A losing plan

Chapter 2

"It happens to the best of us, [Name]," Denzel muttered as he focused on the engine block in front of him.

"I don't care if it does. All I'm saying is that it shouldn't have happened to me."

And you were pissed because it had. That engine was worth a lot - and you had botched it completely.

"Which tells me that you weren't focusing on the job," Denzel shot back with a brief look thrown your way. You couldn't exactly contradict him on that. Your mind had been going over your earlier conversation with Heero. That and the fact that when Kayla had visited -the stubborn woman clearly having had a nice chat with Maureen -she had started hammering you about what had happened with Heero. It was only logical that you had lost focus. Halfheartedly listening to her with some serious hardware cutting tools in your hand was just asking for trouble. "Although now I'm wondering if it had something to do with Kayla's yapping or with our mystery guy waking up," Denzel muttered.

Denzel wasn't subtle. He didn't care about tactics or touchy topics. All the man cared about was results. You had always appreciated that about him, but today was no such day. You sighed, the sound telling the man of your aggravation.

"Neither," you bit out darkly.

Denzel raised a disbelieving eyebrow. You rolled your eyes. Damn perceptive prick.

"Come. You can tell me all about it over some terrible coffee," the guy told you as he placed a hand on your upper back and urged you to start moving.

"But the engine ..."

Denzel shrugged. He didn't even shoot it another look as he simply said, "Ruined and beyond repair." You groaned in honest misery. To think you had honestly ruined an engine beyond repair -a newbie mistake -after so many years at the junkyard. "At least it can still be used to teach the kids," Denzel offered teasingly.

"Not helping," you grumbled unhappily.

The only thing that could prevent it from being used to teach the kids was if you had blown it to smithereens -which you had done once.

You were glad that most of the outcasts were still working on their respective projects. Only Denzel and you were in the small break room and a fresh pot of horrible coffee was brewing. You scrunched your nose as Denzel poured himself a mug. He raised a questioning eyebrow as he looked your way, but you quickly shook your head. You didn't want any of that stuff.

"Suit yourself," Denzel shrugged.

Denzel seated himself across from you, a patient look in those dark green eyes. You sighed deeply. Was it worth to play your usual game? In the end, Denzel always won and you always spilled your darkest secrets to the man.

"Don't make me force it out of you, [Name]," the man warned you before he took a large gulp of his coffee. He grumbled something unintelligible -most likely condemning the inventor of the current batch of coffee -and shot you another look when the silence lasted a little too long.

"Fine! I admit it. The conversation has left me a little unbalanced," you grumbled unhappily.

"Why?"

"Because he recognized me."

"And that's bad? I thought you said you knew him from before the 'fighting fiasco'."

The fighting fiasco ...

Denzel was one of the few people -along with Levi and Maureen -who knew about your unwilling participation to Sasaki's illegal fighting club. The only reason he did know was because the man had practically saved you from it and the many breakdowns that had followed.