(no subject)

[wrist-magnum.livejournal.com]

Floyd's never been a praying man. Not when he was a kid, and the folks would drag him to the occasional church fundraiser dinner, and not now, after having fought guys who claimed to be Gods. Kneeling at the side of his bed wasn't for praying. It was for digging out the vocal scrambler in the shoebox under there.

The hospitals had been too full. There was a 2 and a half hour wait for an ambulance, and even then, no guarantee that it would get Zoe any bedspace, or a look from a doctor. He could always go out, find a doc, and bring him back at gunpoint, but if he put the guns on now, while his kid was coughing up half of Lake Michigan into her lungs, he wasn't sure that the guns would ever come off again.

Only one place left to turn, really.

He screwed the vocal scrambled into the mouthpeice of the phone, and dialed the relay number. The clicks came as the line bounced off satellites and through relays.

It always took too long for Noah to answer him phone.

"C'mon, Calculator," he grumbled under his breath, "You're all I got left."

Comments

[tx-instruments.livejournal.com]

The line goes live as The Calculator picks up. "Go ahead."

No pleasantries, no identification. Anyone who knows the number knows who they're calling anyway.

[wrist-magnum.livejournal.com]

"Noah," he said, unable to even try blunting the relief in his voice at getting the man on the line at last. "I need help."

[tx-instruments.livejournal.com]

"Lawton. Surprised to hear from you.. Ah. Your daughter."

[wrist-magnum.livejournal.com]

"I'll pay whatever you need, Noah."

His voice cracked on saying the man's name. "I'll give you free hits, name your targets. Whatever. Help her. Or point me at somebody who can."

[tx-instruments.livejournal.com]

Contrary to popular conception, the Calculator is not an entirely unsympathetic being.

"Floyd.. we're doing what we can about Light. I don't know that there are a lot of guarantees I can make.."

He trails off, but the wheels are still turning.

[wrist-magnum.livejournal.com]

"Noah. For her, I'll beg. Is that what I gotta do? I let one kid die, I won't let another one..."

Pause. Who did he say?

Light.

"Artie did this. Where is he, Noah. You got one free hit, not even cabfare for the exchange. Just give me his location."

[tx-instruments.livejournal.com]

Noah rubs his eyes. He's been monitoring the Justice League's sensors for hours. "We don't know yet, Floyd, and I'm being on the level with you. And killing him might erase a shot at a cure. I've got Quimby and Faust taking a look at it, but I'm sure the Justice League is doing the same.."

Something clicks. "I can talk to Faust. He might be able to put her in mystical stasis."

[wrist-magnum.livejournal.com]

"Do it," he says, picking up his wrist gun, and spinning the barrel. "Whatever it takes to keep her alive."

[tx-instruments.livejournal.com]

"Deathstroke's not too happy with you at the moment, as I recall, so we'll keep this quiet. You owe me, Lawton. Faust will contact you shortly to make arrangements."

[wrist-magnum.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, well Wilson's happiness ain't really something I'm gonna lose sleep over." He wanted to allow himself some kind of relief, he really did. He looked at the mask of Deadshot, staring back at him from the styrofoam mannequin head it sat on. "Keep her safe for me, Noah, and I'll pay off any debt you want."

[tx-instruments.livejournal.com]

"I'll remember you said that. Calculator out."