Random Writings

Scorned - Bite

"Gunnar, Gunnar." A familiar voice approaches from the doorway of the lab.

"I'm working with live explosives, Ace. What do you want?" Gunnar sets down the watch he was tinkering with, looking up at him. Ace's smug expression made Gunnar want to punch him in the throat.

"Just wondering what I'll be working with. You know, with you coming into Rainbow and all."

"Right." Gunnar shakes his head slightly. "You can find out when I join the team, just like everyone else."

"You don't want to talk about the job, I get it." Ace brushes off Gunnar's cold shoulder, pressing his palms back onto the desk. "Well, mind telling me what that little thing on your gun is?"

"This?" Gunnar reaches to the black charm he was pointing to, looking at it tenderly. He smiles, a scoff escaping him. "Odin's spear. Kámá says it never misses."

"Interesting. What about-"

"Did Kali send you to fish, Ace?" Gunnar stops tinkering with the explosives on the table before him.

"Send me? Ha!" The man laughs, shaking his head. "You know Kali better than that." He stands, walking around to the other side of the table and leaning into it to meet his eyes. "If she wanted something, she'd ask herself."

"And I do." The woman suddenly enters, brushing her hand along the table as she walks over to Gunnar. Mira glances from across the room, deciding not to intervene. "How much is your new Rainbow gear worth, 'Gambit'?"

"Wouldn't you like to know." He leans back into the chair, resting his hands in his lap and staring up at her with a stifled grin as she spits out his new name. He was unamused.

"I would, and if I were you I'd want me to know, too. I'll make it free."

"Ah, trying to buy my faith back? You have no shame, do you?" He laughs heartily. Now he was amused. "You never cease to amaze me."

"How's your wife, Gunnar?" Kali grins slightly, leaning against the table. She knew what she was doing.

"Just fine, shining her medal." Gunnar leans and rests his forearms on the table, sly expression matching hers. "Tell me, how hard is it to earn respect from people now? Still trying to figure out how much of each currency can buy it?"

"Hmph." She laughs slightly, standing straight. She gestures to Ace, lurking behind her, who hands her a stack of money. She slides it across the table, brushing aside the live explosives. "Still all bark, hm?"

"Not always." Gunnar cracks his knuckles. "Say, how would you like to watch the first test of my new gadget? You know, since you're paying for it."

"Now you're warming up." Kali crosses her arms. Gunnar looks over at Mira, who nods with a small smirk. She gestures to Kapkan, assigned to help Gunnar, and the group walks off into the testing area of the lab.

"Wanna know why they'll be calling me Gambit?" Gunnar smiles, almost genuinely, as he takes the rope rig into the chamber. He stomps the end firmly into the floor, twirling the other end a few times before sticking it onto the ceiling.

Gunnar gestures to a sensor on his wrist, reminiscent of the biometric sensors REACT uses. It displays his heartbeat. Kali's eyes scan it. Her face never changes, but she is intrigued. Gunnar checks the explosives one last time before taking the stack of money and placing it on the floor underneath the trap.

"Ready?" Mira grins at the man. He grabs the strap of his sensor and rips it from his wrist, watching it flash red. The trap above them primes, releasing the three grenades one-by-one onto to stack of money below. It explodes violently, making Mira and Gunnar clap and cheer. Kali's expression drops, making him laugh so hard he wheezes.

"So, what do you think, Kali?" He grins at her. "Pretty impressive, huh? I call it the Hangman's Trick." He glances over at the burning money, an R&D staff member extinguishing it soon after. It smolders beautifully, as black as Kali's heart and as dead as her expression. "You don't like it?"

"There's that bite." She sneers at him, walking past and shouldering him. He watches as Ace follows her out of the lab, glancing at Mira and Kapkan.

"Priceless."