No Ifs, Ands or Buts

[Taylor Brenton]

(This isn't really a training story, but it goes along with the Nothing's Improbable arc.)

“You know I’m busy, Taylor.” Syd answered his phone. Truth be told, He was sitting on his bed his thumbs furiously clicking away at his 360 controller.

“I know.” She said in a half hushed, half panicked voice said over the surrounding din. “But I need your help.”

“What’s up?” He asked, sitting up in his bed, resting the phone against his shoulder sounding just the slightest bit concerned. Maybe it was the tone in her voice, maybe it was the fact that both his hands were tied up, he was balancing the phone and the bag of sun chips was just out of reach and he desperately wanted one.

“I’m in over my head with some Hellions, and I can’t fight fire with fire anymore. I need your help.” Her voice shook slightly at the last request.

He tossed the controller aside, standing up as he pressed a few buttons on his phone.
“Co-ordinates locked. Suiting up, and on my way. Sit tight.”

__________________________________________________________________

Syd landed and rechecked his co-ordinates, before looking back at the bright neon sign in front of him. The teen grimaced behind the mask of his suit opening the steel door to the warehouse like building. This was it, where the call came from at least.

Taylor looked up as sunlight streamed in through the front door, brightening her mood as well. Syd was in the EXO-5 Warbringer, one of his newer creations. It was tall and impressive, just what she needed. Quickly she slipped away from her would be attackers to stand behind Syd.

“This the guy with the money?” One of them asked as they lumbered over, fists blazing in fire.

“Money?” The blast shield on his suit flipped up as he gave a confused look, starting to put things together. It made sense. Taylor’s new found powers, the guys demanding money, the neon sign reading “Nice Rack,” all the pool tables. Taylor shrugged sheepishly in response. The blast shield returned before he turned back towards the attackers.

“One fifty.” The head hellion said. “Plus the one fifty she hustled from us.” Once again Syd turned towards Taylor and this time she shrugged less sheepishly. Sydney Walker sighed inside the suit.

“How about this...” He told them. “She'll return your money and promises never to come back.” Taylor tapped on the metal of Syd’s back, standing on her tiptoes to whisper to him. Syd leaned back slightly to listen, then nodded.

“Correction. She'll return $100, and you all learn a valuable fifty dollar lesson.”

“And if we refuse?” The Hellion asked, conjuring up a larger fireball.

The shoulder of the Exo-suit made a whirling noise bringing an exceptionally large shoulder mounted cannon slid out into place, on the opposite shoulder a housing with two stacks of small missiles popped up, locking on to the targets in front of him.

"If you refuse we do this right here, probably end up leveling the place, and if you aren't buried by the rubble I haul you off for trying to hold my friend for ransom."

The Hellions looked to one another weighing their options, deciding to cut their losses. They left her with some harsh words about what would happen if they ever caught her around here again, but it wasn't enough to remove the smug expression from her face.

Once outside, Syd cradled her in his robotic arm, boosters igniting as they took off towards New Overbrook.

__________________________________________________________________________

The two sat at an outside table enjoying a large sack full of food from the Super El-Mex, Syd having returned his suit to the school via remote.

“You were right.” Syd admitted, mid-bite of a corn shell. “Fifty bucks does buy a lot of tacos.” Taylor took another bite herself and nodded. “But that was still...”

“A stupid thing to do. I know, I know. And no, I don’t know what I’d have done if I couldn’t get in touch with you.” She chuckled again. “Don’t tell me you were actually worried about me, Walker.”

“Taylor...” He said in between bites. “You provide a certain level of companionship that doesn’t completely irritate me or gross me out. We patrol together. You’re my wing man in co-op, you grab extra meatloaf for me on Wednesdays, and you haven’t destroyed anything in the lab. I’m entitled to an iota of concern now and again.” Taylor smiled.

“You’re my best friend too, Syd.” She snickered as she looked down at her left shoe, the duct tape he’d put there still clinging tight. “Thanks for saving my butt.” The boy just nodded a response helping himself to another taco. Taylor went to do the same, only to have Syd block her hand with his.

“Speaking of, I think you should know you seemed to have a bit more girth since the last time I carried you in that suit.”

“More gir... what are you saying, Walker?” She said, her eyes narrowing into slits.

“The suit doesn’t lie. You’ve put on 1.6 kilograms. Generally with females, extra weight tends to settle in the gluteous medius and maximus areas. Now granted, this can be visually appealing especially when attracting a mate, but most of the armor I’ve designed for you was custom fitted to your exact proportions and we are so close to getting you operational in the Exo-2"

Both of Taylor’s eyebrows raised. “Are you saying my butt got bigger?”

“Given the amount of time you spend sitting in relation to...” He stopped mid sentence when the dollop of sour cream hit his chest. “I’ll put together a Powerpoint to further explain the situation.” Taylor chuckled, but declined to take another taco. “Don’t get me wrong.” He continued. “It’s a nicer looking butt.”

“Shut up Walker! I can’t believe you weighed me.”

“I thought you liked my concern? I’m worried about your butt.”

“Stop talking about my butt!” Syd was silent for a moment. “Stop thinking about my butt!” Syd frowned and took another bite of taco.

“It was less confusing when you were just thanking me for saving it.”