DT Serum, Primary Testing In Progress

Echo groaned a little and slowly woke. She drew back when she saw someone right next to her, but relaxed when she saw it was Lex. "Please..." She begged him. "My friend is being given some awful drugs, but he won't let me help." Her voice shook more than she would have liked. "He's my only friend, and I need him to be okay. The stuff their giving him... it's some kind of hallucinigen, but a bad one. He kept pacing and going on and on about evil things taking control of inanimate objects, and scratched his arm till it bled, but yelled at me when the drugs wore off when I offered to bandage it."

Lex listened calmly, wincing when her voice got higher pitched.  Casually, he took a joint from his pocket and lit it.  By the time she was done, he had it started and burning nicely as he puffed on it.  He let the silence drag a moment before he finally spoke.  "To me, sounds like a bad cut of coke or maybe LSD.  Once you're hooked on that, you got basically no hope without help.  Some kind of support that'll help you get clean."

(Favorite movie, Journey Home, Star Trek movie, the crew goes back in the past, and Captain Kirk tries to explain that Spoke is weird because he did too much LSD in college, but instead he says LDS. XD)

"But he won't let me help him!" Echo said in frustration. "Every time I try, or every time he lets me, he's already higher than a cloud or too slammed to protest!" She hesitated. "Please... I'll.. I'll get you whatever you want, just please help him." Echo begged.

(Lol XD Haven't seen that one, but I like that silly bit)

Lex shook his head, turning the joint around in his hand.  "My advice, then, would be to destroy the supply chain and distract him with something better.  That, or chain him up and force him to get clean."

Echo looked down and nodded a little. It would be a lot of work, and if Tramp found out it was her, she felt he may never forgive her. However, Echo knew Tramp was a good guy, and deserved so much better than this. And if him hating her forever guaranteed him a better life, she would do it.

Huh.  She really cared.  Unusual for street rats to care that much about someone else.  She must not be totally hardened.  Lex inhaled deeply from his joint, held it a beat, then blew it out.  "Find out who his dealer is, tell me, and I'll see what I can do," he bargained.

Echo looked at Lex in some surprise. Until now, he had seemed like he wasn't going to help other than advice, but she wasn't going to turn down the offer. Echo nodded. "Thank you."

"We'll discuss the price once I see how much trouble it's going to be," Lex told her.  "I'll cut you some slack 'cause I enjoy watching scum squirm, but it's still going to cost you expenses.  Deal?"

"Agreed." Echo nodded readily. Whatever his price was, she was already willing to pay it. "Thank you." She said again.

Lex shrugged.  "Never did like pushers.  Not really.  You watch yourself, kid."

Echo nodded and planned, still sitting there. She was dead tired, but she needed to move before Tramo became addicted to that awful drug too. She got up slowly, and duly noted she was hungry too. That could wait though.

"You got any cash on you?" Lex asked casually, watching her through apparently sleepy eyes.  Eyes that caught every detail.

Echo nodded and pulled out a wad of twenties worth probably close to $160. She offered it to Lex, assuming that this was part of his wanted payment. In her fatigue, her gun poked out slightly, usually hidden seamlessly out of sight.

Lex took about three twenties and exchanged them for tens and fives.  "Start small then work your way up when seeding money for info.  Never start with the big stuff, and never keep it all in one pocket.  And don't let the gun show.  It spooks potential informants."

Echo nodded. "I was planning on just shadowing him until I got some solid leads." She would definitely keep his advice in mind though. While Echo hadn't brought it up again, she was fairly convinced that this man was none other than the Shadow from the other side of town, despite the rumors that he had died in the inferno that also took out Black Jack's gang.

(I would think the rumor was he'd died when Black Jack shot him, but dead is dead, so...)

Lex turned and sauntered off.  "Nothing more paranoid than a druggie, so luck, kid."

(I honestly forgot about that one >> just pretend that she thinks he was shot and killed instead then?)

Echo nodded. She could pass as silently and as unnoticed as a shadow herself if she wanted, but Tramp also knew her better than most. This would be tricky, but she had an idea. She got up and stretched some before Echo headed to a sport and recreation store. The farther the distance, the less noticed you were. So what better way to watch someone than from the rooftops a couple of blocks away through binoculars?

(Tricky chicky)

Lex yawned as he headed home, running a hand through his hair.  He was going to be late to take the kid to school.  Dang it!  Even so, he still took the long way home.  Just in case.

When Lex finally got home, Gaster had just herded Sam and Paul out the door.

Without saying a word, Lex slipped into the "crowd" with them, tagging along just behind.

Ashton noticed, but drew no attention to it. He would ask where Lex was once they were alone.

Lex rubbed his temples without thinking, wincing at the light.  The headache was becoming a constant nag at the back of his skull now.  He didn't know what to do about it.  Yeah, he'd had headaches that lasted days in the past, but not following a debilitating migraine.  Well, he could still function.  He'd let it go for now.  And when they got back, he was going to work on the thingy.  Whatever that thingy was that Sam asked him to fix.  He couldn't remember what it was called right now.

Ashton kept half an eye on Lex as they walked. Once at Paul's school, Paul gleefully hugged everyone before running off to start classes.

Gaster looked at the two older boys. "I assume we will be parting ways?" He inquired. "I have work, and at least Sam is coming with to help Dr. Ally."

"I have a project to work on at home," Lex said.  "Shuni staying home or going with you?"

Gaster shrugged and looked to Shuni for his opinion on the matter.