(ON HIATUS) Execute Order Sixty-Soup: A Crack Fanfiction!

Chapter Five: The Soup Conspiracy

*CUE ECHO DISTRACTING THE EMPIRE WITH HIS SICK MOVES*

The image of Crosshair flirting with his soup was not made by me. Please appreciate it!

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There were two results to the monumental chase scene in which Hunter threw his knife at the teenage thief, pinning him by his loose, linen shirt to a brick wall. The kid shouted and tried to pull himself free, but his clothing wasn't breathable enough to rip from the knife's grasp. He went away in shackles unharmed, and the authorities followed Hunter back to the bookstand to ensure he didn't have any funny schemes of his own. 

As the Quarren saw him return with the beloved sack, he cried out delightfully. "Oh, all my profits! I was wrong about you, Broody. You saved the day!"

Hunter lifted the sack and put on his imaginary Negotiating Bandana. "Since I got this back for you, it's only fair that you give me the book free of charge."

"That's not appropriate, sir," one of the accompanied officers rebuked. "Give the owner his money."

"Wait, Officer." Though Quarrens were anatomically different in the face, the bookstand owner's features ruffled to show apprehension. With this apprehension, however, came agreement.

"It's acceptable." Taking The Chronicles of Fangorn off its pedestal, he dusted the book off and whispered fond words of parting to it. 

As he reached for the bag of credits with his left hand, he extended the storybook with his right, creating a balanced, simultaneous exchange. Hunter handled the book with satisfaction, making sure to deliver a sincere, "thank you. You ought to get a safe for your credits," he added.

"I will when I can afford it. You're of no help," the Quarren stated, but with a sly, satirical expression. "Now go on, go give it to your kid!"

Hunter nodded one last time before leaving the stand. The two officers stayed to chat with the Quarren about the shackled teenager, but he tuned out that conversation as he went to the gargantuan jukebox in the middle of the square. A crowd of about three dozen people was clapping their hands and bobbing their heads to the techno-remixed music, but there was a new presence.

A man with a microphone stood on a newly established podium next to the jukebox, his voice booming on a speaker. "Hey, y'all! My buddy Garson and I are doing an open dance-off here right now, so if anyone wants to show off their moves and win a prize of a hundred credits, come to the floor!"

Due to the man's announcement, about three more dozen people turned their heads from shopping and went over to the jukebox. Hunter scanned the crowd to see that Omega was still excitedly jumping up and down like a baby puffer pig. She waved to him jubilantly and tugged Echo's enthusiastic arm for the tenth time. When he wouldn't budge, she shoved through the crowd to Hunter.

"Hey," Omega said, eyeing the book. "What have you got there?"

"Something for later," Hunter said with a smile.

Omega eyed the book with a smirk but quickly changed the subject. "Did you hear that they're having a dance competition, Hunter?"

Hunter glanced over to the guy on the podium, still urging people to join. That's when a sinister plot weaved together in his head. A sinister plot that would finally get Echo out of his shell.

"I'm gonna let you in a little secret," Hunter spoke softly to ensure maximum secrecy until the right moment, "about Echo."

As the sergeant exposed all of Echo's obscurity, the cyborg must've felt too uneasy in the middle of the crowd alone. "Why did I see you take a teenager away in shackles?" he asked.