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[devoutish]

Yeah?

[That's it, that's all you get.]

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[bywolves]

If he comes after us with weapons, we're justified in defending ourselves. [ Sniff. ] Between the two of us we can take him down.

[devoutish]

[Alfie is not at all confident that his minimal physical abilities would be much help here, but.]

And if he doesn't pull out the weapons first? At what point are you gonna decide to go for the kill?

[bywolves]

The second he starts trying to bully us out of supplies we collected. Or try to punish me for killing House, months ago. I'm not going to kill him unprompted.

[devoutish]

House didn't mention you at all. Did you notice that? You may be safe from that.

[bywolves]

He didn't, but it's not exactly a secret. Other people know. Might have told Bruce in private.

[devoutish]

Mm. Suppose he could have. But you - House doesn't seem to mind you, so much.

[bywolves]

No. He doesn't. I don't scare him. It isn't House I care about.

[devoutish]

But what I'm saying, right, is that I don't think he'd share information about everyone in public, and then mention you privately.

[bywolves]

House doesn't matter. It's the people he's told. Ecks. Brown. Brown knows, and she's friends with Bruce.

[ Scowl. ] Ecks won't... won't intentionally try to spread it. But I don't trust Brown. This is a man who has decided he's going to profile everybody just in case their old crimes may match a future, not yet done crime so that he can arrest that person based on his shoddy evidence.

I don't trust him to not make more stupid decisions based on things Brown has told him.

[devoutish]

Yeah. Yeah, all right; that I can believe more. She made it clear she was going to give him information, but then her messages stopped. I'm sure she went private with them, but she wanted it known what she was doing.

If he comes, he may come for two reasons, then - to restrain you and take you somewhere for detention, and to take the supplies - all of them, most of them, just the ones he knows are stolen, I dunno. Ecks will mention the stolen harmonica; I can guarantee that.

[Pause.]

I'm not going through all this just for a lark, understand. We need a contingency plan, right, just in case.

[bywolves]

Yeah. I know.

[ Royce rubs at his face. ] I'm sure we could outrun him, honestly. He has no idea where we are. The only person who knows is Gabriel.

[devoutish]

I'd like to know if he's using the tunnels. There aren't many of those, and if he is, we may very well run into him. And if we do meet in person, I don't think we can plan on running.

[Royce might have a chance, if he were alone - but even then, he's malnourished, and Bruce hasn't been around long enough to lose too much of his muscle mass. But Alfie? Alfie's ill and in pain, and he's pretty sure that if it came down to a chase or a hand-to-hand fight, Bruce would have no trouble besting him.]

Long-range weapons. If he does come upon us and he's insistent on making trouble, things I can throw will be the key. This would be a good time for you to teach me more about your knives. I can stab with 'em, fine, yeah, but from a distance--

[bywolves]

[ Royce scowls. Like hell is he leaving Alfie behind, either, so. They'll fight together. ]

I can teach you. When I have the ability to. [ He knows he won't be able to muster up the energy, sometimes. ] I'll protect you from him.

[devoutish]

I know you will.

[And because he's not entirely sure that the possibility won't come up, he adds:]

I won't be giving him anything as a conciliatory gesture. Nothing that I've gathered, and nothing that I've stolen.

[bywolves]

Good. He doesn't deserve anything.

[devoutish]

[He's just glad they're on the same page.]

Thank you.

[He puts his hand on Royce's, squeezing.]

For protecting me.

[bywolves]

[ Royce takes that hand, still scowling a little, though it's not directed at Alfie. ]

You don't have to thank me. [ Sniff. ] I'm always going to do it.

[devoutish]

At least it's something interesting.

[Alfie murmurs, trying for a weak joke.]

Eh?

[bywolves]

Mm. [ He guesses. His grip tightens. ] Not sure I like interesting in this place.

[devoutish]

Just think how satisfying it'll be when he fails.

[bywolves]

Not satisfying enough to risk the encounter. [ He scowls. ] We're going to stay away from him. We only fight if we have to.

[devoutish]

I know, Royce; I agree. Only if we have to.

[bywolves]

[ He hrmphs. Fine. ]

[devoutish]

Gonna bother him on the network a bit, though.

[He adds quietly.]

[bywolves]

That's fine. You heard me harassing him. [ Bruce doesn't know where they are. He can't do anything. ]