[hr][h1][i][color=Gray]Quentin[/color] & [color=DarkSlateBlue]Reed[/color] [color=Gray]Taylor[/color][/i][/h1][hr]
[hider=Rust][youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfCO4c23dXI[/youtube][/hider][hr]

Quentin shook his head as Sonya and Trevor headed off for the shooting range, chuckling as he drove a palm into his knee to stand up. [i]Damn,[/i] he thought as he glanced over the NEST lounge. [i]Never thought I’d be sat in a place like this one day, working with these people.[/i] It was strange. When he’d first started working for NEST it had been out of necessity, a means to survive - but now? Working with these people, seeing these sides of them as opposed to the cold, calculating demeanor that had always been presented before was interesting, reminding him of how both Cass and Reed were different people when they were on-duty. Hard as it was to admit but... he liked it. 

It was different to before - working security had been a monotonous day job whilst the [i]other[/i] business had slowly crept up and into his life until it finally led him to the abyss. And somehow, it was never just about the money - he’d had other motivations for doing what he did, deep down inside.

But this? It made him feel [i]alive.[/i] For the first time in a while, even. 

And, as strange as it was, he had a nagging feeling at the back of his head. [I]Reed[/i]. Something told him he had unfinished business with his younger brother, if not because he was tired of the kid getting on his back whenever they met. They needed to talk - but first, he’d grab something to eat.

As he left the lounge there was a vending machine containing a wide variety of snacks for him to feast upon. Digging out his wallet as he scanned the interior’s contents for a targets, he found a packet of M&M’s to be suitable and quickly popped a dollar bill inside. Of course, the machine had seen better days and had probably seen it’s share of abuse over the years - so it took a while to drop the packet of chocolate and peanut deliciousness. 

In the meantime, Quentin whipped out his phone and dialed a number that he’d not logged for a few months. After a couple of seconds of empty dial tone, a familiar voice piped up.

[color=DarkSlateBlue]“Yeah, who is it?”[/color]

“Hey, it’s me - are you busy, by chance?”

[color=DarkSlateBlue]“Nah, I’m off today. Why?”[/color]

“Alright, good because... well, I wanted to talk.”

[color=DarkSlateBlue]“Seriously? For real, this time?”[/color]

“As I said, I wanted to talk. We need to talk. Just me and you, no bullshit - no lies.”

[color=DarkSlateBlue]“Alright, sure. Stop by in an hour, if you want.”[/color]

Hanging up, it wasn’t until he popped the phone back into his pocket that he remembered he was due some M&Ms...

[hr]

Driving down to Cass’ old place on University Row, it was strange to see the old neighbourhood again, after what he’d seen and been through. He’d not dropped by in over a year, if not longer - and even then it had been to drop something with Cass rather than paying Reed a visit. Rapping his knuckles on the door, he heard someone shout “It's open,” prompting him to step inside.

For all the maturity and wisdom Cass had, he was still a kid in ways - Quentin noticed the assorted 80’s-90’s action film memorabilia that decorated the house, from the Predator statue standing vigilant on a nearby shelf to an original Terminator 2: Judgement Day film poster with Arnie’s signature on it, framed upon the wall. Yup. Cass definitely lived here. But then again, so did Reed.

Helping himself to a couple of beers from the fridge and taking a seat at the table, he tossed Reed a nod as his brother stepped in. As he sat down, Quentin pushed the other beer across the table as a hint. Reed didn't seem to be taking it just yet, mind.

“What'd you want to talk about, exactly?” Reed was straight to business, as usual.

Quentin shrugged. “It’s… a lot of stuff. About what's happened this past year, how I've.. changed, I guess.”

“You changed a long time ago.”

“I didn't mean that.”

“Oh, really? Because I remember it clear as crystal enough. One day you just started acting different and distanced yourself from us, like that-” Reed snapped his fingers “Like you had something else going on. You kept going dark on us, disappearing for days at a time. Then you had the condo, the job, you had all that set up pretty easy looking from where I was standing. Me and Cass, we both had our suspicions - you leading the kind of life that [i]he[/i] did as best he could to keep us out of.”

“I had my reasons for what I-” Before Quentin could get out an answer, Reed cut him off.

“What reasons? What the hell were you doing, exactly? I checked the file not long after you went missing, where they found your bike. Yeah, I know who Alec Lebedev is - or should I say, used to be. Is that what this shit was?”

Quentin didn't answer that time.

“Oh, here we go again. Silence is always convenient for you. God dammit, you're lucky I never took you in. The only thing that stopped me from doing that was because I knew it'd break Cass’ heart and for the sake of our Mom. What would she think if she saw this shit, huh?”

“Mom?” Quentin seethed, “Mom’s dead and she was barely around for us when she was alive. I'm the one who had to take care of things, I did more for you than she [i]ever[/i] did!”

It took a moment for it to sink in before Quentin realised why Reed was looking at his balled up fist where he'd slammed it. In the table was a clear fissure in the wood, as if someone had smashed it with a hammer.

“What happened to you, Quent?” The younger of the Taylors finally asked. “I'm not even talking about how you were able to do that-” he gestured to the great crack in the table, “I've never seen you acting like this before. Shit, you're an asshole but… you're still my brother and it fucking concerns me for a reason. Even Cass worries about you too.”

“As I said, a lot of things. Look - you’re probably too young to remember this but things got worse for our family as the years passed by,” Quentin began, sinking back into the chair with a sullen look on his face, his tone finally apologetic, “Mom went from one deadbeat to another, trying to drown her pain through one thing or another. If it wasn’t booze it was painkillers, if it wasn’t painkillers it was booze - it went on, and on, and on. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve always appreciated what Cass did for us in the end, and he [i]was[/i] there for us, but not all the time - I don’t blame him for that, either.”

Reed wasn't convinced yet. “What’s your point to all this?” He shot back.

“My poin-.. my point is that I grew up before I should have had to and took the reigns all through that. Using the money I made through [i]that[/i] life to help out with things and make sure we had something to eat at the same time. It’s always felt like you’ve never got that - never understood it. But, fuck it - that’s in the past. You were right, I never did entirely let go of [i]that[/i] life for a time, and I’ve come to regret it.”

“..Thanks.” For the first time, Reed had finally heard it openly from his brother and softened his resolve. “Is that why you wound up working for NEST? Did they offer you some kind of amnesty?”

“Something like that. I kept my name off the register for a long time because... I just wanted to keep it to myself, I guess,” Telling Reed about what those twisted bastards had done was still too raw a wound expose, so instead he kept it brief. “One day I wound up in a situation that changed me, through that I ran into NEST - and they found out that I was a Metahuman and told me that with my background in security, I could still work for them as an agent. I doubt that the alternative would’ve been preferable.”

“So.. is this why you've been acting different?”

“Yeah.” Quentin answered. 

A few more minutes passed as the two spoke. Reconciliation felt good, like taking a weight off Quentin’s psyche. Eventually it felt like it was time to head back home, so he pressed a couple fingers against the cracked table to stand, noting “Tell Cass I'll replace the table when I've got time.”

Just before he touched the door, Reed spoke up. “Hold on. You got anything else planned?” 

Quentin arched an eyebrow. “No, why?”

“I know a good place downtown not far from here, they run discounts for cops.”

“I'm not a cop-” Quentin got cut off.

“You work for NEST, don't you?” Reed’s tone was dangerously sly.

For the first time in many years, the Taylor brothers grinned in unison.

[hr]
[hider=Around][youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZjTGFeBXAY[/youtube][/hider][hr]

[I]A couple hours later.[/i]

Turns out that Reed wasn't bullshitting. Whilst it was hardly the kind of place you’d see the high-class Knightdale Rows types flooding in, Bermuda’s had its merits. The drinks were good, the prices not too bad and the patrons lively enough to create a decent atmosphere. Senior students often dropped by to unwind and unlearn after a long day at studies, lectures and work whilst other colourful characters dropped by.

In a corner by the pool table, the Taylor brothers sat across from one another with a couple beers beside them. For both of them, this reconciliation was long overdue and, for the oldest of them more than anything, it had been a boon to his psyche.

“Say, how’s that new placement you’ve had these past couple months? Cass seemed real proud for you.” Quentin asked after swigging from his bottle.

“It's good,” Reed nodded, optimistic as ever, “I mean, it's hard but it's fulfilling. Makes you feel like you're making a real difference.”

“Yeah?” Quentin arched an eyebrow, reminded of something he'd meant to say, “Y’know, ever since I started working for NEST, I’ve felt... different. Strange, even. In a good way. I’ve felt like I’m... doing something worthwhile, for a difference.”

A fox’s sly smile formed across Reed’s face. “I can’t believe the words that our coming out of your mouth. Did they... brainwash you, or anything? I know your workplace has those telepathic types, maybe they scrambled your head.”

Quentin chuckled and flipped him off for that. “Hah, fuck you too. Yeah, I’ll admit it - I thinking I’m getting that same buzz you and Cass love to brag about. And it’s had a weight off my chest.” Finally, he’d admitted it. To the last man he’d expected to no less. Though... planting that boot on Heartbreaker’s hand had contributed to reducing the weight, but that was better left unmentioned.

Incidentally, it also reminded Reed of something [i]he'd[/i] had on his mind. “Whilst we’re getting things off our chest... you know about that little incident down at the beachside area a couple of weeks ago, right?”

“Yeah..” Quentin answered, having already made himself familiar with Reed’s report a few weeks back, when he'd first heard of it.

“Well... remember how the report - yes, I know you’ve got access to that kind of information - mentions that me and Gabe were helped out by a couple of anonymous kids who left before I could take their details down?”

“Go on.”

“I had the opportunity to speak with them. By the looks of it, they were probably young enough to have parents who’d be pissed if they got caught out on a night like that. So I let them slip for once, figured they'd earned it and keeping them wouldn't serve any purpose.”

“So you’re saying that you, Officer Reed Taylor - poster boy for Verthaven’s Finest - bent the rules? Bullshit.”

“That's Detective to you. And if it weren’t for them, those Met-.. those suspects might’ve killed Gabe and I would’ve gone the same way, most likely. I owed them.”

“No shit. Heh, maybe there is still some hope for you, little brother. Consider your secret safe with me.” Quentin snorted, amused at the notion, before adding “Don’t short change yourself though - you held up pretty well. Better than most in your place.”

“Nah, there was a girl with her friends. Had a mean ability to control water and ice, almost matched her personality.” Reed remembered the girl - she wasn't exactly easy forget. “She and her friends did a lot of the ‘hero’ work.”

Quentin was about to move on when something clicked at the mention of those particular traits. “Hold on. Just out of curiosity, was she asian? Dark-brown hair, ponytail, probably has a scar on her face or something?”

It took Reed a moment to think things through, before nodding, “I think, yeah.”

Quentin burst out laughing at that one. “For real?”

Reed wasn’t exactly in on the funny side of it, answering “Yeah, for real. You know her or something?”

“No shit, it’s a small world.” Quentin wiped a palm across his face and downed another gulp of his drink. [i]’Damn. Wonder if she has a thing for lifesaving. Who knows, but having worked with her mom - I wager she had her reasons for wanting to be kept out of it.’[/i]

“Anyway..” he decided it best to move on, tugging his wallet out of his pocket. “Next round’s on me.”