulled up behind a large pile of crates.
"Where's everyone else?" Beef asked, having to squint to see the figures far off in front of them.
"They're here, come on," Guude said, cocking his gun, "we've got work to do."
"Well, well, well," a smug voice chuckled, "look what we have here. The Mindcrackers have finally come out to join us."
Beef kept his face straight, knowing that whatever was going to happen now wouldn't, couldn't, be stopped. He glanced to the left and right of himself. More of the Mincrackers had shown up behind himself, Guude, Kurt, Anderz, Doc, and Seth. He could see everyone making their way to the pod, their faces showing no fear or any sign of dread.
The only person he couldn't seem to find was Pause.
"Good to see you again, Guude," someone said. A man stepped forwards from the opposing crowd. He wore and a hat that sat low on his head, in the darkness of the night the shadow hid his face from Beef's view. The rest of his attire consisted of a nice suit and red tie that stood out on the darkness.
"Bdoubleo," Guude stated, Beef having never heard the tone of voice he was using. Never had he heard his voice take something that..hostile.
"Is this my welcome home party?" Bdoubleo laughed, looking around at all of them, his head turning slowly. "A bit late don't you think?"
"Not so much a 'welcome back party' as it is a 'get the fuck out of my city party,'" Guude spat.
"I don't think anyone would be able to fit that on a cake."
"Good thing I didn't buy anything for the occasion."
"How did we get like this?" Bdoubleo asked, stepping forwards so that he stood outside the shadows of the crates. Beef was able to make out the details of his face now, his expression held nothing. The only thing that seemed to be telling anything were his eyes and they were concentrated solely on Guude.
"You decided money was more important," Guude replied. Beef could tell there was something else going on within this conversation that could only be known between the two who were having it, as for the rest of them they were only waiting for someone to make the first move.
"I see," Bdoubleo nodded, his former tone returning to his voice. Once again he returned his steps into the shadows where the B-Team was waiting. "I'm sorry it had to end like this."
"No," Guude said, raising his arm slowly, "you're not."
Just like that everything began and ended.
He remembered pulling Pakratt back into a unlocked crate, careful as to not make his leg any worse than it already was.
"God, the first shots and of course I'm the one who has to go down," Pak mumbled, wincing as Beef moved him to sit up against the metal wall.
"I'll leave the door opened slightly so you can get a shot on anyone you can see, just stay here. I'll be back when this is all over," Beef looked up at the door as the gun shots and yelling didn't cease. If this had been the top secret plan Pause had gotten so worked up over, he would need to tell Guude a thing or two after they left.
"Just don't die and come get me when you can, alright?" Pakratt was managing a smile for him as he stepped towards the door.
Beef could remember stepping out and getting a shot on the guy attacking Mhykol, watching him sink down to the ground, and moving on.
He remembered how it seemed different, not having Pause yelling a curse every second. Not feeling Pause's movements at his side as they covered one another. They had never been in anything this intense, but whatever it had been they'd managed to find one another and stick together through it all. But he was alone then, feeling exposed and off balance.
"Pause!" he called out, having to take aim at someone shooting off to his left.
He remembered someone answering him, the momentary distraction that had caused everything.
Beef turned to see where his name was being called from, had Pause been here all along and he just hadn't seen him? Or was someone in need of back up else where?
At first he didn't notice, not until he had started turning. The pain. It was pulling him down, down, down until his shoulder hit the pavement. But, fuck, it hurt to be on his side so his body moved him to his back where his eyes looked towards the stars.
Why had they done this at night? was the first thought that echoed in and out of his mind. The answer was probably something simple and he could have probably answered it himself, but then the pain was taking over all his thought process and his train of thinking went quiet. It was as if he had swallowed a lit firework.
He struggled to breath as people and shadows came in and out of his line of vision.
"Fuck," he heard somewhere above him. He gasped when a hard pressure was put into his stomach. The burning only seemed to get worse. "Damnit, you son of a bitch! The one time I'm not here-"
"Pause?" he managed, slowly letting his head turn. Pause was looking up at something in front of him, then shouting something that sounded like Etho's name.
"If you die on me, you fucking idiot, I will never forgive you," the pressure became harder as Pause spoke. Obviously it was hopeless, he knew it and he knew that Pause knew it, too. They were to far away for any medical attention to reach them. With a bullet in his stomach he only had so much time.
"Pause-"
"Nope, you can shut you're fucking mouth. Unless the next word out of your mouth is an apology for being a dumb fuck, you can just shut up," Pause raised his arm and shot towards something Beef didn't bother to turn his head to see.
"I'm..sorry. Pause," Beef clenched his teeth, swallowing back a noise of pain as Pause pressed down harder and harder. "Pak's...Pakratt is in the shipping container behind us, you...you gotta get him out when this is all over."
"When this is all over, you can show me what container he's in and we can get him then, alright?" Pause's tone was softer now, but no less angry. Beef blinked harder, his vision was starting to bleed together slowly turning into the same shade of white.
"Pause, you know-"
"Shut up! You can't just...," Beef watched as Pause struggled, his eyes unable to find his own. Something Beef had never known Pause to avoid. His stomach felt as if someone was trying to pull him inside out, and the burning was unbearable.
"You gotta go, man. You can't sit here in the middle of no man's land. Help...you need to..," he felt winded and cold. He still had so much he needed to say. To Pause. And there he was, sitting right by his side as Beef bled to death.
"No, no, no," finally, Pause looked up so Beef could see his face. "Please."
"I'm...I-" he pushed at his air, needing to get this out. "Pause I-"
"I know," Pause said, Beef could feel something crushing his hand. "Me too."
"You ever think about what we're going to do when school's over?" Beef asked. He turned his gaze away from the large rain clouds off in the distance to look at Pause for his reaction.
"Not really," Pause shrugged, returning Beef's gaze. "I'm more of a, 'live in the here and now' kinda guy."
"You're an idiot," Beef rolled his eyes and turned back to where the lightning was flashing. "I'm serious, what do you want to do when you get older?"
He heard a sharp in take of breath, but didn't turn to look at the other. He knew being pinned down under someone's eyes while trying to give a proper answer was terrible. (Just ask his math teacher.)
"I never really thought about it," Pause answered after awhile. "I just..never thought I had a choice in that."
"What the hell are you talking about, man?" Beef blinked as a large round of lightning bolts bounced around the cloud. "You're your own person with your own life, you gotta want to do something with your life that you think you'd enjoy."
"Why are you asking me this?" Pause asked, moving so his legs were hanging off the edge of the roof. They had been there ever since the first crack of thunder had sounded. The storm would be there soon, but they still had time. They were both young enough to not really mind the rain.
"I...well, I was thinking about what JSano said about wanting to help people when he got older. I just started wondering about what I wanted to do before everyone starts throwing college and their suggestions in my face."
"Hm."
"What?"
"Nothing," Pause shook his head. They both turned to stare at one another for a long moment. A loud thunder clap rang out into the afternoon air, but neither of them jumped or made so any move.
"Do you want me there?" Pause asked suddenly, the wind started picking up speed and tussling his hair into his face.
"Where?"
"In your future, stupid, what else have we been talking about?" Pause glared as Beef grinned and scooted towards him.
"Of course," he said, moving forwards enough so that their shoulder's and thigh's were pressed into the other's. "I wouldn't want a future if you weren't there."
HAHA WOW THIS IS SO LATE OMG I'M SO SORRY. :C
if this wasn't super terrible it was really depressing, so oops sorry.
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Date: Wednesday, August 20th, 2014 04:29 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: Wednesday, August 20th, 2014 06:01 pm (UTC)This was fantastic!
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Date: Wednesday, August 20th, 2014 07:34 pm (UTC)This also further proves my point that Beef dies more in fics then anyone else.
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Date: Wednesday, August 20th, 2014 11:03 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: Thursday, August 21st, 2014 02:17 am (UTC)no subject
Date: Thursday, August 21st, 2014 10:21 pm (UTC)