Scolding Becca

[hazlogs]

[Exact date uncertain. After Hazmat came back from journeying up north, after Remy's death, but before Tommie and Jimmy got judged.]

Becca hesitates by the table, chewing on her lower lip for a second or two. "I 
  gotta go," she says, mostly to Warren Ramsey, and then turns to walk toward 
  Hazmat. She looks a little more disturbed now as she heads for the other 
  Gnawer.

Warren Ramsey nods at Becca. "Good night."

Hazmat pushes a chair out opposite her with one foot, eyes still on Becca.

Warren Ramsey glances at the waitress. "No, thanks, Jane." She smiles, and 
  leaves the bill with him.
Warren Ramsey stands up from the table.

Becca shakes her head at Hazmat, and keeps walking out the door. "Not here. 
  I'm leaving."

You stand and leave The small table next to the south window.
Hazmat gets up quickly and stalks after the other girl. "Fine," she snaps. 
  "Yuh pick th' place, then."

Warren Ramsey extends his hand to Cassius. "Thanks again. I like working with 
  people who under-promise and over-deliver."

Becca mutters, under her breath, "Just not here."
Becca walks through the archway into the bookshop.
Becca has left.

[Haz and Becca head down the street a ways.]

Becca stops a few blocks from the bookstore area, still looking on edge, even 
  under the small moon. "You were gone a long time," she says, slipping down 
  to sit on the edge of the curb next to a Camry parked streetside.

Hazmat glances up the street and then sits down next to Becca, tension in her 
  shoulders. "Yah. I'm back now, though." She looks hard at the other girl. 
  "Megan wants tuh talk tuh yuh. Yer a witness tuh what happened tuh Remy."

Becca sets her shoulders a little tenser. Guess it's not time for how have you 
  beens. "Who's Megan?"

You say "Th' judge who's decidin' what happens tuh Tommie an' Jimmy."

Becca shrugs, in a tight bit of movement. "Yeah? Soon as she comes tell me, 
  I'll skedaddle on out there for her. How's that?"

Hazmat shakes her head firmly. "Nuh-oh. You're goin' out there tuh see her. Or 
  she'll jus' send some others tuh drag yuh ass out there."
Hazmat adds, "An' I'll help 'em drag yuh."

Becca pulls her knees up, butt up on the curb, feet down in the gutter. 
  "Don't," she says. "Come on, Hazmat, things got all fucked up. But I didn't 
  do anything. All I did was go to watch, that's /all/. And I'm not going back 
  out there."

Hazmat rolls her eyes. "Yuh fuckin' *coward*. Yuh a *witness*, stupid. 
  Witnesses hafta testify at a trial. Even *apes* know that."

Becca says sharply, "I didn't ask for a stupid trial, what's there to have a 
  trial about? No rules. There's the trial." She sticks stubbornly to her spot 
  on the sidewalk.

Hazmat grits her teeth. "Yuh don' give a fuck, do yuh? Yuh won't even go out 
  there tuh stick up fuh Tommie an' Jimmy, will yuh?"

That strikes a nerve right there. "Mosh's hurt, I don't know if he can go out 
  there right tonight," she says, and shrugs. "That Ranger was shooting us, 
  too. Matt said he was aiming right for me, and I wasn't doing shit. Ask 
  Matt, ask Jimmy, ask anyone but the psycho Ranger. They just want me to tell 
  them what happened, that's all?"

Hazmat says, "Yah. Yuh don' even hafta go out intuh th' woods, yuh coward. 
  Megan lives at th' farmhouse north a' there." Her voice drips scorn. "I'll 
  even show yuh, if yuh think yuh'll get lost."

Becca says, "Stop it, Hazmat, okay?" She pulls her knees up and onto the curb 
  along with the rest of her, wrapping her arms tight around them, lower her 
  head to rest on her kneecaps. "Mosh almost died, and things got fucked up, 
  and then Boss Rat sold me out, or something," she says bitterly. "So just 
  stop it."

Hazmat shakes her head. "Fuckin' kid, s'what yuh are." No sympathy. "So, yuh 
  gonna go out there, or do I gotta tell everyone what a coward scum yuh are?"

Becca says, in an edgier voice, "Stop it, Hazmat, I mean it. I said I'd 
  fucking go." Apparently not right this second, though, as she's still not 
  moving, not even lifting her head up.

Hazmat peers at Becca a few more moments, then nods. "Don' wait too long."

Matt wanders up Market Street, coming from the east.
Matt has arrived.

Becca is sitting on the curb next to a Camry, feet drawn to her chest, head 
  tucked down on her knees. Hazmat probably isn't looking too pleased.

Hazmat folds her arms across her chest, watching the traffic irritably.

A small metal thunk is heard, followed briefly by a louder one. After making 
  sure that the street is relatively clear, Matt pushes the cover of the drain 
  pipe off to the side, pulling himself out from the darkness below, then 
  replacing the cover. He crosses to the sidewalk and takes his place next to 
  Becca. "Sorry, I just got word."

Hazmat looks up as Matt approaches, her expression mellowing slightly, though 
  she's still tense. "Tommie an' Jimmy're bein' judged. Yuh a witness. Megan 
  needs tuh talk t'yuh."

Becca lifts her head up, the sound of a familiar, and actually friendly, 
  voice. "Matt!" she calls out gratefully. "I was going to get food, but 
  Hazmat had me leave too soon."

Hazmat snorts. "Plenty a' food at th' farmhouse, an' it's *free*."

Matt nods grimly at Hazmat, then studies Becca for a few moments. "I'll go for 
  my Pack. Mosh is still hurt, and Becca should stay by him to make sure that 
  the walk...well, just to make sure his healing ain't disrupted."

Hazmat gets up. "Megan'll wanna talk tuh *everyone* tuh make it fair. Yuh c'n 
  tell her 'bout Mosh, if yuh want. Yuh cool, Matt, I trust yuh tuh do right." 
  And yes, it's damned obvious she doesn't trust Becca. "Yuh seen Mac an' 
  Hank?"

Becca pushes up to her feet, and rubs the back of a hand across an eye. "Yeah, 
  he's still messed up," she echoes, in agreement. "Someone needs to keep by 
  him, so he doesn't choke to death or anything."

Matt shakes his head. "I tried to find Mac today, to tell him about it, but 
  had no luck with it." He sighs slightly. "You sure she won't just take my 
  word? I mean, I'm Alpha, they was just following my orders and stuff."

Hazmat shrugs. "Mebbe she will. Megan's fair. She wants tuh hear *all* sides."

Matt nods. "So, I'll go and if she needs Becca, I'll come back and get her, 
  making sure Mosh has someone to look over em."

Hazmat nods. She even smiles slightly at her former packmate. "See yuh 'round, 
  then." She brushes back some hair. "I'm gonna be back inna city more now."

Becca, exercising exceptional judgement, keeps her mouth shut through this 
  exchange, eyes down on a crack on the sidewalk that she's kicking at.

Matt says "Hey Haz, if you see Mac, tell him I tried to tell him, Kay?"

Hazmat nods. "Yah, I will." With a wave to Matt, she wanders off. Becca gets 
  generally ignored.