{Big Bang - J2} Dreaming in Cordite - Cyberpunk AU - 7
Title: Dreaming in Cordite
Author Name: deannawol
Artist Name: sandrainthesun
Genre: RPS AU
Pairing: Jensen Ackles/Jared Padalecki
Characters: Jensen Ackles, Jared Padalecki, Sam Ferris, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Christian Kane, Various Others.
Rating: 18 Overall - Sexual situations, graphic violence in places and adult language
Warnings: Slash (M/M) relationship, oral sex, violence, off-screen death of a non J2 character.
Word Count: ~51,000
~#~#~
The bar door slammed open. Even before it could bounce back, Jensen had the livewires clicked in and his hand on his gun. When he recognised his brother, he let the wires unclick and settled back down on his barstool. Two months since Laurie's murder and Jensen still twitched at every sudden noise.
"Hey, Winchester!" Josh called across the bar.
Jensen flinched at the nickname. He hadn’t liked it back in the army but it had stuck quicker than anything he’d picked for himself. Just cause he’d outshot one of his trainers state-of-the-art assault rifle with an old, battered Winchester sitting at the back of the barracks armoury. He’d learned to shoot one of them back with his family. Wasn’t nothing he couldn’t hit with a bit of patience and a careful eye. How was he to know that he lost the barracks commander two hundred bucks? Course, now his brother had found out about it, the first of the family to find out, and delighted in using it every chance he got.
He looked out of place in his heavy-duty armour and long, ratty hair against the backdrop of crushed velvet and more money than sense. Jensen, at least, dressed to fit in with the new mix of clientele, but damned if he could figure out what the hell Josh was playing at by walking into the uptown bar. He hadn't even bothered to clean the sewer dirt off his combat boots and he was carrying the guts of his armoury under the filthy duster jacket. But Jensen couldn't exactly say anything here just in case people assumed there was more to the meet than a client talking to his contractor. Josh was his port for this storm, the one person in the city he could trust in the face of Kane's bottomless checking account.
Josh made his way through the bar's patrons over to his brother and tossed a data chip down on the bar, "You will never guess what I got!"
Jensen took a small sip of his beer while he looked around at the other patrons, one eye on the indistinct red chip before him, "You're right." Looking up at Josh, he asked, "So you gonna tell me or am I gonna have to wait until I find a dataterm. We haven't all embraced the Way of the Computer Ken-doll, dude."
"And don't I know it." Josh gave Jensen a sidelong once-over. "When you gonna man up and get yourself a real upgrade?"
"Let's see, today's Wednesday, tomorrow's Thursday..." He looked up from an imaginary calendar, "How's about never?"
"Technophobe!" Josh bumped his shoulder, "Anyway, you're going to love this! Just so you know, I'm registered at Sparky's Gun Emporium, so when you're thinking how to repay me for this little tit-bit, that's a good place to start."
Jensen arched an eyebrow before turning back to the widescreen TV behind the bar. There was a football game just kicking off; resolution high enough that Jensen could count the stitches in the ball. The place was a lot classier than Jimmy's little hideaway and the last place anyone would look for him. He found it easier to work in the scummier levels of the city where it was easy to vanish among the gangs and the other mercs. Up here, in this palace of chrome and marble, Jensen felt open, unprotected. But it was necessary. No one would expect Jimmy’s part-time bartender, Jen, here, but Winchester... He ran with a different crowd.
"Jeez, man," Josh started, "You are pissy when you're undercover. But I think that this is going to make your month! What I got here is a wetwork contract as accepted by my good lady girlfriend, Inez, and issued by your friend and mine," he looked around to make sure that no one was listening but dropped his voice anyway, "Mister Christian Kane."
That got Jensen's attention. He swivelled on the stool until he was facing his brother. His eyes followed the bartender as he grabbed a bottle from behind the bar in front of them and then headed back to the pretty girl at the other end of the counter. He gave the patrons a quick glance but none of them were paying any attention in their direction. However, Jensen wasn’t going to take the risk. He gestured to his brother, telling him to keep his voice down.
"Thought all contacts were anonymous," Jensen asked, brow furrowed.
Josh shrugged, "Inez ain't stupid, she wants to know exactly who's going to be gunning for her if one of her operatives stuffs up the job. She arranges a drop at a public location then gets one of her operatives to scope out the joint and report back who it is." He grins, "Never underestimate the power of one little optical embedded camera."
Jensen shook his head, "Momma's gonna tan your hide when she finds out how much tech you got installed, you know that right?"
"Well, unless someone blabs, she ain't gonna know, now is she?" Josh smirked, "So, you interested in seeing what, or should I say who, Mister Kane wants eliminated?"
"It's probably gonna be some corporate that's standing in the way of a merger or something like that," Jensen takes a sip of his beer, "You know how they are."
Josh pushed up his sleeve to reveal a small chip port hidden in the crook of his arm. He cleaned the chip on his jeans before sliding it into the slot. It clicked as it settled into the reader. Jensen watched his brother's eyes unfocus as the information scrolled across the inside of his eye and took a pull from his beer to hide the shudder. He'd had the gun read-outs since he was old enough to sign the form but he couldn't bring himself to metal up to the next level. Too many years of trenches and the more lethal street-fights and watching what bad maintenance and worse luck could do to cyberware.
"Holy crap!" Josh blinked, turning to look at his brother, "You're not going to believe this."
Jensen shook his head once, shutting Josh up mid-sentence. He took another drink, glancing pointedly around at the bar. Still no one looked like they were paying attention but he had a cold feeling square between his shoulder blades. Jensen motioned his brother over towards of the privacy sections, He took another quick glance around before slipping into the booth. Josh dug through his pockets for a cred chip. Jensen nodded and he pulled it out and swiped it across the reader. A shimmery screen dropped from the ceiling blocking them off from the rest of the bar.
"Oh Christ! Shit! You're not going to believe this, bro." Josh's words were flying out of his mouth.
"Slow down, Josh. What's the bastard planning?"
"He's bumping off the rest of the family."
Jensen frowned, "The rest of the family. I'm starting to think that you're holding out on me."
Josh blinked and shook his head before pulling the chip free. "There's a rumour making its way around the streets - kinda surprised you haven't heard it - saying that Kane knocked off Old Man Padalecki to get control of the company. Not the sort of rumour you wanna be seen to be involved with, if you catch my meaning?" He slid closer to his brother, voice lowering out of instinct rather than need, "Apparently, Padalecki wasn't happy with some of the deals that Kane was bringing to the table and was planning on pushing him over and out of the company and your boy wasn't exactly keen on that happening. Course, now, looks like Little P is getting anxious to take over the reins and Kane ain't too keen about it. Fracking corporates, eh?"
Jensen didn't reply. He'd long since given up trying to wrap his head around family values in Corporate America. Let the fuckers kill themselves off for all he cared.
"Course, it's not Little P that I'm particularly worried about," Josh continued.
That got Jensen's attention, "Oh? Then who? You think that Kane's gonna look to bump Inez?"
"Inez? Nah, she's got more bases covered that Kane realises exist," Josh brushed off the concern, "No, there's a littler P, Megan. About Mack's age. Ain't past the sleepover stage yet, but he's knocking her off as well," Josh shook his head, "Ain't done nothing to him and ain't in the way, but he's having her erased as well. Not right, man. Don't corps know what family is?"
"Jesus." Jensen set his beer down and gave his brother a look, "Do I have to give Mack a warning about what her dates are in for when she finally starts being interested in boys?"
"Yeah, like you're going to be any better?" Josh huffed a laugh.
"You might be right on that one," Jensen nodded, smiling as he thought of his little sister back on the range, and trying to imagine her in the shark-filled world of Corporate assholes, "But that ain't gonna happen until Momma gets her oar in. So, looks like we'll need something to do that'll keep us outta trouble until then though. What you planning, Josh?"
Josh relaxed back in the plush seats, arms thrown out over the back of the chair. "I was thinking that you and me could have a little fun with Mister Kane."
Jensen scratched at the stubble at his chin as he considered what Kane wanted done. "I gotta say, Josh, I'm keen to get the bastard off my tail and scuttle back into the Undercity but I ain't icing some girl just to get him off my ass."
"And that, baby brother, is the beauty of my plan," Josh had an evil smile on his face. Pushing off the chair, he sat forward again, "What I'm thinking is that I take the contract."
"Okay..." Jensen looked sceptical.
"And you, Jen, take a counter contract."
Jensen's brow furrowed, "A counter contract? You think there's going to be a counter contract?"
"Stands to reason in this town, that if someone wants someone bumped off, someone else has a vested interest in the contract alive," Josh smiled. "Inez is searching now. She's got a couple of leads but she reckons it's just a matter of time."
"Josh," Jensen started, "That has to be the most god-awful plan I've heard in years."
"But you're interested," Josh replied confidently.
"You find me the contract and I'll take it. Be good to race against you again. Haven't done that since back in Denver."
Josh rolled his eyes, "The twins... I remember." He paused for a long minute remembering the fun that they'd had that night before shaking off the memory. "Ain't gonna be like that this time, Jen. This time we're throwing the fight before the first bet's down."
"True," Jensen remarked, "But you do realise that we're gonna have to make it look.... well... Real?"
"What? I gotta take pot-shots at your skinny white ass?" Josh joked, "Bring it on little brother, I'll kick it six ways from Sunday before you even realise that I'm there."
"Dream on. Ain't but one of us got proper training here and Denver's a long time ago," Jensen smirked. "Tell Inez to gimme a call when she finds the contract?"
"You know it." Josh reached over to bump fists as Jensen cancelled the privacy field. The glittery curtain rose again, leaving them clear to leave the booth. He let his eyes play over the assembled people. No one so much as looked in their direction, choosing instead to study the slow rising bubble streams in their beers. Never did to be too curious these days. Never knew who'd take offence. Connections and counterpoints, it was a dangerous world out on the streets of Dallas these days.
Master Fic Post | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13
14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | Epilogue | Master Art Post | Soundtrack
Author Name: deannawol
Artist Name: sandrainthesun
Genre: RPS AU
Pairing: Jensen Ackles/Jared Padalecki
Characters: Jensen Ackles, Jared Padalecki, Sam Ferris, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Christian Kane, Various Others.
Rating: 18 Overall - Sexual situations, graphic violence in places and adult language
Warnings: Slash (M/M) relationship, oral sex, violence, off-screen death of a non J2 character.
Word Count: ~51,000
~#~#~
The bar door slammed open. Even before it could bounce back, Jensen had the livewires clicked in and his hand on his gun. When he recognised his brother, he let the wires unclick and settled back down on his barstool. Two months since Laurie's murder and Jensen still twitched at every sudden noise.
"Hey, Winchester!" Josh called across the bar.
Jensen flinched at the nickname. He hadn’t liked it back in the army but it had stuck quicker than anything he’d picked for himself. Just cause he’d outshot one of his trainers state-of-the-art assault rifle with an old, battered Winchester sitting at the back of the barracks armoury. He’d learned to shoot one of them back with his family. Wasn’t nothing he couldn’t hit with a bit of patience and a careful eye. How was he to know that he lost the barracks commander two hundred bucks? Course, now his brother had found out about it, the first of the family to find out, and delighted in using it every chance he got.
He looked out of place in his heavy-duty armour and long, ratty hair against the backdrop of crushed velvet and more money than sense. Jensen, at least, dressed to fit in with the new mix of clientele, but damned if he could figure out what the hell Josh was playing at by walking into the uptown bar. He hadn't even bothered to clean the sewer dirt off his combat boots and he was carrying the guts of his armoury under the filthy duster jacket. But Jensen couldn't exactly say anything here just in case people assumed there was more to the meet than a client talking to his contractor. Josh was his port for this storm, the one person in the city he could trust in the face of Kane's bottomless checking account.
Josh made his way through the bar's patrons over to his brother and tossed a data chip down on the bar, "You will never guess what I got!"
Jensen took a small sip of his beer while he looked around at the other patrons, one eye on the indistinct red chip before him, "You're right." Looking up at Josh, he asked, "So you gonna tell me or am I gonna have to wait until I find a dataterm. We haven't all embraced the Way of the Computer Ken-doll, dude."
"And don't I know it." Josh gave Jensen a sidelong once-over. "When you gonna man up and get yourself a real upgrade?"
"Let's see, today's Wednesday, tomorrow's Thursday..." He looked up from an imaginary calendar, "How's about never?"
"Technophobe!" Josh bumped his shoulder, "Anyway, you're going to love this! Just so you know, I'm registered at Sparky's Gun Emporium, so when you're thinking how to repay me for this little tit-bit, that's a good place to start."
Jensen arched an eyebrow before turning back to the widescreen TV behind the bar. There was a football game just kicking off; resolution high enough that Jensen could count the stitches in the ball. The place was a lot classier than Jimmy's little hideaway and the last place anyone would look for him. He found it easier to work in the scummier levels of the city where it was easy to vanish among the gangs and the other mercs. Up here, in this palace of chrome and marble, Jensen felt open, unprotected. But it was necessary. No one would expect Jimmy’s part-time bartender, Jen, here, but Winchester... He ran with a different crowd.
"Jeez, man," Josh started, "You are pissy when you're undercover. But I think that this is going to make your month! What I got here is a wetwork contract as accepted by my good lady girlfriend, Inez, and issued by your friend and mine," he looked around to make sure that no one was listening but dropped his voice anyway, "Mister Christian Kane."
That got Jensen's attention. He swivelled on the stool until he was facing his brother. His eyes followed the bartender as he grabbed a bottle from behind the bar in front of them and then headed back to the pretty girl at the other end of the counter. He gave the patrons a quick glance but none of them were paying any attention in their direction. However, Jensen wasn’t going to take the risk. He gestured to his brother, telling him to keep his voice down.
"Thought all contacts were anonymous," Jensen asked, brow furrowed.
Josh shrugged, "Inez ain't stupid, she wants to know exactly who's going to be gunning for her if one of her operatives stuffs up the job. She arranges a drop at a public location then gets one of her operatives to scope out the joint and report back who it is." He grins, "Never underestimate the power of one little optical embedded camera."
Jensen shook his head, "Momma's gonna tan your hide when she finds out how much tech you got installed, you know that right?"
"Well, unless someone blabs, she ain't gonna know, now is she?" Josh smirked, "So, you interested in seeing what, or should I say who, Mister Kane wants eliminated?"
"It's probably gonna be some corporate that's standing in the way of a merger or something like that," Jensen takes a sip of his beer, "You know how they are."
Josh pushed up his sleeve to reveal a small chip port hidden in the crook of his arm. He cleaned the chip on his jeans before sliding it into the slot. It clicked as it settled into the reader. Jensen watched his brother's eyes unfocus as the information scrolled across the inside of his eye and took a pull from his beer to hide the shudder. He'd had the gun read-outs since he was old enough to sign the form but he couldn't bring himself to metal up to the next level. Too many years of trenches and the more lethal street-fights and watching what bad maintenance and worse luck could do to cyberware.
"Holy crap!" Josh blinked, turning to look at his brother, "You're not going to believe this."
Jensen shook his head once, shutting Josh up mid-sentence. He took another drink, glancing pointedly around at the bar. Still no one looked like they were paying attention but he had a cold feeling square between his shoulder blades. Jensen motioned his brother over towards of the privacy sections, He took another quick glance around before slipping into the booth. Josh dug through his pockets for a cred chip. Jensen nodded and he pulled it out and swiped it across the reader. A shimmery screen dropped from the ceiling blocking them off from the rest of the bar.
"Oh Christ! Shit! You're not going to believe this, bro." Josh's words were flying out of his mouth.
"Slow down, Josh. What's the bastard planning?"
"He's bumping off the rest of the family."
Jensen frowned, "The rest of the family. I'm starting to think that you're holding out on me."
Josh blinked and shook his head before pulling the chip free. "There's a rumour making its way around the streets - kinda surprised you haven't heard it - saying that Kane knocked off Old Man Padalecki to get control of the company. Not the sort of rumour you wanna be seen to be involved with, if you catch my meaning?" He slid closer to his brother, voice lowering out of instinct rather than need, "Apparently, Padalecki wasn't happy with some of the deals that Kane was bringing to the table and was planning on pushing him over and out of the company and your boy wasn't exactly keen on that happening. Course, now, looks like Little P is getting anxious to take over the reins and Kane ain't too keen about it. Fracking corporates, eh?"
Jensen didn't reply. He'd long since given up trying to wrap his head around family values in Corporate America. Let the fuckers kill themselves off for all he cared.
"Course, it's not Little P that I'm particularly worried about," Josh continued.
That got Jensen's attention, "Oh? Then who? You think that Kane's gonna look to bump Inez?"
"Inez? Nah, she's got more bases covered that Kane realises exist," Josh brushed off the concern, "No, there's a littler P, Megan. About Mack's age. Ain't past the sleepover stage yet, but he's knocking her off as well," Josh shook his head, "Ain't done nothing to him and ain't in the way, but he's having her erased as well. Not right, man. Don't corps know what family is?"
"Jesus." Jensen set his beer down and gave his brother a look, "Do I have to give Mack a warning about what her dates are in for when she finally starts being interested in boys?"
"Yeah, like you're going to be any better?" Josh huffed a laugh.
"You might be right on that one," Jensen nodded, smiling as he thought of his little sister back on the range, and trying to imagine her in the shark-filled world of Corporate assholes, "But that ain't gonna happen until Momma gets her oar in. So, looks like we'll need something to do that'll keep us outta trouble until then though. What you planning, Josh?"
Josh relaxed back in the plush seats, arms thrown out over the back of the chair. "I was thinking that you and me could have a little fun with Mister Kane."
Jensen scratched at the stubble at his chin as he considered what Kane wanted done. "I gotta say, Josh, I'm keen to get the bastard off my tail and scuttle back into the Undercity but I ain't icing some girl just to get him off my ass."
"And that, baby brother, is the beauty of my plan," Josh had an evil smile on his face. Pushing off the chair, he sat forward again, "What I'm thinking is that I take the contract."
"Okay..." Jensen looked sceptical.
"And you, Jen, take a counter contract."
Jensen's brow furrowed, "A counter contract? You think there's going to be a counter contract?"
"Stands to reason in this town, that if someone wants someone bumped off, someone else has a vested interest in the contract alive," Josh smiled. "Inez is searching now. She's got a couple of leads but she reckons it's just a matter of time."
"Josh," Jensen started, "That has to be the most god-awful plan I've heard in years."
"But you're interested," Josh replied confidently.
"You find me the contract and I'll take it. Be good to race against you again. Haven't done that since back in Denver."
Josh rolled his eyes, "The twins... I remember." He paused for a long minute remembering the fun that they'd had that night before shaking off the memory. "Ain't gonna be like that this time, Jen. This time we're throwing the fight before the first bet's down."
"True," Jensen remarked, "But you do realise that we're gonna have to make it look.... well... Real?"
"What? I gotta take pot-shots at your skinny white ass?" Josh joked, "Bring it on little brother, I'll kick it six ways from Sunday before you even realise that I'm there."
"Dream on. Ain't but one of us got proper training here and Denver's a long time ago," Jensen smirked. "Tell Inez to gimme a call when she finds the contract?"
"You know it." Josh reached over to bump fists as Jensen cancelled the privacy field. The glittery curtain rose again, leaving them clear to leave the booth. He let his eyes play over the assembled people. No one so much as looked in their direction, choosing instead to study the slow rising bubble streams in their beers. Never did to be too curious these days. Never knew who'd take offence. Connections and counterpoints, it was a dangerous world out on the streets of Dallas these days.
Master Fic Post | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13
14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | Epilogue | Master Art Post | Soundtrack