(no subject)

[bzarcher]

Australia, 9 months later

Collapsing onto the bed in his apartment, Enker let out a long sigh.

"I knew this wasn't going to be -easy-, but still..."

Oh, some of it had been easy enough. Some of the simpler Masters had simply been given an area where they could do whatever they liked for awhile and have an eye kept on them. It had worked rather well, so far.

The Masters who had been repurposed or "appropriated" from other functions originally also found themselves settling back into those functions for the most part. After all, they'd been designed to carry out their fuctions and enjoy doing them. It made a natural fit.

Plus, even with the money in their 'trust fund', many of them found that sitting around and just watching TV all day got boring. Going out and doing some work generally was something interesting to do, and the extra income never hurt for those who either continued in earlier hobbies or were exploring new ways to use their free time.

As it turned out, some of them were even finding a head for business. Ballade had settled into a role as accountant/attorney to manage the patent and funds, and was now also serving as the manager for the demolition and construction company that Guts, Bomb, Crash, Ground, and Burst had founded.

Quite a few of the Masters who'd been trusted with maintenance and repairs before now found themselves in demand as consultants for companies that were working to commericialize WilyTech into the marketplace. Explaining the many, many quirks of various prototype systems, and making suggestions here and there with the insight they'd gained from often painful experience.

And for reasons that he could not begin to explain, Heat, Wood, and Shadow had gone out and formed a Private Investigation company, of all things. It seemed to -work-, but...

Where Enker was finding himself frustrated were the Masters who'd always been combat oriented. When their first instincts were often to smash what got in their way, trying to help them adjust to different ways of handling things was difficult at best. Some, finally, they were making headway towards.

Some not so much.

A knock at his door commanded his attention, and with a grumble, he levered himself upright to get the door.

"I heard you had another 'debate' with Napalm." Plant entered, setting a bag down on his kitchen table.

"That's an interesting way to define a shouting match. But, yes, we did. I decided to get out of there for a bit afterwards to go take care of my headache." The fact that he and Plant were friends was odd, but it had begun years before Father's death. It knew some of the more intricate details of his construction, particularly with his brain, and was one of the few who could actually repair him with Father gone.

Looking skeptically over its' shoulder, Plant shook its' head. "Your brain is a positronic iridium matrix, Enker. You can't get headaches."

"I'm not going to challenge you on my schematics, but that doesn't change the fact that I have one."

Snorting, Plant began to set up a teapot on the small stove and heat water. "Well, I brought some tea over for you anyhow. And if it helps, I think after you stormed off, he felt a bit embarrassed."

"Really?"

"Sort of. I think the fact you slammed the door hard enough to spot weld the latch got his attention."

Enker sighed and flopped back down again. "Oh, good. I can't convince him to adjust his behavior through discussion and practice with Gemini's holograms, but I can intimidate him into toeing the line. Exactly what we didn't want."

As the kettle whistled, Plant prepared two mugs of herbal tea, and a set of sandwhiches. "I think you're being unfair to both of you. You're generally being fairly paitent, and at least he realized that he'd gone over the line. That's an improvement over him not realizing the line existed at all."

"I suppose you're right. And Pharoah doesn't automatically call everyone he meets 'Peasant!' anymore, so I can tell we're getting there." Looking at the meal being assembled, he raised an eyebrow. "There is no possible way you packed an entire picnic in the time it took for me to have an argument."

"You say that like someone who doesn't realize how long he spends arguing. Besides, maybe I was planning to go out for a picnic anyhow, and just expanded my plans."

"Oh. Well, thank you. I do appreciate you coming by."

"My pleasure. Now get over here and drink your tea before it gets cold."


I can't explain if this is exactly the end or not. It may be close to it, or it may be all for now. A lot of the stuff that was BANGING AT THE WALLS OF MY HEAD to be written is out there, now, but I don't entirely get the feeling that that's all there is.

I imagine that what will come out will develop eventually.

Comments

[parasaurolophus.livejournal.com]

I am very amused at Wood, Heat, and Shadow forming a PI agency.

[flying-landon.livejournal.com]

I wonder about Frost.. cause he sort of got his job of smashing things cause he sucked at his original design of being a lab assistant in a super cooled environment. He's probably selling snow cones somewhere.

But I do like this. Especially the bit about Pharoah. I literally lol'd at that. I do like where this is going, but yea, it seems sort of like the end of a first story in a series.

[silentsteel.livejournal.com]

Looking skeptically over its' shoulder, Plant shook its' head. "Your brain is a positronic iridium matrix, Enker. You can't get headaches."

"I'm not going to challenge you on my schematics, but that doesn't change the fact that I have one."

So. Full. Of. Win! :D

[bzarcher.livejournal.com]

*grins* Thank you.

[bzarcher.livejournal.com]

I had this mental image of Woodsy wearing a big trenchcoat and a fedora, and it was just way too neat.

[bzarcher.livejournal.com]

Well, y'know, just because he's in a bit of a playpen right now doesn't mean things can't change later.

I have a couple more things on the periphery of my brain, but as they solidify I'll try to coax them out.