[ Joel grimaces, his expression somehow going even darker than it already had been. A part of him regrets this already. The kid's clearly got a mouth on him, and an attitude to match.
But he'd heard the rumors, and his brief but brutal interrogation of the guard - a pathetic excuse for a bodyguard, but you get what you pay for - had confirmed everything he'd needed to know. The kid had been resourceful enough to make off with a haul that never should've belonged to him, smart enough to go to ground afterwards. But not quite smart enough to keep himself scarce. People have long memories these days, especially when it comes to thieves, especially when it comes to thieves who'd made off with as much as Jesse had. Joel doesn't have any use for the type of drugs Jesse'd stolen, but the bounty that had been placed on his head afterwards?
Yeah. He has a use for that. ]
Shut the fuck up.
[ A quick scan of the room had shown him that Jesse's skinny, alone, and unarmed. Not a threat, at leat not an immediate one - he doesn't seem to have quite grasped what's happening yet, still sitting down with a crinkly bag of chips in his hands. Joel shoves the guard forward, then aims a sharp kick at the back of his legs, sending him falling down onto his knees with a pathetic cry. As soon as he's down, the pistol in Joel's hand comes into view, now aimed directly at the back of the guard's head.
He addresses Jesse, though, his eyes glued to him, braced and ready in case he tries to make some stupid move. ]
You gonna come quiet, or does this have to get messy?
[ The chips unceremoniously fly out of Jesse's hands and his worn Nike-clad feet slam down to the ground as his chair tips forward so all four legs rest evenly unlike before, where he'd been precariously balancing on the rear two. After the sudden movement, the room grows still and quiet and Jesse makes certain that both his hands are in Joel's view--palms out as if to say 'no threat here'. Even as he can feel his pulse hammering away in his ears, he's thinking quick, trying to sort out a way to get to the heavy trunk in the corner. He'd become too comfortable and stopped carrying a gun in his waistband once the days stretched into weeks and then months. Once he started to feel safe. But in this day and age, safety is relative isn't it? And it's more of an abstract concept than it ever had been in the 'real world'. Are you ever truly safe in times like these? He should have known the answer was no. But he had become complacent. Relaxed. Hindsight is 20/20. ]
Listen, man. Just--just tell me what you need, okay? You want pills? Coke? You seem, uh, a little jumpy to be the heroin type, but like, no judgments here, yo. Whatever it is you want, rest assured I got it.
[ As he's talking, he's easing his way out of the chair and trying to put a little distance between him and Joel, even though the gun isn't pointed at him. Yet. ]
Let's all just, like, take a deep breath and y'know, 'woosah'. I mean. Bullets ain't easy to come by these days. You sure you wanna waste 'em when we could just talk this out?
[ Joel scoffs derisively, looking at Jesse with contempt. Is he fucking kidding? ]
I don't want your goddamn drugs.
[ But while the way Jesse panics and can't get his hands up in the air fast enough is gratifying, the scowl is back on Joel's face the moment Jesse starts trying to ease himself out of his chair. ]
Sit down.
[ His tone is cold, and brooks no argument. Joel shoves the end of his pistol against the back of the guard's head, and the man whimpers, sounding like he's ready to cry or piss himself or both. Joel shakes his head slightly, but his eyes never leave Jesse. ]
Gonna ask you one more time. You comin' along quietly now, or you gonna make me do this the hard way?
[ Jesse tries not to wince when the guard whimpers. It's not as though the guy's one of his friends necessarily, but that doesn't mean he isn't sympathetic to the situation. It definitely doesn't mean he'd be okay with watching the guy's brains get splattered all over.
Jesse falls back into his seat with a sigh, pressing his fingers into his eyes and then laying his hands on the table. He can't figure out what this guy wants eith him, but whatever it is, he clearly means business. Somehow, though, that isn't quite enough to put a halt to Jesse's smart-ass comments. ]
Which one is it, yo?
[ Jesse scoffs, staring Joel right back in the eye. This isn't the first time he's had a gun pulled on him, and it won't be the last. As hard as his heart is pounding, though, he's reminding himself not to back down. Not to show weakness. The weak get preyed on, especially these days. ]
You want me to sit down or go with you? 'Cause unless you wanna push me around in this chair like a little bitch, I suggest you pick one.
[ It's a fair enough question, but he doesn't want Jesse standing and trying to go anywhere unless it's meekly walking ahead of Joel with a gun at his back. There are still too many variables, too many objects in the room that could be used as weapons or places where he could have a real one stashed away. The brutal truth of it is that he can't keep control over Jesse and his would-be guard both, not for much longer.
He flips the gun in his hand and brings the butt of the pistol down hard on the back of the guard's head, and the man goes down like a sack of bricks. Out cold, but he'll survive. Probably. Most importantly, he's not a factor anymore. Lightning-quick, Joel flips the gun around again, this time pointing it at Jesse. ]
Up. Move. We're goin' for a walk and you ain't gonna say a word.
[ It had been a little easier being obnoxious when the gun wasn't pointed directly at him. He tries to hide the sudden rise of fear in him when the gun is suddenly facing very much in his direction, but Jesse's known to wear his heart on his sleeve and has the worst poker face known to man. He swallows thickly, blue eyes going wide as he suddenly stills, palms facing out. Look? See? Here are his hands with nothing in them. His gaze flicks uneasily between the now unconscious "guard" (yeah, good luck getting that title ever-fucking-again) and the barrel of Joel's gun. He's not about to question whether it's loaded or not, in spite of bullets being a little harder to come by than they used to be. ]
Okay, yo. Just. Shit--at least take your finger off the trigger.
[ Jesse very slowly and carefully gets up from his seat. He's tempted to pull his way-too-baggy pants up, but would rather risk them falling down than being shot for any suspicious reaching. The last thing he wants to do is approach someone with a gun, so he takes a long path around the room, keeping as wide a berth from Joel as possible before scurrying past him to get through the doorway and then spinning around, not taking the chance of turning his back on the guy even if it means tripping over himself walking backward. ]
[ Good. Joel nods, satisfied. And maybe just a touch amused at the way Jesse's attitude instantly vanishes, replaced by blatant fear. He doesn't let that part show, though. Joel has an excellent poker face, and he keeps the gun trained on Jesse and his expression just this side of a scowl as he scrambles around him at the perimeter of the room.
He also ignores Jesse's plea. His finger isn't on the trigger - he doesn't actually want to blow the kid's brains out, no matter what it may look like right now - but it's close enough. Just in case. And he's not about to change that.
He jerks the gun to the side slightly, indicating the hallway beyond. ]
Keep goin'.
Y'got any other friends around?
[ There'd been one, patrolling the outside of the building - Joel had done his homework, scoped the place out, and dispatched the other 'guard' the same way he'd handled the one in front of Jesse's room. But it'll be interesting to see how he responds. How truthful he is, and what kind of lie he'll cook up if not. ]
[ Jesse sort of side-steps through the hallway, not wanting to fully turn his back on Joel, but also not wanting to risk a trip-and-fall. With the guy's finger that close to the trigger, any sudden moves could mean getting shot, and Jesse's gotten this far in life without that experience. He'd like to make it as long as possible not knowing what a bullet wound feels like, even though he's been shot at plenty. Jesse contemplates lying. It comes as easily to him these days as it always has, only lately he doesn't feel that pang of guilt afterward. It's just the way things are. The cost of survival. There arent' niceties anymore. Everyone's out for themselves, and that's just how shit goes. It's beginning to get hard to remember how things were before. ]
There's one guy outside. I sent another one out on an errand but I don't know when he's s'posed to get back.
[ He isn't lying. Only, by the time he gets to the end of the hallway and starts down the stairs, he catches a glimpse of 'the guy outside' through one of the windows at the staircase landing. He's in a crumpled heap on the ground and Jesse winces, feeling defeated. He can only hope the guy's unconscious and not dead. Even in times like this, he isn't hardened enough to shrug off the loss of life. He hasn't grown that cold yet, and likely never will. ]
Where are we going?
[ It's starting to become clear that fighting this guy off isn't going to be a viable option. But, as he shoulders the door open and the fresh air hits him, he starts to panic and makes what's probably a stupid mistake as he hikes up his baggy jeans and then takes off in a dead sprint, trying to keep his movements erratic so it's harder to keep a steady aim on him. ]
[ Joel nods grimly to himself behind Jesse's back. It's not respect, exactly, but it is approval, at least. The kid hadn't lied, either in a moronic bid to convince Joel he had an army at his beck and call or with the slightly smarter aim of concealing the existence of what few allies he actually had.
Not that it changes anything, not really. It remains to see whether Jesse had told the truth because he was too smart to think it'd work, too stupid to consider trying it, or too scared to make the attempt. Joel doesn't think for a minute that it had been out of some antiquated sense of morality. That's twenty years gone, along with the rest of civilization.
For the moment, they just move down the corridor, Joel's gun at Jesse's back. All seems to be going well, even though the kid still hasn't learned to keep his mouth shut, apparently. Joel growls, nudging him hard between the shoulderblades with his pistol. ]
Shuddup.
[ Maybe it had been a step too far. Because the moment the door opens, Jesse yanks up his stupid, too-big pants and takes off in a desperate run, dodging and weaving in a move that's as likely to get him shot by accident as anything else, considering that Joel doesn't actually want to injure him if he can help it. He doesn't try running after him - the kid's young and fast and even the small headstart he'd managed to nab is already enough to put him out of Joel's reach. Insead, he takes aim at the ground near Jesse's feet, firing and sending up a spray of dirt and grass accompanied by an earshattering bang. He calls out in a harsh, no-nonsense voice. ]
[ Jesse hears the gunshot before he feels the spray of dirt and rock hitting his legs. It's far too close for comfort. He wonders if the fact that he'd missed is just an accident or intentional--that he doesn't actually want to shoot him. Either way, he's certain that he's fucked now. Jesse skids to a stop at Joel's words, even though every cell in his body is screaming at him to run--to keep going and don't stop until you get somewhere safe, which might be never. He isn't sure that safe places actually exist anymore. ]
Okay, okay.
[ Jesse freezes, folding both hands behind his head as if he's been stopped by the police. Better that this guy can see both his hands easily. There's nothing to reassure him that the next round won't hit him, and being injured tends to be a death sentence. He can't risk being unable to run when the situation calls for it. ]
I'm done, man, just--don't shoot.
[ Jesse's shaking, his heart up in his throat, his pulse pounding deafeningly in his ears. He squeezes his eyes shut as he hears the footsteps draw closer. ]
[ The kid stops before Joel can even finish issuing his warning. Maybe he does have some deep-buried survival instincts, after all.
But even so, Joel keeps his gun aimed and ready as he stomps after Jesse at his own methodical pace. Once he reaches him, he grabs him by the ear, twisting painfully and dragging him down almost to his knees as he growls his next warning. ]
Don't make me waste another bullet.
[ They're worth nearly as much as food, these days, and the kid should know that. Joel shoves him roughly away, glaring daggers at him, his gun still out even if it's no longer pointed at Jesse's head. ]
You try pullin' another stunt like that, you won't like how things go next. You understand?
[ Yeah, Jesse does generally try to stay alive, though his various life choices might have some questioning that fact. Running, for instance, might look like a death-wish. But for Jesse, it was a last-ditch effort at freedom. Before the world went to shit, he did everything in his power to keep from being locked up and he still has that instinct even though prisons are more or less defunct. Being caught by the military usually leads to a swift execution rather than detention and, well, the same apparently goes for not following orders from this guy. At least he was given a warning shot this time.
Jesse's shoulders tense and rise up towards his ears as he interlocks his fingers behind his head, a grimace scrunching up his face as he braces himself for whatever consequence he can sense coming as he hears and feels Joel's heavy footsteps getting closer.
He doesn't expect being grabbed by the ear, of all things, and the action in itself is almost as embarrassing as the surprised yelp that leaves his lips involuntarily as the burning, twisting pain brings him to his knees. Jesse fights the instinct to lash out, his arms flailing a little until he forces them to his sides, hands clenching up into tight fists as he whimpers helplessly.
He blinks back tears of frustration as he's shoved roughly, causing him to fall over, though he catches himself on outstretched palms so his face doesn't hit the dirt. Jesse refuses to look at Joel, but he can feel the guy's stare boring holes in the side of his head. He sniffs in hard and then lets out a sigh, tempted not to say anything at all but he has a feeling that the guy won't take silence for understanding, even as he nods in response. ]
Okay, man. I said I was done.
[ Jesse makes a face and pushes himself up to his feet, clapping his hands together to brush the dirt off of them before he does the same to the knees of his jeans. ]
Where are you taking me? Can you at least tell me that much?
[ Joel's eyes are hard and sharp as flint, fixed on Jesse. The kid isn't able to stop the yelp of pain and surprise as he goes to his knees, but he shuts up after that, doesn't cry or beg for relief, and that's worth something.
It's enough to earn him the truth, at least. Joel studies him as he picks himself up and brushes himself up, and gives him a sardonic twist of a smile. More than anything, he just looks tired. ]
Maybe you missed the memo holed up like y'were, but you're worth a lotta money now.
[ His gun is still clasped loosely in his right hand, and he gestures with it, indicating that Jesse should keep watching. ]
[ Jesse's mouth drops open and he goes still in his effort to clap the dusty dirt out of his clothing. He looks like he might throw up or pass out, legs threatening to give out from under him, but he manages to stay standing. ]
Wait, what?! You're just--you're just gonna hand me over? Y'know what they'll do to me? Nah, man...
[ Jesse starts shaking his head, reaching up to grab both sides of his neck. He can't stand still as his wide blue eyes start to well up. ]
Look---I-I'll give you my whole stash, tell you where to find the rest. I'll give you names. Everyone I've started selling shit off to. It's worth money. It's worth--
[ Jesse scrambles for something, anything to get this guy to change his tune, but he can't seem to find a chink in this guy's armor. He just stares, cold, and Jesse's face falls. ]
So you're...you're just cool with bein' a rat, then? Snitchin' some guy out you don't know anything about? Or is that what makes it easy?
[ It's true, Jesse's pleas are falling on deaf ears. Joel lets him babble, beg for some kind of deal, but he scoffs, rolling his eyes. ]
Oh, you'll give me names, huh? Your stash? Or maybe you'll just take off again, try an' save your sorry skin.
[ Nope, he's not buying it, any more than he's buying Jesse's hypocritical appeal to his own sense of loyalty. He fixes him with his gaze, raising a single eyebrow. ]
How many people you willin' t'rat out t'save yourself? Uh-uh. Sorry, kid. I ain't givin' up on a sure thing. Now move.
It's not the same thing, yo. The names I'd give you are just so you can get the drugs back from 'em. Y'know, to appease the people I stole 'em from. It's different. I'm not the one marching some guy to his fucking certain death just so I can make a quick buck.
[ Jesse scoffs. Sure, he's scared, but the threat of death still feels far off. He still feels like he can get out of this. Or maybe that's just his mind's last ditch effort at self-preservation so he doesn't just completely lose his shit. ]
Better hope I make it there alive, then. Or they won't give you squat.
[ There's a hint of a threat in there. That if Jesse really wanted to, he could just stick a gun in his mouth and make sure everyone's good and fucked. But he doesn't actually want to die, in spite of life being a hell of a lot different than it used to be. ]
I take it they're not a quick walk down the block?
[ Considering Jesse intercepted this shipment enroute, he's assuming the destination is a ways away. Or they would've had better luck in finding him. ]
[ It's not a bad argument, so far as it goes, but it also doesn't do Jesse any good at all. Joel's already made up his mind. He'd tracked Jesse down and taken out his guards, made a whole plan to bring him back to the people he'd doublecrossed, and he doesn't take risks like that on a whim. He wouldn't have bothered in the first place if the payday hadn't been worth it. ]
You can stop talkin'.
[ It's more than an invitation - there's a veiled threat of his own there, though Joel's eyes narrow at Jesse's words. Is he just asking for protection? Or would he really off himself rather than lose his own freedom? Joel's gut tells him he wouldn't, but people get desperate sometimes, and he doesn't know this kid at all. ]
Better hope.
[ He keeps his own tone mild. No point in giving up too much of his own thoughts. But Jesse's right. The drugs he'd stolen had been intended for another zone, and it won't be easy to get him there. To get either of them there.
Worth it, though. This pays off, and it's the end of smuggling individual boxes of bullets and bottles of pills in and out of the city, the end of struggling for scraps. He gestures with his gun again. ]
[ Jesse snaps back, a self-satisfied smirk on his face because they both know Joel can't kill him, which means he gets to be an extra annoying little shit and make this guy regret this decision of his the entire way there. Worst case, he gets sick of Jesse and puts one between his eyes. Because he knows that's a hell of a more merciful death than he'll have once these animals get their hands on him. If they let him die at all. ]
I figured that much. Not like you can hail a cab, exactly.
[ Jesse rolls his eyes, but he listens anyway, putting one foot in front of the other and letting out a frustrated sound at the sky as he gets to walking. It's not like he has much of a choice. He already knows what happens if he tries to run, and he'd rather his legs--and ears, for that matter--stay intact. ]
[ No, he can't hail a cab. Getting cars to run at all has gotten harder and harder over the last few years, even for FEDRA. For a nobody like Joel, it's walking all the way.
He doesn't take the bait, just rolling his eyes at Jesse's posturing and sarcasm. There are things he can do to make this unpleasant for Jesse, things that'll leave him still breathing and worth every ounce of that bounty. But there'll be plenty of time for Jesse to learn that for himself if he puts a toe out of line. For the moment, he's moving, if not exactly without complaint, and that's good enough.
They walk for a while. Joel doesn't feel the need to encourage conversation, and so it's quiet. But while they make fairly good time - Jesse doesn't drag his feet and try to delay too much, at least not that Joel can see - the fact is that it's way too long a walk for them to ever have had a hope of making it in one day. And getting caught out past curfew isn't worth the risk, not if he can help it. It's nearing sunset when Joel gestures with his gun to an alley that doesn't seem to lead much of anywhere. ]
[ Jesse does drag his feet a little, but not enough for Joel to really yell at him for. He talks for most of the walk, even when Joel stops replying. It's fairly obvious that he can't let more than a minute or two of silence go by without filling it with something, even if it's just humming a song to himself or kicking at rocks and gravel along the street.
He notes the sun getting low in the sky, but it seems like Joel has everything figured out. Or at least he should. People generally don't just go kidnapping other people without some kind of plan mapped out in their heads, right? Unless they're some kind of psycho. But Joel seems a little more put together than that. This wasn't something just done on a whim.
Jesse arches a brow as he looks down the darkened, dead-end alley and then back at Joel. Twice. ]
Oh yeah, sure. Just--go down the totally dark, sketchy-ass alleyway that, y'know, isn't a completely wicked out pathway to certain death.
[ Jesse throws his arms up, spouting sarcasm and waiting for Joel to give him some other option. When he doesn't, his face scrunches up. ]
What're you, high?. No way, man. You go in there. You're the one with the gun.
[ It becomes obvious pretty quickly that the kid can't keep his mouth shut if his life depends on it, and eventually Joel just sighs inwardly and resigns himself to the background noise. There may come a point where silence actually matters, and if he's threatening the guy with a fucked-up kneecap if he doesn't put a lid on it from the jump, there'll be no way to make it clear when he needs to shut up for real to keep them both alive, as opposed to just because the constant sound is driving Joel slowly insane.
So of course he argues this, too. Joel just stops and looks at him, his expression stonelike. ]
We're both goin' in there.
[ As if he's about to let the kid out of his sight for one second. He jerks his head towards the alley, a clear indication of so get moving. ]
'Less you prefer t'sleep out on the road. Get stepped on by FEDRA soldiers before they shoot your ass for breakin' curfew.
[ It's no huge surprise that Jesse comes off as an idiot. That's partly a defense mechanism. Better to be underestimated, and all that. He's not actually as dumb as he seems, though, and he knows how to shut his mouth when his life depends on it. For the most part.
Jesse's expression softens a little when Joel explains, with little patience, that they're both going down the Creepy Serial Killer alleyway. Okay, then. Maybe that makes it a little less daunting. But he's not about to admit that out loud.
Instead, he lets out an exaggerated huff. ]
Yeah, fine, yo. Whatever. Hopefully neither of us get, like, tetanus or some shit.
[ Does Jesse even know how one gets tetanus? It's something to ponder as he pauses intentionally before turning down the alleyway, squinting as if it'll somehow help him see into the shadows. He nearly trips over a discarded pile of junk, but catches himself, blue eyes darting back at Joel momentarily as he shrugs. ]
[ Well, at least the kid's capable of listening. Joel recognizes the change in his expression when he learns that he's not being sent down the alley alone. So he really had been scared. And for whatever reason, he trusts Joel to look after him down there, instead of just thinking he's being marched to his death or something.
Well. He is worth more alive than dead. At least for the moment.
Joel just grunts noncommittally - he's not about to get pulled into some drawn-out conversation about shots and infections - and waits for Jesse to move. He's right behind him, and though he knows this tunnel and doesn't have any reason to suspect trouble here, he is actually on alert, as always, just in case. So the worst Jesse has to worry about, apparently, is tripping over his own two feet and smacking facefirst into the ground. Joel stops short behind him when he nearly does just that, and though he doesn't say watch your step out loud, his expression should say it all. ]
Keep movin'.
[ His tone is, maybe, just a shade more patient when he says it. The kid may be an idiot who'd crossed the wrong people and hadn't had the brains to get the hell out of dodge after, but it's been a shitty day for both of them, and he's still going. He hasn't made another attempt to run off or turn Joel's gun back on him. Maybe there is hope for him, after all. At least until they get to where they're going and Joel turns him over to the people he'd screwed over, that is.
But that's a problem for Jesse, and it's a problem for later. For the moment, he just follows Jesse down the alley until they reach the doorway he'd been watching for. It looks like it's boarded up, but Joel calls for Jesse to stop and then he's fiddling with the handle, pulling the whole thing open, boards and all, to reveal a darkened hallway. ]
In here. Y'got a light?
[ There's always his flashlight, if Jesse says no. ]
[ Jesse pauses, a look of confusion on his face when Joel tells him to wait. But then the guy's prying open this door that looks like it's off-limits. Except the boards come with it. Huh. Good camouflage. He eyes the entryway before looking at Joel. ]
Uh, no. You didn't exactly give me a chance to pack up any of my shit back there, remember?
[ Jesse makes a face. He's certain people are plundering his hideout as they speak, taking anything and everything he's got left to his name. It's not the first time he's lost it all, but that doesn't make it suck any less. Guess it doesn't really matter in the long run. He's just a dead man walking, anyway. But something dawns on him and he pats his pockets. ]
I got a zippo lighter, I think. But I dunno...might wanna save the fuel in case we actually need it for somethin'.
[ He pulls it out of his pocket anyway, flicking the lid open and closed. It's something to fidget with when the uncertainty of it all is crawling through his veins like a sickness. ]
[ No, he hadn't. Joel's not that stupid - not when Jesse could've had a gun hidden away under a pillow or stuffed in with his clothes. He grimaces, then nods reluctantly. ]
Keep it.
[ Not that he wants to drain his flashlight battery either, but the lighter'll come in handy for more than just lighting their way. He pulls out his flashlight and turns it on, holding it up over Jesse's head to illuminate the path in front of him. ]
Walk til you get to the end, there'll be an opening on your right.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
zvi
no subject
Date: 2022-10-30 01:09 am (UTC)But he'd heard the rumors, and his brief but brutal interrogation of the guard - a pathetic excuse for a bodyguard, but you get what you pay for - had confirmed everything he'd needed to know. The kid had been resourceful enough to make off with a haul that never should've belonged to him, smart enough to go to ground afterwards. But not quite smart enough to keep himself scarce. People have long memories these days, especially when it comes to thieves, especially when it comes to thieves who'd made off with as much as Jesse had. Joel doesn't have any use for the type of drugs Jesse'd stolen, but the bounty that had been placed on his head afterwards?
Yeah. He has a use for that. ]
Shut the fuck up.
[ A quick scan of the room had shown him that Jesse's skinny, alone, and unarmed. Not a threat, at leat not an immediate one - he doesn't seem to have quite grasped what's happening yet, still sitting down with a crinkly bag of chips in his hands. Joel shoves the guard forward, then aims a sharp kick at the back of his legs, sending him falling down onto his knees with a pathetic cry. As soon as he's down, the pistol in Joel's hand comes into view, now aimed directly at the back of the guard's head.
He addresses Jesse, though, his eyes glued to him, braced and ready in case he tries to make some stupid move. ]
You gonna come quiet, or does this have to get messy?
no subject
Date: 2022-10-30 02:29 am (UTC)[ The chips unceremoniously fly out of Jesse's hands and his worn Nike-clad feet slam down to the ground as his chair tips forward so all four legs rest evenly unlike before, where he'd been precariously balancing on the rear two. After the sudden movement, the room grows still and quiet and Jesse makes certain that both his hands are in Joel's view--palms out as if to say 'no threat here'. Even as he can feel his pulse hammering away in his ears, he's thinking quick, trying to sort out a way to get to the heavy trunk in the corner. He'd become too comfortable and stopped carrying a gun in his waistband once the days stretched into weeks and then months. Once he started to feel safe. But in this day and age, safety is relative isn't it? And it's more of an abstract concept than it ever had been in the 'real world'. Are you ever truly safe in times like these? He should have known the answer was no. But he had become complacent. Relaxed. Hindsight is 20/20. ]
Listen, man. Just--just tell me what you need, okay? You want pills? Coke? You seem, uh, a little jumpy to be the heroin type, but like, no judgments here, yo. Whatever it is you want, rest assured I got it.
[ As he's talking, he's easing his way out of the chair and trying to put a little distance between him and Joel, even though the gun isn't pointed at him. Yet. ]
Let's all just, like, take a deep breath and y'know, 'woosah'. I mean. Bullets ain't easy to come by these days. You sure you wanna waste 'em when we could just talk this out?
no subject
Date: 2022-10-30 07:42 am (UTC)I don't want your goddamn drugs.
[ But while the way Jesse panics and can't get his hands up in the air fast enough is gratifying, the scowl is back on Joel's face the moment Jesse starts trying to ease himself out of his chair. ]
Sit down.
[ His tone is cold, and brooks no argument. Joel shoves the end of his pistol against the back of the guard's head, and the man whimpers, sounding like he's ready to cry or piss himself or both. Joel shakes his head slightly, but his eyes never leave Jesse. ]
Gonna ask you one more time. You comin' along quietly now, or you gonna make me do this the hard way?
no subject
Date: 2022-10-30 07:13 pm (UTC)Jesse falls back into his seat with a sigh, pressing his fingers into his eyes and then laying his hands on the table. He can't figure out what this guy wants eith him, but whatever it is, he clearly means business. Somehow, though, that isn't quite enough to put a halt to Jesse's smart-ass comments. ]
Which one is it, yo?
[ Jesse scoffs, staring Joel right back in the eye. This isn't the first time he's had a gun pulled on him, and it won't be the last. As hard as his heart is pounding, though, he's reminding himself not to back down. Not to show weakness. The weak get preyed on, especially these days. ]
You want me to sit down or go with you? 'Cause unless you wanna push me around in this chair like a little bitch, I suggest you pick one.
no subject
Date: 2022-11-01 01:33 am (UTC)He flips the gun in his hand and brings the butt of the pistol down hard on the back of the guard's head, and the man goes down like a sack of bricks. Out cold, but he'll survive. Probably. Most importantly, he's not a factor anymore. Lightning-quick, Joel flips the gun around again, this time pointing it at Jesse. ]
Up. Move. We're goin' for a walk and you ain't gonna say a word.
no subject
Date: 2022-11-08 05:12 am (UTC)Okay, yo. Just. Shit--at least take your finger off the trigger.
[ Jesse very slowly and carefully gets up from his seat. He's tempted to pull his way-too-baggy pants up, but would rather risk them falling down than being shot for any suspicious reaching. The last thing he wants to do is approach someone with a gun, so he takes a long path around the room, keeping as wide a berth from Joel as possible before scurrying past him to get through the doorway and then spinning around, not taking the chance of turning his back on the guy even if it means tripping over himself walking backward. ]
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Date: 2022-11-12 03:06 am (UTC)He also ignores Jesse's plea. His finger isn't on the trigger - he doesn't actually want to blow the kid's brains out, no matter what it may look like right now - but it's close enough. Just in case. And he's not about to change that.
He jerks the gun to the side slightly, indicating the hallway beyond. ]
Keep goin'.
Y'got any other friends around?
[ There'd been one, patrolling the outside of the building - Joel had done his homework, scoped the place out, and dispatched the other 'guard' the same way he'd handled the one in front of Jesse's room. But it'll be interesting to see how he responds. How truthful he is, and what kind of lie he'll cook up if not. ]
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Date: 2022-12-17 02:40 am (UTC)There's one guy outside. I sent another one out on an errand but I don't know when he's s'posed to get back.
[ He isn't lying. Only, by the time he gets to the end of the hallway and starts down the stairs, he catches a glimpse of 'the guy outside' through one of the windows at the staircase landing. He's in a crumpled heap on the ground and Jesse winces, feeling defeated. He can only hope the guy's unconscious and not dead. Even in times like this, he isn't hardened enough to shrug off the loss of life. He hasn't grown that cold yet, and likely never will. ]
Where are we going?
[ It's starting to become clear that fighting this guy off isn't going to be a viable option. But, as he shoulders the door open and the fresh air hits him, he starts to panic and makes what's probably a stupid mistake as he hikes up his baggy jeans and then takes off in a dead sprint, trying to keep his movements erratic so it's harder to keep a steady aim on him. ]
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Date: 2022-12-25 02:00 am (UTC)Not that it changes anything, not really. It remains to see whether Jesse had told the truth because he was too smart to think it'd work, too stupid to consider trying it, or too scared to make the attempt. Joel doesn't think for a minute that it had been out of some antiquated sense of morality. That's twenty years gone, along with the rest of civilization.
For the moment, they just move down the corridor, Joel's gun at Jesse's back. All seems to be going well, even though the kid still hasn't learned to keep his mouth shut, apparently. Joel growls, nudging him hard between the shoulderblades with his pistol. ]
Shuddup.
[ Maybe it had been a step too far. Because the moment the door opens, Jesse yanks up his stupid, too-big pants and takes off in a desperate run, dodging and weaving in a move that's as likely to get him shot by accident as anything else, considering that Joel doesn't actually want to injure him if he can help it. He doesn't try running after him - the kid's young and fast and even the small headstart he'd managed to nab is already enough to put him out of Joel's reach. Insead, he takes aim at the ground near Jesse's feet, firing and sending up a spray of dirt and grass accompanied by an earshattering bang. He calls out in a harsh, no-nonsense voice. ]
Next one's goin' through your calf. Stop.
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Date: 2022-12-28 12:39 pm (UTC)Okay, okay.
[ Jesse freezes, folding both hands behind his head as if he's been stopped by the police. Better that this guy can see both his hands easily. There's nothing to reassure him that the next round won't hit him, and being injured tends to be a death sentence. He can't risk being unable to run when the situation calls for it. ]
I'm done, man, just--don't shoot.
[ Jesse's shaking, his heart up in his throat, his pulse pounding deafeningly in his ears. He squeezes his eyes shut as he hears the footsteps draw closer. ]
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Date: 2023-01-08 06:18 am (UTC)But even so, Joel keeps his gun aimed and ready as he stomps after Jesse at his own methodical pace. Once he reaches him, he grabs him by the ear, twisting painfully and dragging him down almost to his knees as he growls his next warning. ]
Don't make me waste another bullet.
[ They're worth nearly as much as food, these days, and the kid should know that. Joel shoves him roughly away, glaring daggers at him, his gun still out even if it's no longer pointed at Jesse's head. ]
You try pullin' another stunt like that, you won't like how things go next. You understand?
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Date: 2023-01-09 09:37 pm (UTC)Jesse's shoulders tense and rise up towards his ears as he interlocks his fingers behind his head, a grimace scrunching up his face as he braces himself for whatever consequence he can sense coming as he hears and feels Joel's heavy footsteps getting closer.
He doesn't expect being grabbed by the ear, of all things, and the action in itself is almost as embarrassing as the surprised yelp that leaves his lips involuntarily as the burning, twisting pain brings him to his knees. Jesse fights the instinct to lash out, his arms flailing a little until he forces them to his sides, hands clenching up into tight fists as he whimpers helplessly.
He blinks back tears of frustration as he's shoved roughly, causing him to fall over, though he catches himself on outstretched palms so his face doesn't hit the dirt. Jesse refuses to look at Joel, but he can feel the guy's stare boring holes in the side of his head. He sniffs in hard and then lets out a sigh, tempted not to say anything at all but he has a feeling that the guy won't take silence for understanding, even as he nods in response. ]
Okay, man. I said I was done.
[ Jesse makes a face and pushes himself up to his feet, clapping his hands together to brush the dirt off of them before he does the same to the knees of his jeans. ]
Where are you taking me? Can you at least tell me that much?
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Date: 2023-01-14 08:21 pm (UTC)It's enough to earn him the truth, at least. Joel studies him as he picks himself up and brushes himself up, and gives him a sardonic twist of a smile. More than anything, he just looks tired. ]
Maybe you missed the memo holed up like y'were, but you're worth a lotta money now.
[ His gun is still clasped loosely in his right hand, and he gestures with it, indicating that Jesse should keep watching. ]
An' I'm about to collect.
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Date: 2023-01-14 10:52 pm (UTC)Wait, what?! You're just--you're just gonna hand me over? Y'know what they'll do to me? Nah, man...
[ Jesse starts shaking his head, reaching up to grab both sides of his neck. He can't stand still as his wide blue eyes start to well up. ]
Look---I-I'll give you my whole stash, tell you where to find the rest. I'll give you names. Everyone I've started selling shit off to. It's worth money. It's worth--
[ Jesse scrambles for something, anything to get this guy to change his tune, but he can't seem to find a chink in this guy's armor. He just stares, cold, and Jesse's face falls. ]
So you're...you're just cool with bein' a rat, then? Snitchin' some guy out you don't know anything about? Or is that what makes it easy?
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Date: 2023-01-14 11:46 pm (UTC)Oh, you'll give me names, huh? Your stash? Or maybe you'll just take off again, try an' save your sorry skin.
[ Nope, he's not buying it, any more than he's buying Jesse's hypocritical appeal to his own sense of loyalty. He fixes him with his gaze, raising a single eyebrow. ]
How many people you willin' t'rat out t'save yourself? Uh-uh. Sorry, kid. I ain't givin' up on a sure thing. Now move.
cw: suicidal imagery
Date: 2023-01-15 12:07 am (UTC)[ Jesse scoffs. Sure, he's scared, but the threat of death still feels far off. He still feels like he can get out of this. Or maybe that's just his mind's last ditch effort at self-preservation so he doesn't just completely lose his shit. ]
Better hope I make it there alive, then. Or they won't give you squat.
[ There's a hint of a threat in there. That if Jesse really wanted to, he could just stick a gun in his mouth and make sure everyone's good and fucked. But he doesn't actually want to die, in spite of life being a hell of a lot different than it used to be. ]
I take it they're not a quick walk down the block?
[ Considering Jesse intercepted this shipment enroute, he's assuming the destination is a ways away. Or they would've had better luck in finding him. ]
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Date: 2023-01-15 12:42 am (UTC)You can stop talkin'.
[ It's more than an invitation - there's a veiled threat of his own there, though Joel's eyes narrow at Jesse's words. Is he just asking for protection? Or would he really off himself rather than lose his own freedom? Joel's gut tells him he wouldn't, but people get desperate sometimes, and he doesn't know this kid at all. ]
Better hope.
[ He keeps his own tone mild. No point in giving up too much of his own thoughts. But Jesse's right. The drugs he'd stolen had been intended for another zone, and it won't be easy to get him there. To get either of them there.
Worth it, though. This pays off, and it's the end of smuggling individual boxes of bullets and bottles of pills in and out of the city, the end of struggling for scraps. He gestures with his gun again. ]
It's a walk. So get a move on.
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Date: 2023-01-15 01:03 am (UTC)[ Jesse snaps back, a self-satisfied smirk on his face because they both know Joel can't kill him, which means he gets to be an extra annoying little shit and make this guy regret this decision of his the entire way there. Worst case, he gets sick of Jesse and puts one between his eyes. Because he knows that's a hell of a more merciful death than he'll have once these animals get their hands on him. If they let him die at all. ]
I figured that much. Not like you can hail a cab, exactly.
[ Jesse rolls his eyes, but he listens anyway, putting one foot in front of the other and letting out a frustrated sound at the sky as he gets to walking. It's not like he has much of a choice. He already knows what happens if he tries to run, and he'd rather his legs--and ears, for that matter--stay intact. ]
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Date: 2023-02-07 07:16 am (UTC)He doesn't take the bait, just rolling his eyes at Jesse's posturing and sarcasm. There are things he can do to make this unpleasant for Jesse, things that'll leave him still breathing and worth every ounce of that bounty. But there'll be plenty of time for Jesse to learn that for himself if he puts a toe out of line. For the moment, he's moving, if not exactly without complaint, and that's good enough.
They walk for a while. Joel doesn't feel the need to encourage conversation, and so it's quiet. But while they make fairly good time - Jesse doesn't drag his feet and try to delay too much, at least not that Joel can see - the fact is that it's way too long a walk for them to ever have had a hope of making it in one day. And getting caught out past curfew isn't worth the risk, not if he can help it. It's nearing sunset when Joel gestures with his gun to an alley that doesn't seem to lead much of anywhere. ]
In there.
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Date: 2023-02-09 12:57 am (UTC)He notes the sun getting low in the sky, but it seems like Joel has everything figured out. Or at least he should. People generally don't just go kidnapping other people without some kind of plan mapped out in their heads, right? Unless they're some kind of psycho. But Joel seems a little more put together than that. This wasn't something just done on a whim.
Jesse arches a brow as he looks down the darkened, dead-end alley and then back at Joel. Twice. ]
Oh yeah, sure. Just--go down the totally dark, sketchy-ass alleyway that, y'know, isn't a completely wicked out pathway to certain death.
[ Jesse throws his arms up, spouting sarcasm and waiting for Joel to give him some other option. When he doesn't, his face scrunches up. ]
What're you, high?. No way, man. You go in there. You're the one with the gun.
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Date: 2023-02-14 07:41 am (UTC)So of course he argues this, too. Joel just stops and looks at him, his expression stonelike. ]
We're both goin' in there.
[ As if he's about to let the kid out of his sight for one second. He jerks his head towards the alley, a clear indication of so get moving. ]
'Less you prefer t'sleep out on the road. Get stepped on by FEDRA soldiers before they shoot your ass for breakin' curfew.
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Date: 2023-02-15 03:54 pm (UTC)Jesse's expression softens a little when Joel explains, with little patience, that they're both going down the Creepy Serial Killer alleyway. Okay, then. Maybe that makes it a little less daunting. But he's not about to admit that out loud.
Instead, he lets out an exaggerated huff. ]
Yeah, fine, yo. Whatever. Hopefully neither of us get, like, tetanus or some shit.
[ Does Jesse even know how one gets tetanus? It's something to ponder as he pauses intentionally before turning down the alleyway, squinting as if it'll somehow help him see into the shadows. He nearly trips over a discarded pile of junk, but catches himself, blue eyes darting back at Joel momentarily as he shrugs. ]
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Date: 2023-02-16 07:01 am (UTC)Well. He is worth more alive than dead. At least for the moment.
Joel just grunts noncommittally - he's not about to get pulled into some drawn-out conversation about shots and infections - and waits for Jesse to move. He's right behind him, and though he knows this tunnel and doesn't have any reason to suspect trouble here, he is actually on alert, as always, just in case. So the worst Jesse has to worry about, apparently, is tripping over his own two feet and smacking facefirst into the ground. Joel stops short behind him when he nearly does just that, and though he doesn't say watch your step out loud, his expression should say it all. ]
Keep movin'.
[ His tone is, maybe, just a shade more patient when he says it. The kid may be an idiot who'd crossed the wrong people and hadn't had the brains to get the hell out of dodge after, but it's been a shitty day for both of them, and he's still going. He hasn't made another attempt to run off or turn Joel's gun back on him. Maybe there is hope for him, after all. At least until they get to where they're going and Joel turns him over to the people he'd screwed over, that is.
But that's a problem for Jesse, and it's a problem for later. For the moment, he just follows Jesse down the alley until they reach the doorway he'd been watching for. It looks like it's boarded up, but Joel calls for Jesse to stop and then he's fiddling with the handle, pulling the whole thing open, boards and all, to reveal a darkened hallway. ]
In here. Y'got a light?
[ There's always his flashlight, if Jesse says no. ]
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Date: 2023-02-16 06:41 pm (UTC)Uh, no. You didn't exactly give me a chance to pack up any of my shit back there, remember?
[ Jesse makes a face. He's certain people are plundering his hideout as they speak, taking anything and everything he's got left to his name. It's not the first time he's lost it all, but that doesn't make it suck any less. Guess it doesn't really matter in the long run. He's just a dead man walking, anyway. But something dawns on him and he pats his pockets. ]
I got a zippo lighter, I think. But I dunno...might wanna save the fuel in case we actually need it for somethin'.
[ He pulls it out of his pocket anyway, flicking the lid open and closed. It's something to fidget with when the uncertainty of it all is crawling through his veins like a sickness. ]
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Date: 2023-02-19 04:48 am (UTC)Keep it.
[ Not that he wants to drain his flashlight battery either, but the lighter'll come in handy for more than just lighting their way. He pulls out his flashlight and turns it on, holding it up over Jesse's head to illuminate the path in front of him. ]
Walk til you get to the end, there'll be an opening on your right.
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