First Reply We're Gonna Be Rich! Or Just Steal A Car

[Vex Nedu]

"Doubt it. They're kinda.. Well, you'll see!"

Explaining it wasn't the easiest. But once they were landed and Felix stepped out, it was clearly not the.. Most welcoming. Heavily cybernetic people stood in different parts of the room, openly carrying weaponry. No one spoke, made a sound, even moved. Just the red glow from their visors and replaced eyes lingered on him as he moved. Then shifted to Vex as the door was opened. She raised a brow as he opened the door for her.

Something she'd make fun of. Later. When there weren't so many guns that could be pointed their way.

A burlier Gamorian stepped over, their upper face replaced with a single, red photoreceptor. And grinned. "<Vex! You bring us another speeder? And in actually good condition this time! Did you take it for a spin or just come straight here?>"

"Came straight here. I remember our last conversation about that whole busted fender. And get this, I was even able to crack the security. It's not just disabled, but I got full control. No Corpos gonna see it again."

She grinned in turn, stepped up as she pulled out her datapad. A different game popped open, a swiper sort of game. Looked like a Jedi facing down various monsters and Sith and such and every swipe had the Jedi swipe their own. It was a swipe code of course, and with the right sequence she already initiated the transfer of controls to the Gamorian.

"<Ah, good, good! I figured when you brought out the thug there you had messed something up and didn't want to get beat again. Ha! He doesn't even look capable of defending much with that little chrome, though.>"

He laughed, and Vex laughed with him. Though it certainly wasn't the kind of laugh where she thought it was funny.

"So.. We good for this week?"

"<We're good for today.>"

The laughter stopped then as all eyes shifted onto Vex. She blinked for a brief moment before full on glaring. "What the fuck Sid!? We had a deal! You wanted this exact type of speeder and I got it for y-"

She was cut off as a heavy cybernetic hand smacked her. The sheer weight of the blow sent her flying back into the car. Shattered the front headlight. "<Yeah, the deal was for an undamaged speeder. Looks pretty damaged to me. What do you think, boys?>"

They all laughed as Vex struggled to her feet. Gritted her teeth. And glared right at Sid.

"<Get me another. Tomorrow. Undamaged this time, mm?>"

Felix Faraday

 

[Felix Faraday]

The Chop Shop - Undercity - Denon
Vex Nedu

Felix kept smiling. All the while the pair talked and negotiating, he kept smiling. Well, it was more so a small grin as his eyes explored away from Vex and the cybernetic Gamorian. Every part and vehicle he took in with those blue-green eyes behind those purple glasses. Every thug with a gun and cybernetic enhancement. This place seemed less of an illicit chop-shop and more of an illicit cyberware den. Perhaps a combination of the two considering the cybernetic crooks wanted stolen vehicles to sell.

Every detail he took in. Noting every single potential target in the room as well as every item and object. Checking each for weapons, cybernetic or handheld, and the manner in which they held those weapons. Looking for other allies that are hidden elsewhere within this shop. All the while he kept that same goofy pose standing guard near Vex. Although, there was one question lingering in the back of his mind the whole time he observed the room.

If worst came to worst, was he outmatched?

Felix kept smiling though. It never broke. It only flinched for a moment as the Gamorian spoke of previous dealings with Vex. The more physical kind. As the laughter began, Felix chuckled alongside with them. Not too loud, but enough to be a good sport about words being passed back and forth he may or may not have known the meaning of.

Until the smack. All sound from Felix died within that very moment. The smile simply vanished as he watched Vex's body soar backwards into the speeder. The sound of a shattering headlight rupturing through his ears before Vex even began to struggle to her feet. Durable. She was more durable than most. It must have been the cybernetics. Felix only spared a quick glance at the Gamorian before rushing to Vex's side. His coat cutting through the air behind him as he spun on his feet towards Vex. Every step deliberate. No marching. No antics. No humor in his step.

No smile cutting through the darkness with his usual cavalier attitude. None. When he marched to Vex, it was nothing so exaggerated. She may have well thought a real soldier was marching towards her with how steady and fast each of his steps carried him to her.

The back of his head began drumming to the forefront of his mind, hitting him over with a simple and true fact. Fast. The Gamorian had been fast. If Felix had been more on guard, had simply been more ready, he could have stopped Vex getting hurt. He should have known with that little hint about how they treated Vex before when she failed to meet their high expectations.

Stupid. I should have seen it coming a mile away. Don't give them another chance.

A flash of guilt and anger traveled up from his hand to him as he clutched it tight into a fist for a few moments too long before releasing. He could worry about the thugs and how to handle them later. For now, Felix's focus remained on Vex. Blue-green eyes peered at her above those purple shades as he offered her a hand, an open palm and arm to grab onto if she wanted. But, considering her stubborn streak, she might bat it away or reject it entirely, ignoring him.

"Vex! You okay?"

An old habit of his to offer a helping hand. It's what he did when offered to be her bodyguard. It may have been said in a humorous fashion then. But now? Right now, he had a job to do. All humor and pretense from before simple evaporated into smoke from him as every feature hardened. His eyebrows furrowed and cross. Not at Vex. No, not at her. In fact, his expression felt held back when his gaze fell upon her, meeting her face to face. Softer than it should have been.

Compassion first and foremost remained at the forefront. Any particular . . . displeasure towards the thugs needed to be held back until he needed to deal with them directly.

In a lower tone, Felix spoke as he leaned his head in, leaned closer to her. His eyes rigid as diamonds as his entire body almost like a coiled spring, ready to burst into action at a moment's notice. The coat helped to hide it, how every muscle seemed ready to explode from contorting at the ready.

"What's the play now?"

He trusted her lead and that she might have a plan. If she had none, then perhaps. . . well, first, let's see if she had a plan.​

 

[Vex Nedu]

For a moment she'd forgotten Felix was even there. A flash of red cut her off from the chop shop around them, leaving her momentarily bewildered. He was just playing bodyguard to follow along, right? Then why did he look so.. Dependable? Weirdly dependable, considering how goofy he was just a moment prior. Was she all right. The question lingered in her head for probably too long before she dusted herself off.

Smirked the same smirk as before. They were still in danger here. No chance she was going to let him be brought down just because he decided to follow along. "I'm fine. I got some sturdy parts." There wasn't even a bruise on her cheek. Though that was because it wasn't real.

"<That's our Vex! Can take any kind of pounding with a smile, mm?>" Her grin faltered for a moment as she looked to Sid. Swallowed. He just grinned a rather cruel looking grin as the others around shifted. Ready for some kind of fight.

Vex just bit her cheek before looking to Felix with a smile.

"We go. I gotta find another speeder, right?"

Felix Faraday

 

[Felix Faraday]

The Chop Shop - Undercity - Denon
Vex Nedu

No bruising. No even much of a mark she had been struck, if there was even a mark at all. His hand twitched forward for a second as he almost wanted to reach out and touch where she had been struck. Just to make sure it was real, that no mark had been left. Call it an old medical habit.

But his hands kept to his sides and only reaching out a little--ready to catch her if she topped over because she was playing off a concussion or any head trauma.

Smirking in return, Felix could recognize well enough that smirk Vex carried. In a small way, it brought its own comfort and relief. Then, it was gone from both thier faces as the cyborg Gamorian spoke. Felix's eyes never left Vex. He watched as she smiled. It was fake. A fake smile to help ease the situation.

Felix hated fake smiles. But that also made him a hypocrite, didn't it?

"Let's go," Felix nodded. A ghost of a smile on his face before motioning Vex to lead the way. It was time to leave. Overstaying their welcome seemed like a recipe for more trouble.

Felix kept silent as the pair of them headed towards the nearest exit. Every step behind Vex remained silent. No jokes. No quips. Not even a stupid little remark. All Felix could think was that smile. A fake smile. How many of those did she have to make?

He opened the door for Vex, letting her pass through ahead of him. When she did, Felix spoke and cutting through his own violence.

"Hey, Vex. Think about it, alright? About seeing those stars."

The door shut behind her, dividing them, before he locked it and broke the lock, whether it was mechanical or electronic, to keep it shut. That should keep her out or at least buy him time for what he needed to do. No use having her get caught in the crossfire. Steady steps carried him to return to the cybernetic Gamorean and his lackeys. Felix adjusted his glasses, lifting them further along the bridge of his nose. His eyes obscured by purple lenses reflecting the red eyes of every scumbag in this room.

Clenching his jaw for a moment, Felix spoke. <"Before I talk, what's your name?">

Felix stepped into the center of the room, in front of the luxury vehicle Vex had procured. Felix's hand remained near his sides, subtly hovering over his revolver. His eyes could pick out every detail of muscle tension and cybernetic sinews contracting in apprehension. Then, they settled on the Gamorian as Felix's eyes bore straight into that Gamorian's singular red iris.

<"Vex owes you a debt. I'm here to wipe the slate clean,"> Felix's tone kept level. His entire expression void of emotion as his demeanor remained rigid with shoulders back and standing straight and tall before every single thug. <"Now, usually this is the part where I give all of you a chance. Maybe make a deal to work this out or have you do the right thing.">

Deep breathes. One one thousandth. Two one thousandth. Three one-thousandth. Every movement needed to be carefully coordinated. Only one shot at this and not a lot of room to maneuver around in. Any and all points of cover would be useless with this many people surrounding him. Well, most would be.

<"Not today. Today, I'm going to need to see your books, your vehicles, all your illegal contraband. Every pie you and your silly, little friends stuck their fingers in.">

Felix cast a glance at the clock. It would be poor form if he kept Vex waiting for too long. Perhaps he was outmatched. But surviving this was just a luxury he may very well not be able to afford. All it took was a lucky shot or the wrong move. That was not the point. He was here for one reason.

No more fake smiles from Vex. Not one more. Not today. Not ever again.

"Am I clear?"​

 

[Vex Nedu]

"I told you before we don't get the luxury of- wait what are you..?"

She stared as the door closed. Blinked in surprise. She wasn't too sure what to make of that or what he was doing, but as soon as the surprise passed she reached out for the door to try the handle. Which didn't open. He locked it.

"What the fuck are you doing!?"

Vex full on panicked then, tugging at the door with all her might. Which was pretty unnatural given her nature as a cyborg. The door didn't budge though. It was built that way. "Shit!" She kicked the door, gritted her teeth. Then pulled out her phone to at least hack into the camera and see what the hell Felix was getting himself into.

"<I thought Vex was the smart kind, y'know?>" Sid's voice came through the camera before she could lock on to the visuals. The tone alone sent a shiver down her spine. What Felix had decided to say she didn't get to hear, but it pissed Sid off something fierce. Which meant she was going to be the one to get punished once this was all done. And Felix was dead. She had no doubt in her mind that Felix had decided to get himself killed.

She gritted her teeth as she kicked the door again. "You fuck!"

Sid raised a hand, motioning for the others. They all lifted their rifles, put a finger on the trigger. "<Just kill em. Idiots are bad for business. Then go find me Vex, she's gonna owe a hell of a lot more now.>" A cruel grin formed on the Gamorian's lips a moment before the rest opened fire.

Felix Faraday

 

[Felix Faraday]

The Chop Shop - Undercity - Denon
Vex Nedu

The moment before plasmafire erupted through the shop, Felix's form simply disappeared from its spot. His coat surrounding his body in a distinct blur as he flipped backwards away from his spot. Mid-air, during the moments between his entire body cartwheeled over itself, he drew from his holster. It was almost instinctual and comforting in its own way, like hugging an old friend. One. He fired at one rifle.

The gas cannister that powered the weapon would explode, if struck, within the cyborg's hands. Best case scenario for the thug, a burnt out weapons and some singing on his cybernetic hands (if he had cybernetic hands). Worst case? A rapid explosion of heat and light that may very well burn and injure the cybernetic junker. Either way, suitable distraction and deterrent for these gangster to keep firing at him. So guess where his next four shots went?

More blaster gas cannisters. Peering down the length of his firearm, Felix's grip and aim spread out his shots and ensuring not only one side of the room had to deal with the explosions of light and heat burning their cybernetic retinas. A perfect distraction to keep them from firing or at least fire blindly for a few moments before they could adjust their vision. The smell of burnt ozone reached his nose as he landed atop the hood of the luxury vehicle with a thud. A flick of his cybernetic hand unlocked the grapnel as it fired across the room. One target he sought to hit.

The throat of the main honcho in charge. The Gamorian with the singular beady red eye. If his aim remained true, Felix's plan would be to wrap the hyper-tensile around the main thug's throat before reeling him in. Rapidly, the alien man would find himself pulled across the room closer and closer to Felix without word or warning, dragged across the ground rapidly by his throat.

The final part of his maneuver? Felix slammed the butt of his revolver into the rim of the hood. Right where the latch that kept it locked would be. A small dent remained from his little attack before he quickly took a step back. The hood popped open as Felix crouched behind it, keeping his footing on the glass windshield. The wire tugged over the top of the hood and would keep reeling.

Until the thug found himself gasping for air in front of the same vehicle. If the plan worked, that is.

If it did, Felix had only one thing to say to the lot of them. "Anyone keen on seeing their boss bite the dust?"

Hopefully, these cybernetic thugs had the processing power to not shoot their boss. Or the speeder. Because that would light this shop up quite nicely, wouldn't it?​

 

[Vex Nedu]

Vex could only watch from where she was.

Well, not only watch. She was already running through her different apps. If he was going to be this stupid, if she was going to get in even more trouble because of it, why not help? There was an advantage to being a cyborg, and a weakness. Better aiming, so long as the program behind it wasn't going haywire.

Which, now all of theirs were. They opened fired, but their shots went wide and wrong, chaotically blasting all around the shop as they swore and shouted at each other in alien voices to try and make sense of what was happening. Then it all came to a stop. Vex stared at the screen before laughing. Felix had Sid at gun point and was threatening the rest of them?

:: Idiot, get in the car! ::

If there was one good thing about stealing a Corpo speeder, it was they were bullet proof. Which would help, given they were all about to open fire, Sid or not.

Felix Faraday

 

[Felix Faraday]

The Chop Shop - Undercity - Denon
Vex Nedu

Shots went wide. That was one thing Felix noticed before he hid and threatened the thugs. Explosions of light and heat may very well do that. But that could have only stopped so many shots going his way for only so long. No, too many slipped past him without being anywhere near him. Felix raised an eyebrow.

He had never been this lucky. His eyes glanced at the scorch marks and bullets lining the walls and doors behind him. The vehicle untouched or only the rare stray shot striking the hood. Felix kept his stranglehold on Sid as the shots died down.

And he heard a voice. His ear twitched before his brow furrowed. He looked behind him. It was coming from inside the car's holonet player. Felix recognized that voice. His eyes peered around the corner of the hood.

And he recognized when a group of neanderthals were about to open fire once more, no care for consequence or crossfire. Their boss included.

Are they serious?

Well then, the Gamorian should have found better help because usually threatening the leader worked to an extent. At least enough to buy himself some additional time. Alas, not the case here. So Felix opted to do the only thing he could. Rolling off the vehicle and reeling the cyborg Gamorian close, Felix brough the barrel of his revolver down like a tonfa unto the cyborg's neck, rendering the man unconscious for a few moments.

Before tossing the oversized scumbag into the car with little care and leaping in after himself, not even bothering to try to shut the side door. Keeping his head down behind the dashboard, Felix found himself upgrading from threatening a crooked boss such as Sid to kidnapping one.

"I got this! I got this!" Felix yelled at the holonet, hoping Vex could hear him.

One hand found itself on the stick shift. Automatic or not, Felix yanked on it to set the speeder to reverse.

And then slammed his foot on the accelerator.​

 

[Vex Nedu]

"You don't have anything you idiot." All her plans were out the door now. Repaying them, using the ship to lure the Corpo here, making it a bomb, she had so many different options were just gone because of Felix. And she wasn't sure if she was pissed at him or thankful he'd even tried to do something like this on her behalf. It leaned more towards pissed though as the speeder came barreling out of the garage door in a flurry of blaster fire.

Vex stared from her screen to the speeder in disbelief before scrambling to at least get over to it and get inside before she ended up shot herself.

"What are you doing oh my fucking god."

Felix Faraday

 

[Felix Faraday]

The Chop Shop - Undercity - Denon
Vex Nedu

Felix snatched the wheel and yanked hard, forcing the car to swerve around the corner and out the blaster fire before slamming the brakes. The speeder slid to an abrupt stop, enough time for Vex to leap into the vehicle. As soon as Felix's eyes peered over his shoulder and saw her inside, his hand flipped the gear shift into drive and slammed the pedal.

The speeder raced forward. View obstructed by the hood of the airspeeder still flipped up. Felix began swerving left and right, driving blind.

"You told me to get into the car!" Felix argued back. She did tell him! He had the situation . . . somewhat under control! Not his fault those thugs were okay with shooting their own boss! No sense of loyalty!

"And I know-."

The airspeeder started gaining altitude. If he did this right, they would be home free. Slamming his feet on the brakes, Felix gritted his teeth as his hands aggressively turned the wheel to the side. The air speeder slid, drifting hard and revealing out the side window it was heading straight forward a floating advertisement sign. Felix's foot went off the throttle before adjusting the airspeeder's altitude with the flick of the wheel and a button.

The front of the car slid under the sign while the hood impacted with it, completely torn off and ripped from its hinges. The airspeeder spun once before Felix slammed his foot on the throttle and accelerated it forward as fast as possible.

"-what I am doing."

With a sudden and quick gesture, the mercenary then pointed to the unconscious Sid in the seat next to him. Felix's ears heard a few groans and pulled out the gun before hitting Sid once more on the head with the butt of the gun handle.

Before going silent and driving forward. Taking a deep breath, Felix's shoulders sunk for a moment. Whether in exhaustion, relaxation, or both at their escape, Felix said no more. Only adjusting his jacket to cover up more of his chest.​

 

[Vex Nedu]

"Because it's blasterproof!" That was the intent, to get him somewhere he wasn't going to get blasted full of holes in. She huffed, but she really couldn't be too annoyed as she gripped at the handle near the door for dear life as he started to skid around in a drift. Of course, she'd ended up with someone even crazier than her with driving. Not that she doubted he knew what he was doing.

He wasn't dead, so it meant that much. She hoped.

Grant it the groan, the smack. She turned her cybernetic eyes towards him, filled with no real emotion as she did. Nothing that could be seen, anyway. Cybernetics had that effect.

".. What's the plan with him?"

Felix Faraday

 

[Felix Faraday]

The Chop Shop - Undercity - Denon
Vex Nedu

What was the plan?

Felix slowed the speeder down before taking a turn. The further the both of them hid this car down a few alleyways and between buildings, the better. Taking a deep breath, Felix shrugged before smiling. His eyes looked at the rearview mirror, looking directly at Vex in the reflection.

"Well, you don't want to owe him a debt anymore, do you?" Felix's gaze returned facing forward, "And you're good with computers? Isn't he just one big computer?"

Felix slowed the speeder a little more, scanning for a warehouse or empty lot. There had to be one or two he could find. Meanwhile, he kept his ears open for whatever Vex might have in mind. Perhaps she had a better idea of how to handle her old boss.

"Maybe you can program a little something that'll make sure he treats ladies like you right."

Grinning mischievously with a playful glint in his eye, Felix let that remark hang in the air with a chuckle.​