Nickels and Nails

[Leo]

I stared at the case for a few minutes. This stupid thing is what they were after...I reached down and opened the case, reaching in and grabbing a semi-automatic handblaster. I then reached forward and pulled the sheet off the artifact that sat in the case, the very same one father told me to keep close to my person at all times. I slammed the case shut and dropped it over the balcony into the dumpster in the alley below. I quickly turned and ran low, close to the wall, Jesse ran along the opposite wall and ducked low when he saw me stop. I slowly poked my head up over the wall. My father looked straight at me.

For a moment I could make out a hint of a smile. I nodded and ducked back down. He knew we were coming for him.

"Get down there and move him inside now! What the hell are you waiting for?" someone on the ship said and a man rushed down the tarmac. He was big...as big as me and he picked up my father by the scruff of the neck. "Get him inside you oaf!"

No on my time. I brought up the semi-auto and fired a burst shot at the big man. The shots hit him square in the neck. The impact sent him reeling into the side of the ship. He dropped my father who ran straight for Jesse. Jesse covered him with a sheet and ran him down the opposite alley. I continued to fire supression fire at the ship as it's engines warmed up to chase Jesse and my father...a sudden barage of weapons fire from another ship lit up from across the tarmac and destroyed one of the ships engines. The ship faltered, shuddered, and lost power. It crashed into a building near the tarmac. I looked to who had saved their lives and saw my old friend Giovanni hovering in his Sabre.

"You ok Josh?" he asked over the intercom.

"I'm fine old friend. Thank you for the help."

"Anytime, we have to clean up this mess and question that man...after that we'll talk more later. I can see if they'll let you question him too, I'm sure you have questions for him."

I nodded and the ship turned and flew back to the tarmac. I caught up to the two hiding behind a dumpster.

"It's clear." I said and immediately hugged my father. He returned the hug in full force. It had been many years since I had seen him and his face was welcome, no matter how raggity it was.

"The case." he croaked. "Where is the case?"

"Safe." I replied.

"What case?" Jesse asked.

"You didn't tell him?"

"I thought you were dead and...I couldn't live with the fact that I had-"

"Nonsense. I'm a Reynolds. I don't 'die'. Get the case, we need to get Jesse caught up."

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You fear oblivion. Yet you forget. The universe remembers every atom of your being. Even dust hums your name in the dark.

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Starlight Research Consortium | The Banished Legion | Astral
[OOC]Junker Gameplay Loop Suggestion | [OOC]Boneyard Mining Suggestion