Granny reclined back in her cushy office chair, keeping her expression flat as Monica meekly entered the room. "Um, you wanted to see me?" the little girl asked. Granny was slow to answer the query. She leaned forward, glaring into the girl's frightened expression. Eventually, once the tension was thick enough to cut, she opened her mouth. "I thought I asked you, to watch my grandson." Her voice seemed calm, yet with a firmness that almost contradicted the emotion. "What happened, Monica? Why is he practically immobile?" She asked.
Monica froze up for a moment. She was dreading that question, hoping that Granny wouldn't notice a Deegan's state. Realizing that she should probably answer that, she got a hold of herself, cleared her throat, and said, "Well, everything was going fine until he crossed a makeshift bridge that I couldn't follow, mostly because I was making sure that it didn't fall. From what he told me, he ended up with that Russian woman immediately afterwards, not that i'd know since I was busy fending off and protecting Magic from dogs. The next time I found him, he was embedded in the hood of a car, exhausted. The Matador apparently put him there after Deegan knocked him out of a window and landed on said bullfighter."
She hesitated for a moment before saying, "I-I'm sorry. Things got out of hand quickly in there, especially when the lights went out, the dogs came, and Raul got hurled out of the top floor window. I should have been more prepared for that."
Granny noticeably considered Monica's words. "Yeah, you're right. You should've been. Keep that in mind the next time I give you an assignment." She smiled a low half-smile. "...But, I can tell you at least tried. It was your first time doing something like this, and you still tossed your weight around under immense pressure. And, you didn't get Deegan killed. All in all, you did pretty good for your first day." She scoffed and shook her head. "That boy always was abnormally durable, just like his mamma..." She looked back at Monica. "It's clear you've got tons of potential. And I can mold you, point you in the right direction. But you just gotta let me. Okay? Don't let something like this happen again, Monica."
"Okay, Granny." Monica spoke, relief washing over her as she found out that she wasn't going to get chewed out anymore than that. Still, she did make a note to try and learn from today, rather than disappoint Granny again. Maybe she could get some of the others to help out, like Raul or that Russian woman.
Hey, wait, hadn't she told Magic and Raul to keep an eye out on him too? Why weren't they getting nearly skewered up here as well along side her? ...Then again, Raul didn't seem like the most focused individual, trying to gain a pet in mid-combat and all, and Magic self-admitted that he wasn't so great with combat, his real skills lying with tech. Damn her and her moderateness between the two of them. She guessed in that light it did make sense to hold her responsible.
Still, she was out of trouble for now...best to make sure it stayed that way. Granny interrupted her thoughts. "Hope i'm not ruining your summer break...Summer school starts at your High School, tomorrow. And I've already enrolled you and Raul for some extracurricular credits. Of course, i'm not sending you there to just get extra credits. I know that school'll be dripping with stupid little gang rats, especially those rockin' the pyro/royal colors. As long as they don't know who you're affiliated with, it shouldn't take much for you two to get any dirt on either gang. Make sure you keep it at just that: getting dirt. I know you're strong, but don't go trying to pick a fight. I shouldn't have to tell you that, but I want to cover my bases." Granny finished her description of the mission.
Go home, get your uniform nice n' ironed, and make sure you get enough sleep. You gotta get up early for school in the morning. Make sure you report here first before you go. Okay?"
"Huh?" She let slip out by accident, understandably thrown for a loop for a moment. As quickly as she let that slip, she tried make up for that by saying, "Yes Granny, " understand. No fighting, just getting info. I'll be ready."
In truth, she hadn't expected to be doing this when she signed up. Fighting, yes, she knew she'd be doing that, but not intel, and at her own school nonetheless! Still, if it was necessary, then she would suck it up and get it done. "That's what I wanna hear, baby." Granny reassured. "Alright, you can go." She added.
"Okay then." Monica said calmly, and moved to the door. She gave Granny and Millie one last look before leaving, closing said door behind her. "Now...I should see if Raul knows about this assignment or not...damn it, it's like i'm in school again already!", she thought in annoyance as she walked back to the others, ticked that how easily she moved to a school mindset.
[hr]
As Monica quickly exited, Granny's expression lowered once more. "Millicent, what was the one rule I gave the group during this morning's briefing~?" It was as if she sung the question to the girl, like a really angry muse.
"Honestly." Milli replied, massaging a sore shoulder. "You should just be glad that bitseach was the only one." Sitting down, she leant forward, looking Granny levelly in the eyes. "Between us and the Conkies, there should've been...and in all honesty probably are more casualties. The military calls 'em 'Collateral Damage' and always expects some in a fight with normal people around. Bullets don't just stop once they hit a wall, or the asshole you?re shooting at."
Shifting slightly, she went for a cigarette, then made a face. Her mum had finally pressured her in to quitting a week ago. Damn, sure could use one now though. "As for what I did." She said eventually. "There was no time to 'negotiate' or any other shit like that...and save your wrath, you knew exactly how I work when you hired me. If you don?t like it, I can go back to the family business."
"I didn't ask for all of your excuses, Millicent. I asked you a question." Granny reestablished with a stone cold
tone.
Milli let out a sigh. "NOW I could really use a smoke." "You said 'No collateral damage' but since that wasn't possible, I decided to ignore your 'orders' on the grounds it'd probably get me killed." Sitting back in the chair, she never broke eye contact. "Go hIfreann leat. Streachailt leathair cailleach" She muttered under her breath.
Faster than Millicient could anticipate, Granny reached over her desk, yanking the girl by her red ponytail. "Níl aon bacainní teanga sa teach seo, cailín beag. Now, I don't know just who the FUCK you think you're talking to, but I didn't live 72 years of MY life to get insulted in my own MOTHERFUCKING home, by some snot-nosed little *****!" Shirley had no intentions on letting up on her grip, and instead tightened it, as she dragged the girl over the desk, and closer to her face.
Sucking in a breath as she got hauled over the desk by her hair, Milli's first instinct was to go for her pistol, and 'redecorate' Granny?s office. Fortunately, the 'thinking' side of her brain was able to override instinct and stop her hand before it got to the pistol?s grip. One eye twitched slightly from the pain of being yanked by her hair, but other than that she remained in control. "Think about your next move very carefully." She said, as calmly as she could. "While my family is grateful to you for your help when my parent got here, you do something to me and they will simply start selling to your 'completion'; God knows the Russians have been trying to buy us off for years now. You have a rather impressive armory, I grant you...but you know what kind of stuff my father can get. How long do you think the Sinclair Family would last if the others started getting that kind of hardware?"
Her heart was hammering in her chest, and part of her was screaming for to waste the old bag and be done with it, but she stayed calm. "I'm not threatening you or yours, I'm just stating a fact."
Just more empty words. Empty, arrogant words. "You're throwing around your name like I haven't been in the game since before your father was born! Do you not think I have unlimited alternatives? Do you not think I can't just whup your ass like the child you are? Do you really think you could get to your gun before I can?" With one mighty jerk of the ponytail, Granny pulled Milli up, meeting her eye to eye. "When you decided to work for me, did you think I would let you just walk all over me? Just do whatever the fuck you wanted, and hope I would just turn a blind eye? And still expect me to pay you? TO SUPPLY FOR YOU?! I know your father raised you better than that." She relinquished Milli from her grasp. "I gave y'all one simple rule to follow. Next time, I expect you to follow it. If you can't, then you can leave. It's that simple." Granny stated.
"Don't think you're entitled to anything in here, because I don't have to give you SHIT! Not a damn thing, girl! Do I make myself clear, Millicent?"
"Crystal." Milli replied, straightening her hair. "I wonder who?ll pay more for the heads up? Probably the Bull. The gooks are too cheap, and the monkeys are too small time." "Is that all Your Grace? Or may I be excused?" She said with a curtsy, venom dripping from her voice. "Fuck cigs, I need a drink...probably several." Granny's white hot scowl cooled almost instantly, being replaced with a look of disappointment and a tired sigh. "God, Milli just...just get out. Get out of my FUCKING house. I really don't need to be dealing with your superiority complex bullshit right now." She replied dejectedly, falling back into her seat.
Wheeling about Milli left the office, and made her way out the back door, slamming it so hard it made the windows shake. Digging out her keys, she got in and started it, tearing off with a roar and a cloud of diesel smoke, in search of strong liquor. Those who still remained in the building stayed stunned and silent, as the sounds of such an argument had bounced through the entirety of the place. After a beat, Granny picked up her phone. "Watch her." She said simply.
