"Was done anyway."Rin scoffed, glaring angrily at Specs. He noted the gun and slid just ehind the male as they headed out. "Just where are we going today? And just what the h#ll am I supposed to call you out here. I know you're my trainer but.. you aren't anything like sensei so..'He shrugged, allowing Specs to fill in whatever title he pleased.

"Specs. Or sir.", he spoke without looking back at the boy's lost face, " I am just that, your senior, but I am the senior of many people who call me far less than that as well. All you need to worry about is listening to orders and doing as you're told. Starting with making a call if you have a cell on hand". Specs turned s they left and started down toward the street so that when they did reach its cracked and weary face he was ready with the required numbers in his head, for both monetary and statistical meanings.

"I don't actually.. sorry to disappoint you sir."He wasn't much on tech so heading down the stret he hoped Specs had a phone.

Looking back at the boy he shrugged lightly and turned the next corner only to point forward as he fell back onto his butt to lean on the nearby wall, "Fine use one of the payphones and dial one our client. The Jades want to be sure he's up on his insurance and you're supposed to remind him. Suppose the guy's been looking into some alternative line o' work to make them see this as a problem.... Whatever. One thing at a time". Pulling a business card and a handful of change from his pocket Specs threw the contents to the other male and pointed him on. The warning call was just a matter he had never liked to dally with.

Rin sighed and picked up the change, taking the card with a scowl. This was easy stuff. all he had to do was use the big badguy voice to scare this dude into paying up. Strolling over to the phone he put then money in and dialed the man, using his best enforcer voice to calmly explain the reminder he was told to. It was a chilling sort of voice that he'd perfected back home, one calm enought o be polite ut scary enough to make the target think twice about not doing what he said.

Hearing the boy's intent voice and judging his demeanor, the next required act seemed alot easier then before. Today's two stops were actually five-in-one afterall. Seeing the newcomer, Viper, as he finished the call, Specs motioned him back and began loading the gun beneath his shirt tail as he counted the seconds and waited to hit one twenty so that they could cross the street and finish up the second half of their task today; The one that the Jades had not expected or implied but instead overlooked from the man who funded their work.

Setting the phone down he joined Specs again and adjusted his own weaponry. "Did I screw up?"He whispered, sighing softly.

"No, kid. You did very very well, which I suppose is something of a compliment for being so new in the rad zone.", he admired this one who his subordinate or rather equal had claimed would fare in these situations and continued counting in silence as he looked down the street to see a Civil Guard's suit glowing several blocks away and only a few persons who would not ever even think of interuptting him should they realize what was happening. As he turned his head toward the store he hit one hundred and cooed, "Alright. Time to go and see about our deliveries. Either way you need to follow me into his shop and be sure that he remains to speak with me while I attend to the other business at hand. He can't really be allowed to leave, no one can, not until I have had a chance to straighten out all of this great misunderstanding that he has set up with the Jade thugs...". Specs motioned the very same Jade member that he was broadly insulting to follow and led the way toward the low brick building who's sign advertising freshly baked foods hung a bit lopsided in the window of the door. No matter what happened here he had several agendas to fill and he was sure the extra hand would be nice in keeping them separate and fulfilled.

((There you are. *yips*))

"More thug work. I can dig it, gottaa start somewhwere I guess."SHrugging Rin took in all the information and carefully readjusted his blades. This was to be his first true test in this place, besides playing bad guy over the phone. Even though he didn't quiet know all the details he knew his place and calmly stuck to Spec's side.

They approached the shop and the boy immediately started pinpointing all the exit points.

Walking comfortably into the tiny shop, each wall pasted in the old-timey wallpaper with the big dial-operated register, the huge glint of his metallic arm shone with a fierce bit of golden-silver fire. In one instant the kindish nerd when from himself beneath the light of the street to a cold sort of robot beneath the florescent glow of the shop. "Now. Be sure he doesn't run, Viper.", his voice spoke in perfect tone to see the man behind the counter turn back with a clear amount of fear on his face. "S-sir? Can I help y-?", the shopkeeper started to speak as he went slowly toward the drawer; His footsteps halting when Specs took hold of his gun and held it barrel out in the form of a threat. "Yes. I am here on behalf of the Ratterman family. We have some business to take care of regarding your... business route.", Specs walked forward and slowly looked back toward the door of the stairwell behind the counter, "You've been supporting UN troops, letting your cargo be shipped on international ships, paying up taxes to them. That is sadly not how things are done". The shopkeeper quaked hard and barked, "Sir!! Please! I couldn't wait for an informant to come by!! My daughter needs the money now!! She' sick!! Please.... Please, sir. I didn't". But his words simply faded as he watched the man in the doorway with hatred and fear equal to that for this man who was demanding threats. Looking at the tender, Specs let himself settle on the pointed words of his offer; "A sinner's debt of ignorance can damn the righteous all the same, old man. We warned you once about supporting them. Pay your debt. Kiss your wife. And shut the f*ck up while I'm still in the mindset to let the others go". That man who now stood like a ghost of himself behind the register simply watched in horror as the threat rang out. That man who had been called two minutes before on the debt a street gang, now faced with the mafia's recurrent threats.

"Whatever you say boss."Viper responded, leaning back in the door to keep the male from escaping that way. He ould deal with hateful looks, he'd dealt with them before. This was his life, the solid enforcer kind of stuff and nice guys always finished last.

He listened to the words coming from both Specs and the man with cold disinterest at best, he couldn't look like he was paing close attention to anything but his movements after all.

Walking the man back at the point of his outdated gun, Specs left the other to mind his wait while he took the shopkeep back into the door. Without speaking he waved the barrel around and made a small gesture with his head for the shopkeeper to go. First the man turned around, rapping twice on the door, and then he let the handle fall so that he could go into the place with the one armed male just inches behind his feet. Leaving the kid to work, Specs traded words with the man and extracted the large pile of smaller bills in the bag so quickly provided to do so. hundreds more than the store's gross income that month were pushed into the sack and lifted toward the door. As they packed the sounds of a wife and younger girl could be heard. When the silence grew long and dry there came a sign of conclusion marked in blood. A gunshot tore through the air and a voice exploded in rage, the sounds coming as the shot echoed again and again with two more that followed in the wake. As the door fell open a single word cut through the air and die. The lids of the gangster's eyes themselves had been painted by the redness of blood and his arm was tip to shoulder peppered as well. "You've seen what happens, Old Man. Now don't let us catch you again.", that hate coming as Specs slipped into the room with a baggy full of bills and seeming almost in mockery as the wife's bloody hands rose to catch her husband, the ownere of the shop, as he went madly out into the floor crying for his daughter's life. Without paying notice, the thug with the mechanical hand pointed at his friend and barked, "Don't just look dumb. Whatever it goddam takes, I don't want to hear this shit right now". And in true style that cold face recalled nothing of his intellectual self in the midst of his horrible deeds.

"Whatever you say boss."Viper shrugged, letting his mind go black at the thought of who or what Specs could have shot in there. It wasn't his business. Specs was to train him and that was that, he wasn't the type to pry into situations he could end up getting shot from prying into.

This just proved Specs was exactly like the rest of them under his cultured intelectual mask- cruel, ruthless and a force to be wary of. AKA he'd still be sleeping fully armed for a very long time.

Stepping out of the shop, still hearing the cries for that man's daughter's life, Specs began to melt back into the face of a worried nerc almost the minute the fresh air hit his face. Without thinking Specs yawned, "Yo, Viper. What exactly did you do for the Jades before the incident? Somehow peg you as being the type that could entertain more than simply shooting down rival a**holes and bowling stores". The sheen of his arm flinched once along its elbow seem and then fell back as the metal below slid beneath the false skin. "Perhaps you'd share?"

"Intel work, sneak stuff. I pretty much did the investigative things for my branch. That answer your question? oh might have to do with how I fight too, but you can ask Fang about that."He smirked and kept up his tough guy act. Specs had pulled a one eighty on him after all.

Specs stopped cold and turned his head toward the other as a cold sense surrounded his entire form, "You". Watching the boy like a hawk he spoke again with a long breath, "You. And Fang? Fought?". The air between them must have felt a mile thick. Every motion on those streets was sudden by sheer contrast. As the second narrower there was only them and that silence, and then like a cannon Specs' voice errupted in a welcome laugh. "Tha-that a** really.", his laughter rose, "Let himself get punked. By a kid. Like. You?? Oh god, thank you. Thats f**king perfect."

"Not exactly."Viper sighed, smiling softly. "We had to fight our way in here and Fang saw me in action thats all I meant. I don't even think I could beat him personally." Rin got quiet, blushing faintly as he remembered things that didn't involve fighting on that train.

Stilling his laughter to a soft hum, the techie raised his good arm to wipe a few stray tears away as he started back after the kid and made a small gesture with his other hand; "Oh. Well, should you ever find him on your badside you might change your mind. Simple brute that he is". As the sun opposing them glew in its orange-red flare the city streets becamemore obvious to their natural radiation-wasted state. Long before them both a man with a fancy umbrella sold various things to a man who looked much like Specs save facial structure that the technie avoided with good measure, "But I suppose you might not be so attuned with our lives here. Better medicine, heavier weapon-grades. After seeing my arm I'd guess you've never even felt bio-metals with your own hands?"

"Never. I've never even tried to imagine that they existed." Sighing softly he drifted closer to Specs. " Things are different here, but I'm sure I'll get used to it." Looking up at the sun he smiled a little, realizing the difference in the area. His new home.

Raising his false arm up to the boy as they walked, the thug used his shirt to wipe the tips of his hand free before speaking in a muffled tone. "Viper... Don't be afraid.", he spoke the words as a friend and gently let the false skin of his hand brush the other's knuckles to the strangest sensation in his own manufactured nerves. This kid somehow made him want to do that. He made Specs want him to feel in his own way comforted with this fear that was not so uncommon within the bordered lands.

Viper shivered, staring down at the handtht brushed his own and lightly gripped it. The feeling of the synth flesh was like nothing he'd ever felt." Ï'm- not afraid.... its just different Specs. Thank you- for trusting me."He whispered, continuing to stroke the false skin there.

Across the empty streets and tucked beneath the shadows of a nearby building, there stood a straight-backed man now speaking on his cellular phone without any sort of regard for the men walking in locked hands. As they went back along the road that led homeward Specs made a short stop to deposit an envelope into a banking machine and again to get a pair of black wooden boxes from a cart in another alley. Soon his firm grip on the other's hand had loosened a bit and his eyes had again turned to Viper's as he tried to decipher what he truely thought of the city and of the way in which he was placed between the Familia and the street gang called the Jades. If played right Viper would be an ally like none other and if not for his attitude and demeanor he would have made the best partner as well for the things that would be asked of himself in the soon-to-come days ahead.

He felt a sense of peace holding Spec's false hand, stroking it lightly with his thumb every so often. He thought it odd tosee spec's leaving money places but he understood the way things worked in the outer gangs. Who they were left for or what they would be used for didn't concern him- only getting used to Specs did.

He reluctantly left his trainers hand go, shrugging softly. "I'm sorry- I shouldn't have judged you based on things I didn't understand. This place.. I think I can grow to call this city home."He said warmly.

Not stopping at the comment until they were also directly at the broad doors of his own abode, the shyly built thug took a long time to compose what those words had meant and what they would mean if he had guessed the lesser meaning right. Overhead a light seemed to reach out as Specs turned back in that final leg and mewed, "Viper". A smile had crested his face not much more than a hint, but it showed in his voice that he had chosen to follow in his belief; "Thank you for trying. Its not the same here as the Outworld. I wish it were, but...-", throwing a weak attempt into the smile he turned back and motioned for his roommate to follow him back as he held the silence only to breath, "That's a different story. Just- just thanks for trying I guess, and don't forget the advantage you have in me. Should anything ever happen I'd be happy to share my work with you... The whole arm thing I mean". And he raised his false arm to imply the automated prosthetic.

Watching Specs smile was a beautiful thing, Viper seemed to feel fuzzy inside as the male spok to him in kind tones, even offering him a second chance at things if he ever lost a limb. "Thank you Specs. I'll rest easier knowing you care, I owe you and Fang alot. Him for getting me here and you for taking me in. Someday I'll repay those debts. I promise." It was different here but Rin would make this home and thoughts of sharing this abode with Specs warmd his heart.