Template:Featured Articles/37-2017

Moment of Awesome - Artie Maddicks/Facade : Having asked Topaz to come on a job with him, Artie reveals his true feelings about their brave new world. Topaz doesn't disagree. He gave an address on the outskirts of the DX. It seemed plausible. Artie grabbed the man’s hand, ignoring the whimpers, flipping him over onto his stomach, with the arm pulled up behind him, immobilizing him and broke two of his fingers. (“Is that true? Tell him that this is so he remembers us.”) "Yah sach hai," Topaz confirmed quietly for Artie in Hindi before quickly switching back to English. "This is so you don't forget us." Artie nodded tightly, led the way downstairs quickly and around the corner to the car they’d parked there earlier. Not a mansion car. Conversation could wait as they drove out of the DX. He parked the car eventually and only then did he say anything. “Thank you.” Topaz was equally quiet, playing with the mask she'd ripped off as soon they were in the car. "Yeah, 'course," she said, looking up at last. "Always happy to help you beat the crap out of a bloke." He gave a silent laugh, hands fisted on his thighs. “You okay?” "Yeah." A strange response given what they had just done. Topaz raised an eyebrow at Artie, already knowing the answer to her own question. "Are you?" His smile was brittle and overly bright as he nodded. “It was business. Nothing else. Didn’t mean anything,” Artie signed, small and fast. “Didn’t mean anything and I have the contact points confirmed.” "Right." The incredulity was obvious. "You do remember I'm an empath, right? I mean, I can't imagine you've forgotten in the last ten minutes." The emotions he hadn’t felt at the time were coming back. Work was like that. You felt nothing and then it was over and everything came back. “Frankenb—“ Artie stopped. Glared out the window for a moment, hands still trying to shake. Switched to text, rather than fingerspell it again. “This. Here. This freaking frankenberrycat bullshit world. It doesn’t mean anything. So. I do my job and yes. I’m okay.” He dared her to challenge the lie. Topaz watched Artie for a moment before looking out the window again, out at the fucked up world he was talking about. "Fair enough," she said finally. He wasn't wrong.