Ask no Question, hear no lie (dp x dc)
"This better be good," Renee started as she slid into the diner booth in front of her best friend. "I had to cancel a date for this."
"Kate?" Charlie said with that placid expression that just begged for a punch. "Or are you two broken up again."
"Charlie if you don’t start talking right now, I’m walking right back out," she warned
"Still broken up then," Charlie said as he nodded sagely.
Renee took a deep breath before releasing it slowly. She would not shoot her best friend, she told herself. No matter how annoying he was. "Just tell me what I’m here for."
Charlie leaned forward and Renee mirrored him unconsciously. "I’ve been investigating some shady arms deals recently."
"Do arm deals even register in Hub City?"
"They do when it’s a new supplier with tech powered by an all-new power source," Charlie said as he started tapping on the table and Renee leaned back to contemplate the information.
"Who’s the new player?" She asked
"I don’t know," he answered, pondering. "But I've heard Leblanc has insisted on a face to face meeting."
"When?" Renee asked.
"Tonight," Charlie said with a smirk. "You up for it, partner?"
She sighed. "A little forewarning would’ve been nice."
"Please," he tilted his head, amused. "I’m sure you packed everything you need for this and more."
"Still," Renee said though they both knew he was right.
A few hours later, they were laying in wait on the rooftop overlaying a dark, grimy alley that smelled vaguely of urine even so high up. They were both in their Question apparel, only the face mask being left off.
"It’s been two hours already," Renee grumbled as she looked through the binoculars she’d brought. "Either your guy is late or the tip was bad."
"One would think you’d be more patient on stakeouts considering," Charlie piped up.
"One would be wrong," Renee answered as she turned to glare at the man who looked as unruffled as ever, the bastard. Then he perked up.
"Shhh," Charlie said and she turned back towards their query.
Out of the shadows were coming a group of men looking armed and mean.
"Leblanc & goons," Charlie said quietly and Renee looked down, as the guys spread out on one side of the Alley. They settled in place for a few minutes before settling down. It was calm again, but there was now a tension in the air.
Then, from the other end of the Alley walked in a lone man dressed in a black suit with a red bolo tie, his gray hair tied in a ponytail.
"Gentlemen," he started affably. "What a pleasure it is to meet you at last."
"Masters," Leblanc answered. "You showed up."
"I’m a man of my word," the newly-dubbed-Masters said with a cold smile. "Am I to assume you are as well?"
"You’ll get your money once I get my shipment," the arms dealer answered.
"You have it," Masters answered glibly.
Leblanc gave him a look and Masters smiled.
The arms dealer took out a phone and talked quietly in it for a few seconds before he snapped it close and turned towards Masters again.
"Would you look at that," Leblanc then said, "you really are a man of your word."
"As I said," the suited salt-and-pepper man deferred as he shrugged.
"Pity for you, I’m not," the arms dealer said with a smile, and Renee tensed but even as the goons raised their guns, Masters only sighed.
"What a shame," he said and then snapped his fingers. "Boys," he barked sharply.
From the ground emerged a handful of giant neon green vultures wearing… were those fez hats?
Renee wasn’t the only one taken aback, as the goons stood gobsmacked for a second, and it was a second too long. As a group, the vultures all dove for the gun-toting goons and in a few seconds it was over.
Masters alone stood in the alley littered with still bodies.
"I hate when my plans fall through," he muttered as he nudged one of the bodies laying on the floor. Then he continued, his voice pitched louder, "Make sure none of them remember about tonight."
One of the vulture straightened. "Will do, Boss."
"And get the ecto-guns back to the mansion," Masters added.
The same vulture did a little salute before turning towards the other birds. "You heard the Boss, get to work!"
All the vultures scattered, with half of them flying off and the other half diving for the downed men, as they dove through them - no, Renee thought, it was more like they dove into them.
There were a few moments of stillness before all the birds flew right back out and then away to rejoin their flock.
"Where have the honest crooks gone," the man bemoaned to himself once he was alone once again, walking out of the alleyway. "This industry has gone to the dogs…"
As he disappeared from view, he was soon too far for Renee to catch his mutters and silence fell again.
After a few minutes, once she was sure they were alone, she turned to Charlie, with slightly wide eyes. "What the hell was that?"
"That," he answered with a gleam in his eyes, "is an excellent question."
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