by Danny and thedoctor
Danny Hearn stood right in front of a large wooden door in the Fish Factory, running over the decisions in his mind. He was taking four people on this next mission, so he had to choose his field team. He raised his hand and knocked. A moment later, Grimm appeared in the doorway.
"So you're coming with me?"
"Like I'd let you do this alone."
Danny smiled. "Thanks. I'll come back and let you know once I've told the others."
Danny headed down to the kitchen, thinking that's where he'd find his next choice. On the way, he passed by the office. Peering in, he noticed Grissom Montag at the computer, teaching Charley Montoya about their newly installed computer system in the old factory. Danny leaned up against the open doorway and knocked.
"Danny."
"Grissom. You know, I thought you might come in handy on this next mission."
"I'm staying here."
"Exactly what I thought. I want you overseeing the building's reconstruction."
"Glad to see we agree."
"Right." Danny nodded goodbye to Grissom and waved to Charley. A moment later, he was in the kitchen. He found Dirk Bell pouring himself a bowl of cereal.
"Hey Danny. Cereal?"
Danny shook his head.
"Just had a weird talk with the new guy. Made me hungry. Do you know how much food went bad when the storm cut the power at our old place off? A crying shame... so am I coming on this new mission or what?" Dirk said.
"I was hoping you would."
"Right. Any reason?"
"Sometimes... not always, but sometimes... the best thing to have on your side is a guy who knows how to put bullets in heads and blow shit up."
Dirk cracked a smile. "I thought you didn't trust me."
"I trust you. You just irritate me."
Dirk laughed. "Yeah, I get that a lot," he said. "So, you score with Rachel yet or what?"
"Huh?"
"I figure you'd have at least asked her out by now."
"It's... it's not that simple."
"Pussy."
Danny laughed, shook his head, and left the room. In the hallway, he crossed paths with Edulcore Cicciotto, the Raptor.
"Ed..."
"Danny?"
"Do you want to come with? On the next mission?"
"Of course."
"I just... I'd like to have one of the originals there. You know what I mean?"
"Sure."
"Great. Thanks," Danny said, and hurried off down the hallway. He soon reached his final destination in front of another bedroom door. He raised his arm to knock, but before he got a chance to, the door swung open and there stood Chance in the doorway.
"How'd you know I was here?" Danny asked.
"I didn't. I was just about to step out myself. And there you were," Chance replied.
Danny just shrugged this off. This sort of thing had long since stopped surprising anyone when it came to Chance.
"You know, Kris," Danny began, "I really think we could use some luck on this mission. And I may not know you as well as the some of the others, but I know this: you seem like you can handle yourself in the field. How about it?"
"Yes, okay. No problem."
"Great... great. That makes five. I'll brief you all once we have our travel arrangements finalized. Cool?"
"Sure."
Danny was soon back in Grimm's temporary room in the former fish factory. Like most of the other bedrooms, Grimm's was on the first floor. Danny paced up and down while Grimm sat on his bed.
"So it's you, Dirk, Ed, and Chance."
"And you."
"And me," Danny said.
"Right. Five guys. Because Kit says so?"
"What? Of course not. We don't take orders from him, just suggestions. But this time he's right. Five people is a good number. We don't really need any more for this mission."
"So what about M'xy?"
"What about him?"
"He's the most powerful. I thought you'd feel safe bringing him along," Grimm said.
"I don't know... there's been something... odd about him lately. Odder, I mean. And I had a strange conversation with him during the storm... about his limits. I just... I'd prefer not to use him unless I really have to. The more powerful the team is, the more there is at stake."
Grimm nodded. "And Phil?" he asked.
"Still a bit of an unknown. I went with people I knew better. Same with Jackie. And Grissom is best off here, looking after the rebuilding. Tayden's brand new," Danny explained.
"Right. Okay. Sounds good," Grimm said. He didn't bother asking why Danny didn't bring Priest.
"And are you going to be able to handle it?" Grimm asked, gesturing toward Danny's injuries.
Danny looked down at himself. His arm and chest were still bandaged. And he had that scar on his neck, the scar that would probably be there forever.
"I... I'll be fine. I mean, it's been a little while since it happened. I'm just about over it. I may not be a hundred percent if we get into a no-holds-barred battle or something, but... but I'll be fine," Danny said, nodding.
"Right. Sure you are. Just checking."
"I'm going to go see Kit about the travel arrangements. Talk to you soon."
Tayden walked back into Dirk's room in the Fish Factory. "Um... Hey, where did you get off to? You were gone for quite some time."
"Out," Dirk said as he put a suitcase that he had just purchased on the bed. Most of his things were still sitting under a pile of rubble where half of the complex used to be. Good thing he didn't really have any personal items. "I had to make a few arrangements for the trip." He walked over to the closet and opened it up. Several black trench coats filled it. Italy. Winter. It's probably gonna be cold, he thought to himself as he pulled down the wool coat and put it into the suitcase.
"I was wanting to talk with you," the fallen angel continued as Dirk proceeded to pack a few more clothes, "about what we were talking about earlier. I think that it's important."
"Tell you what," the gunslinger said as he rounded a corner out of Tayden's sight. "Leave a pamphlet on the nightstand, and I promise not to wipe my ass with it later." He returned from around the corner with his hat in his hand. He placed it in the suitcase before taking off his coat and hanging it back up in the closet.
"That's what I'm talking about. Your total disregard for... everything. There's too much out there for you to just push it all away."
"There's too much at stake for me not to." The gunslinger's voice was cold and quick. "Listen..." For a brief moment, Tayden thought that he saw a shimmer in the man's eyes. "...you seem to be a nice guy, so let me give you some advice: Don't try and play that bringing-out-the-nice-guy game with me. I'm the wrong guy. You'll lose every time."
"That's the problem. I can't give up like that. I have a purpose here."
"So do I. And it doesn't involve being anyone's friend." He began to take off his gun holsters and place his weapons in a footlocker. "Now go bug someone else. See if you can get Grimm to take off that damn mask of his."
"Um... Well, it's not really... oh, never mind." Tayden walked out of Dirk's room.