(Untitled)

[themanclion]

Gene has had an eventful few days. He now knows what the inside of the Milliways cells looks like and he's seen a post-apocalyptic wasteland filled with mutants. And killed some of them.

The former of these two things accounts for the clearly pissed off expression on his face; the latter for the apparant stiffness and visible bruise on the side of

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[qtr_winnebago]

Brock (who is now cleaned up and looking quite a bit better than he was this morning/however this is millitimed) recognises Gene from the mutant fight and takes a seat nearby.

He helps himself to some of Gene's booze, but offers his cigarettes to make up for it.

Share and share alike, right?

"Hey," he says simply.

[themanclion]

Considering the offer of a fag, he's not going to complain. Especially as they fought mutants together (Gene's big on teamwork).

'Alrigh', mate?'

He takes a cigarette and lights it, holding out his Zippo to the other guy if he wants it.

[qtr_winnebago]

Brock takes the offer of the light. He could get to like Gene quite well, he decides. Even if he hadn't been there to fight the mutants with him.

"Yep," he says.

"They do that kinda thing very often? Go out to... wherever that was and beat the crap out of things?"

[themanclion]

'Dunno.'

Yeah, he thinks Brock could be alright as well. Depending on how intelligent he turns out to be behind those freakishly large muscles.

'A fair bit, I think. Firs' time I've done it but then, I 'aven't been coming here all tha' long, relatively.'

And because they're never been formally introduced, he sticks a hand out.

'Gene Hunt.'

[qtr_winnebago]

He's smarter than he looks, Gene. You may even recant your 'spastic in a magnet factory' remark from earlier.

When he's not beating the hell out of things, Brock does manage to appear rather soft. "Brock Samson," he says, taking Gene's hand.

His shake is firm, but there's no danger of crushed bones.

"So, what do you do? When you're not here, that is?"

[themanclion]

No one ever said Gene didn't make snap judgements. But he is capable of changing his mind, albeit grudgingly, so it's possible.

'I'm a copper. DCI with the Manchester an' Salford Police.'

After seeing what the guy did in the Wasteland, there's no question of himtrying to compete with a crushing handshake. So he's surprised when it doesn't come.

'How 'bout you? Military of some sort?'

[qtr_winnebago]

"OSI," Brock answers. "It's sorta like the CIA, but we deal with costumed villains."

Oddly, there are more costumed villains in Brock's world than there are costumed heroes.

"Been with them since the 80s. Right now, I'm on bodyguard assignment. It's a little more exciting than it sounds."

Technically, he's a secret agent, but Brock doesn't do 'secret' very well. I mean, just look at him!

[themanclion]

'Costumed...villains.'

Wait, what?

'Like they 'ave in Gotham? The Joker an' all of them?'

[qtr_winnebago]

"Yep," Brock says with a light sigh. "Just ran into this little dick, calls himself the Monarch, a couple days ago when we were in New York. Guy's got a grudge against the Doc for close to twenty years now."

[themanclion]

*blinkblink*

'The Doc?'

...people from these sorts of worlds are weird, he's decided.

[qtr_winnebago]

"My boss," Brock answers. "He's this sort of super scientist. I think he even comes in here sometimes."

Irritating little bald man with huge, square glasses. Can't really miss him when he is in the bar.

[themanclion]

'You work for a scientist?'

Colour him surprised. He wasn't expecting that one.

'Soun's a bit poncey. Wha's a scientist need a bloke like you for?'

[qtr_winnebago]

"He tends to piss people off," Brock says simply. "The sort of people that, when you piss them off, they tend to want you dead."

And that may explain Brock's performance out there in the Wasteland.

[themanclion]

Gene pulls a face.

'Yeah, he soun's like a twat. Why don' you jus' tell him t'stop pissing people off?'

Does explain a bit, though.

[qtr_winnebago]

Brock laughs. It's loud and booming, but fairly laid back at the same time.

"Yeah, that sorta thing doesn't really work with the Doc. I've been at this about eighteen years, now."

[themanclion]

'Workin' for the same bloke?'

Christ. It's one thing spending your life in the force, where any one of your bosses might be twats but they do change or transfer or get promoted. Eighteen years with one twat...well. Gene wouldn't stand for it, put it that way.

'You mus' like your work.'