[FIN] What Have You Done Now?

[Blood_Goddess]

There was no lack of work for the transporters in Team Rocket. even since before the new base was announced the Agents and their teams had been running around not just to ensure that the outposts had everything they need, but making runs to the construction sites with certain supplies.

It was enough to keep Jerome away, for days at a time, running back and forth as needed.
It helped a lot to help the Agent's mind keep busy, he had a lot to think about since his birthday, and not a lot of it was pleasant.

Jerome had never forgotten his friends, and certainly never forgotten the last time he had seem them alive, or barely alive, if even that.
Despite whatever feelings he had for that life style, he didn't think it was something he could forget, that they were people he could forget. You don't spend a life time accepting someone as brothers and not have them imprint on your life forever.

But recently Jerome had learned something, something he wanted answers to, while at the same time not sure he actually wanted to know the truth.
Either way, It was one afternoon that Jerome had off, and he was back in his temporary home in Ambergris.
In a pare of jeans, a t-shirt and a zip up hoodie today, much more conferrable then the standard uniform, Jerome made his way to the depth of the base, a book in hand, looking for a particular black haired Grunt.  

[lZAYA ORlHARA]

Though Grunt Nakura had been kept similarly busy since his return with less important tasks befitting one of his status, he had not failed to notice Jerome's change in uniform when he'd seen him in passing. The outpost was still fairly small, after all; especially for the Rockets who had previously occupied a much larger building until relatively recently. He hadn't gotten a chance to speak with his old roommate with everyone so hard at work, but he guessed the higher-ups probably wanted it that way. The less chance they had to talk idly, the less Nakura could distract his fellow Rocket members and the better the odds were that he himself would stay out of trouble.

Being occupied with so many tasks had caused the grunt to withdraw into himself a great deal more than before he had been captured. He still tended to keep up his usual facade when addressed or spoken to, smiling his usual smile. However, when working on a given job or focusing on his work, his expression hardened into something stony and the merry look in his eyes grew dim. The cheerful, jolly vibe that used to radiate from Grunt Nakura seemed to have ceased completely. Even so, his spirits seemed to lift slightly and his voice rose in delight when he caught sight of Agent Jerome.

"Jerry-kun!" he cried, pausing to lean on his mop and set down his bucket of soapy water. "I almost didn't recognize you. I've been so used to seeing you in uniform lately. Congratulations on earning that promotion to Agent, by the way! Must have been a while back, but I don't think I ever got to express how proud I am of you." His gaze fell to the book in Jerome's hand. "Reading anything interesting?"  

[Blood_Goddess]

The base was much smaller then it used to be, with a lot less personnel stationed at it then the main HQ, so finding Izaya in the halls was not exactly a feat of any kind.
Jerome had noticed they seemed to be putting the Grunt back on work like this, he hadn't asked questions why.
Izaya was the first to speak as Jerome drew forward, and as the usual he spoke a lot, catching up on the little things. Only- Jerome wasn't here for that.

Inked eyes were brought down to the book, something that Jerome reached out to hand to the informant, and dismissing most of what he had already said, got directly to the point "Think we got somethin' t'talk bout."

It was hard to tell what he felt about this, and it would certainly be ever harder to tell just by looking at him. Jerome had known Izaya for a couple of years now, and as far as the Gangster was concerned he was a good friend. he was a brother. What was this then? The information in that book? Would it be a betrayal if it happened before they met? Does that even give Izaya an excuse? That Jerome's family might have died as a result of what happened?  

[lZAYA ORlHARA]

He'd suspected it the moment he saw the book in Jerome's possession, but Nakura hadn't wanted to jump to conclusions just then. Not until he caught the agent's words did he confirm said suspicions. It seemed a few little things had gotten out while he'd been away, unable to keep them hidden. The question was...how much? And how was it affecting the ex-gangster?

Smile faltering, the grunt accepted the book. "Heh...what's this?" he asked innocently. "You want to talk about a book?"  

[Blood_Goddess]

A light frown worked over his lips as the book was taken out of his grasp by the grunt. wit his hands free the man folded his arms, posture a little straighter then he normally carried it, giving him a thuggish look, not that that was too difficult for the man to accomplish already.

The arch of Jerome's eyebrow, joined with a light scowl would be the only response Izaya would get about the book and his apparent innocence on knowing of its origins. Jerome wasn't buying it.  

[lZAYA ORlHARA]

"Hehe..." Though they were of the same height, Nakura was no less aware of the physical, bodily threat that Jerome could have posed for him if the tattooed man so chose. The straightening of the agent's posture did not go ignored.

The grunt swallowed and took a deep breath before opening his mouth again. "Really taking that new agent role of yours seriously, aren't you?" he asked, his voice much less playful than just a few moments prior. "No more talkative, though."  

[Blood_Goddess]

"This ain't got nothin' t'do with rank." Jerome corrected abruptly "s'm day off. S'just me, wantin' answers."

Keeping his arms folded he shifted his weight a little over one of his feet, "Quit with the messin' an give it t'me ********' straight." He practically growled, nodding his head toward the book "the ******** s'that?"  

[lZAYA ORlHARA]

"Just you, eh?" the grunt chuckled mirthlessly as he glanced down at the notebook in his hands. There wouldn't be any talking his way out of this one. Even if he tried, Jerome was always a direct, to-the-point kind of guy when it came to business. Any delays or p***y-footing he might have tried to make around the topic wouldn't do much good; if anything, he suspected they might have just made the situation worse.

Glancing up abruptly at the impatient words of the other man, Nakura met his dark gaze. "Notes of mine. Thought it'd been lost in the move. Thanks for keeping it for me." A pause. "...But you must have learned that when you found out who it belonged to, hm?" The grunt tilted his head slightly, his expression blank. "How much did you read?"  

[Blood_Goddess]

"All." Jerome replied the frown still on his lips. "Most a it didn't mean nothin' but I picked up on bits... April tenth 2011." He said more pointedly, jerking his chin out sharply and glancing to the book, indicating him to look up the date if he didn't remember. Though Jerome suspected he wouldn't quite need to.  

[lZAYA ORlHARA]

Nakura flinched. He wasn't too keen on the invasion of his privacy, but considering the circumstances, he imagined it was better the book had fallen into his roommate's hands rather than the police's or the League's. Still...even if he wasn't threatened with another arrest or the mafia, in many ways, this was worse. Those things he could deal with, but being confronted about this by one of the few people who possibly considered him a friend...? He had no clue where to start. Honesty, maybe...but that was never easy.

The grunt didn't even bother pretending to look up the date, staring down at the plain cover of the notebook. "Ah...yes. A minor transaction with an old client. A few members of the gang calling themselves Griffs had requested information on a rival gang, ET-14. A gang that no longer exists, its members killed in a fight that ensued. All but one," he said, raising the book to tap it against his temple thoughtfully. "Not that any of what actually went down that night was directly my fault. It wasn't personal....just business."  

[Blood_Goddess]

It wasn't personal, just business. He grew to understand that statement, but only to a certain point. "How the ******** ain't that personal?" He asked very abruptly. "The ******** am I supposed t'say t'that s**t? I got out nearly choke some kid an take their pokemon and drop a 'ain't personal' and that's supposed t'make em feel ********' BETTER?! Not ********' personal my black a**!"

He uncrossed his arms, shoulders tense and face slipping into a hard scowl as he gestured to the book "An how long you had this hidden behind yo back man?"  

[lZAYA ORlHARA]

The grunt started, the mop he'd been leaning on clattering nosily to the floor. Nakura had been caught off-guard by the sudden change in Jerome's tone, demeanor, and volume. He'd never really seen the man angry before, come to think of it. The ex-gangster he knew was always so lax and laid-back; tolerant, patient. It seemed even the recently-appointed agent had his limits, however. After all, he was still only human.

"Now, Jerry-kun, why don't we talk this out rationally for a minute?" Nakura suggested warily, putting up his palms in a defensive gesture as he ever so slowly took a subtle step backward. "Yes, okay, it's true I sold out your gang to your rivals. I won't deny that. But if the ET-14 members had come to me first and asked for my help, I would have done the same for them," he countered. "It's all just a matter of your gang having been in the wrong place at the wrong time. I had no idea what the Griffs were going to do with the information I gave them; I just set the pieces in motion and watched where they fell."

He hesitated. Maybe 'pieces' wasn't the best term to call the people who had been very real to the man he was currently trying to appeal to. Sighing heavily, Nakura waved a hand off to one side in a careless gesture. "Think of it this way. If someone had to die, it's better them than you, right?" Crimson eyes refused to meet tattooed brown ones. "All's fair in war, and the Griffs are the ones who started it. I'm not someone who promotes holding grudges, but if you have to hold some personal vendetta against someone, I'd say you should direct that fury of yours towards them."  

[Blood_Goddess]

The clatter of the mop hitting the ground and Izaya's sudden change in demeanor to a more defensive posture drew a sharp pause in Jerome's stance, glancing to the fallen mop for a second as Izaya tried to continue to explain his reasoning.

"The ******** you didn't know what was doin' down on th' streets, gang wars rippin' the place apart, ya didn't think it would come down t'the two a us?"
He countered, knowing that the Gang wars had inflated a lot of fear in the lower arias of the city.
A lot of violence and a lot of street politics.

Whatever choice of words Izaya used didn't at all seem to sit well with the gangster
"that how you see people?" Jerome continued in a low voice "Jus... ******** pieces on a map, people ya put in front a yer own life and watch die in yo place an jus... ********' feel nothin'" Jerome licked his lips clearly growing more upset "S'that how ya feel bout that girl who died savin' yer a**? Better her then yo? All's fare n's**t, just another piece?"  

[lZAYA ORlHARA]

"You know as well as I do that it's survival of the fittest. Whether in the wild, the streets, or in Team Rocket. Don't you?" he asked, giving Jerome a level look. "It's not like this organization sees us any differently. That's why they compartmentalize us and only tell the most important pawns of theirs the most information."

"The rest of us they can dispose of and replace without batting an eyelash. That's how Team Rocket survives. That's just how this world is; rational, logical, and practical." His darkened eyes grew cold. "Emotional attachments and sentimentality will just hold you back."

s**t. He brought up Aila. Paling, the grunt lost his nerve as the conviction in his tone and demeanor drained out of him. The memories of Aila's last moments flashed in his thoughts. His hands shook as he reached down to pick up his fallen mop. "That was different."  

[Blood_Goddess]

"The ******** point s'survivin' if ya do it ALONE?" Jerome's voice suddenly took on a shouting quality, the booming his deep voice reverberating with a great threat across the small halls of the outpost.
"Man what the ******** s'wrong with ya, who give a s**t how the business end a this places' run, ya wanna know how us lil' guys make it through? With each other, ********! We got each others back and we keep an eye out and we stick up and stick out cause we're brothers, stuck in a ********' b***h a** world that won't give no shits bout you, But yo BRO' DO!"

As Izaya bent down to pick up the mob Jerome grabbed him by the scruff and shoved him back up against the wall.
A severe growl in his voice with his next words "How ******** s'that different hn?"
His hand clenched a little harder.