Ignition

"What are you doing?"

"Suiting up, enough is enough."

Stroking mittens, Goth Girl watches quietly as Billy dons his trench coat and trademark fedora. They're covered in dust and she grins with amusement as dust particles swarm about him, "Are you sure you want to wear that hat, it dumbs you down a fair amount - literally."

Wincing from the tight straps of his shoulder holsters, old scars and pulled muscles Billy glances at the fedora sitting on the hallway table with something akin to love, "In order to catch a crook you must first think like one!"

"Uh-huh. And what heinous crime has drawn you from retirement oh master sleuth?"

"Huh? That should be obvious. Look, did you reach Friday?"

"Nope. Line's disconnected."

"She'll show up, she always has. Run the Assassin while I'm gone."

"What Assassin? Other than the dread vampire Tara no one is writing much... well jem got blown apparently."

"REALLY? Jem finally got blown. That is news!"

"Ike."

"Figures some dude would do it."

"Mmhmm, there it is. She's been bragging about it in her blog. You don't have to do this you know." Goth Girl mutters quietly.

"Yeah, I do. He took a bullet for me in Nam, it's a blood debt and anyway he's a friend."

"The trail is cold." She tries one last time.

Billy dons the fedora, his eyes slit with suspicion, pupils contract to pinpoints, and his voice pattern changes "I'll find him, schweetheart. It shouldn't take long to break that Sassa chick."

TRACER

"Oh yeah, she's an easy one to crack," says Goth Girl stepping into Billy's personal space, "Cool. How'd you do that with the pupils?" picking him up and kissing him on the cheek before reluctantly setting him down.

BULLET

"Methamphetamine, cocaine, a military stimulant of some sort and coffee."

BILLY

IN

"oh boy..."

WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO BABY ACE?