We're Gonna Die Young

Julian Garrott was old for his job. Over thirty, an impressive achievment for an agent like him. Though he was old, he was not weak by any means. In fact, his age was what made him strong.

However, because of this, he was usually charged with younger members who didn't understand. He had seen more of them die than he had ever thought possible. The government was starved for talented agents, going so far as to offer assassins jobs. It wasn't looking good.

This day, he was poised to meet his new partner. He was less than optimistic. He smoked a cigarette in the small meeting room, exhalijg slowly.

Emmett walked into the room, keeping his posture straight. He smiled shyly at his new partner, bowing his head.

"Hi. The name's Lawson. Are you Mr. Garrott?" his voice was soft and gentle, like a wave washing over the shore. "I think we're going to be partners, right? Nice to meet you."

He held out a hand; his fingernails were perfectly trimmed, with no dirt underneath them.

Julian looked him up and down before he snorted, obviously unimpressed.

"What sewer did they dredge you up from?" he asked, putting his cigarette out on the arm of the char he sat in. He hefted himself up from his chair. "You look clean."

He shrugged.

"Means you haven't been working here long," he paused to stare at the man across from him. "Or you work too hard to hide the filth."

Emmett laughed nervously, covering his mouth with his hand like a woman.

"Ah, I'm afraid I've only really been in the field for a few years. I used to be a desk jockey, but I'm told I shaped up good."

"Yeah?" he asked, still looking him up and down like a piece of meat. "I can see it, I guess. Whatever. I'm heading to the lab, gonna dick around with the new toys. You coming, kid?"

He nodded.

"I have to, right? Since we're partners."

"Sure, whatever," he replied, waving his hand as he walked down the hall. For being as old as he was, he hardly looked it. Aside from the huge scar raked across his face, and the few strands of gray hairs.

Julian headed down to the basement, chatting with the secretary at the desk and flirting with one of the female lab techs. He pushed his way into the test room, looking at the things on the table, a certain glow in his eyes.

"So," said Emmett, trying to start a conversation, "You were talking a lot with Kate. Do you like her?"

"Kate's a stupid cunt," he said nonchalantly as he picked up a pen-like device. "Women like her shouldn't be allowed out of the house. For that matter, if a man were as brain dead as she is, I'd want him locked up just as tightly."

He looked at Emmett.

"What do you care if I like Kate or not?"

"Sorry," said Emmett, taken aback. "I was just trying to start a conversation.

"Where do you get off making judgement about other people, anyway? It's not really your call if they get put away, is it?" He tried to keep his voice calm and pleasant despite his words. "I don't mean to be rude, but you're being kind of rude yourself, don't you think?"

Amused by that reaction, he laughed.

"You're the one that asked for my opinion, kiddo," he replied, tapping the pen on the table. "And what do you mean, 'where do I get off making judgements about other people'? Did you forget what your job is? Making judgements? Whether it's about a situation," tap "a person," tap "or otherwise," tap "it's your job to make sure that your judgements manipulative all of those factors to best suite your needs."

He used the pen to point at Emmett. "...you're also really bad at telling when a person is lying through their teeth, you know."

Emmett laughed again, trying to play it cool. This guy was getting on his nerves already, but he'd much rather be friends.

"So I guess you really like Kate, huh? She's sweet enough. Not my type, but a nice person."

Julian inspected the pen, sitting down in a comfortable computer chair.

"Nah, I'm a big old fag," he replied, twisting the pen and looking mildly disappointed when it didn't do anything. "Kate's great, though. She lets me play with the new toys as long as I do her favors once in a while."

He cleared his throat awkwardly.

"Yeah, I don't really know about women either." He grew silent, trying to think of something else to say and coming up with nothing substantial.

"So, the um...weather. It's nice, huh?"

"Look, what do you expect to get from this relationship?" Julian asked, setting the pen down. "Just be honest, kid."

"I'm not quite sure," he answered honestly, scratching his head. "I've never had a partner before. Experience, perhaps? Something like that."

"Don't lie," he insisted. "Everyone wants something from someone else. What do you want from me? I won't be offended, kid, just tell me. I'm curious."

"It's true," he insisted. "I didn't even know what you were going to be like.

"If you want me to ask for something, I guess I'll just ask for a good relationship. So we can get lots of work done together."

He smiled again.

"Bullshit," he snarled. "You almost had me, too. Remove that worthless lie from your response and you're right. You want a good relationship, but only so you don't have to pretend to like me."

He smiled.

"I guess I can manage that. But I won't pretend to like you."

"...If you're doubting whether or not I'm a good worker, I'm can reassure you I am," he insisted, clearing his throat. "I'm sure we won't have a problem--I just want this to work out, is all. I'm sure we can both learn from each other."

Julian really was amused. The poor kid was such a tryhard, trying so damned hard not to hate him. It was cute.

"Sure," he said as he stood up. "If you want to believe that."

"...Do you have a problem with me?" he asked. He had been listening to some self-help tapes lately; perhaps bluntness would help in this situation.

"I have a problem with everything, so, yeah I guess that includes you," he replied, pressing buttons on the elevator. "I think you're cute, but I don't think you'll last very long. None of the others have, so. Sorry if I don't want to get too attached to you, when in all honesty, I think you're probably going to die."

"Well, sorry if it disappoints you, but I don't plan on dying anytime soon," he replied firmly, a hint of venom in his voice.

"Nobody plans on dying, it just happens, jackass," he laughed.