His opinion on the other man was limited. Cletus was a good student, had an inflated ego, and was an expert at (knowingly? unknowingly?) saying things to piss people off. He was quite lucky that their friend group put up with him, but it was mostly from Goal’s forgiveness and his disinterest. 

“Is there a problem?” He asked as he walked away, still wanting to stay on schedule for lunch.

Cletus pulled himself from his slump, stepping up beside him, “Don’t play dumb, you know exactly what I’m talking about.”

“No, I don’t.”

He made his way into the cafeteria, collecting two trays and joining the line. Cletus lingered, rejoining him when he’d purchased everything and sat down. He watched him with such a serious look.

“Spill.”

“... my drink?” Argus lifted his cup, “On your lap?”

“There’s got to be a reason that you’ve chosen to do this.”

“I really don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Do you have no self awareness-?”

Cletus froze, suddenly noticing a hand that had appeared from below the table. It wriggled about, slapping the table, until it caught hold of a chip on Argus’ tray and vanished

Peering below the table, Cletus was greeted by the sight of Rufus, nibbling away.

“I have a second tray for a reason you know.”

His eyes lit up and he scrambled out from underneath, cozying up beside Argus as the tray was slid before him. Cletus sat in shocked silence, watching until they’d finished and left. He didn’t move until Goal came to poke him.

“Hello? Anybody home?”

He stood, pulling at his hair. 

"I just- I just don't understand. Why of all people him?" 

Goal tilted her head, watching Cletus now pace in frustration. 

She sighed, "I think I'm the one who doesn't understand. Why are you so hung up on this? Argus has never really gotten on with anyone, and you know he only hangs out here because he's technically my brother." 

“Yes, but I know he understands the social implications of who he chooses to interact with.”

"I think it's good he's made a friend." 

“It’s the principle of things! He’s friends with a natural disaster!”

She sighed, poking a finger into his back to get him to leave, even while he still muttered under his breath. 

“You know what I think?”

He frowned at her as they arrived outside a classroom, “What?”

“I think you’re jealous.”

“Jealous?! Of what, the fleas he's catching?”

“That he doesn't care about what people think of him, when that seems to be the only thing on your mind.”

“That's not -!” But he couldn't finish his retort. 

Goal shrugged with that little smile she got when she knew she was right, slipping into class. 

He stood outside for a moment longer. 

------------------

“Atteeeen-tion! Officer on deck!”

As Sireno extravagantly strode into the room, ten Organon snapped to alert, saluting the two. Lutteral looked over the clones, thankful his disdain was hidden by his helmet, which they all seemed to be lacking. Seeing the same face creeped him out, and it didn’t help that this group were identical in all details, save for one who had a single strand of hair out of place.

Sireno elbowed him, snickering as she whispered, “Batch 420. They’re pre-protos who have Elysium service clone programming leftover in their brains. Honestly pretty useless as soldiers.”

“And?”

She turned to the pre-prepared gun rack behind them, handing over Lutteral’s preferred sniper and taking a simple handgun for herself. 

“But they should make fun targets once they start running.”

The Organon shifted, looking confused. 

‘Well it has been sometime since my last practice session.’

With a shrug he moved to the back corner of the room and inspected his gun, loading it, taking up position on one knee. Sireno cocked her own weapon, as worried and panicked looks were shared between the clones.

“Ready… Aim… Fire!”

–

There was no reason for the sound of gunfire, as there were no bookings in the range for the rest of the day. But Argus could hear it from his office, and he was determined to find who thought they could break the rules.

What he hadn’t expected to find was a room of wounded and dead Organon.

“What the devil is going on here?!”

The shooting stopped, as Sireno turned with a half hearted salute. 

“Yo Sir, just doing some decommissioning.”

He scanned over the bodies riddled with bullet holes, a few missing limbs where the caliber had blown them clear off. 

“This- This isn’t protocol, this is senseless killing!”

Sireno scoffed, rolling her eyes at the Bailiff, “Use them as training, or throw them away? I think one seems more useful than the other.”

He knelt by one of the still conscious Organon, though they were clutching their wounds for dear life. Argus recognised him as 426, making the batch here the ones who had come in for reassignment, not destruction.

“Who authorised this? Who ordered you to be here?”

Lutteral had quickly hid his rifle behind his back, awkwardly shuffling towards the door.

“Just for the record, I was forced into this barbaric act.”

Argus ignored him, “This is just the reason why Ulysses shouldn’t let outsiders in our ranks.”

As he continued to curse Prime Authorities decision, 426 noticed the shadow that fell over both of them, and instinctively lept into action.

“Don’t you dare!” 

Sireno laughed, grabbing the clone's wrist just as he had grabbed her own knife wielding one. 

“That’s not how you speak to a superior!”

Already weak from injury, she easily flipped him over, pinning him to the ground before driving the knife into his neck. 426 shouted, though it was drowned out by the sudden gunshot whizzing by her face. Sireno spun, throwing a fist into Argus’ forearm, causing him to drop the gun. It didn’t stop his momentum, fist flying toward the Deponain’s nose, though she ducked forward then pushed up, driving her skull into his chin. Recoiling backwards, she drew a new knife from her boot and charged forward, giving Argus only second to deflect the blade from his neck. In that moment, he had height on her, and drove an elbow down on her back. Sireno dropped to the floor with a thud, and he pinned her arm.

“I will have you both recycled for this-!”

“That’s all I needed to hear.”

Lutteral swung the rifle like a bat, landing a clear strike against the side of Argus’ helmet, sending him sprawling across the floor, unconscious. 

Sireno coughed, “Ha! Nice hit! You got little league teams in that shiny city?”

“What is wrong with you?!” He screamed, “You realise what we’ve done here?!”

She righted herself, brushing herself off as she looked around the room, “Uh, made a mess?”

“The biggest mess. The Bailiff- oh by the Elders I just assaulted Ulysses stupid favourite clone. My career is over!”

“Oh shut it you baby. You act as though this isn’t your first time committing a bit of treason. You’ll be fine if you follow my instructions. We just gotta get rid of the evidence.”

Sireno stretched, before bending to attempt to lift the Bailiff. 

“Urgh, um, a little help?”

“In making things worse?!”

“Just fucking lift him! There's a trash shoot like two metres down the hall.”

Lutteral wrung his hands, before stooping down to collect the Bailiff’s ankles. It took thirty minutes to move all the bodies, wrangling them into the small hatch being the most laborious part, and then another ten to clean up the blood to the point where it didn’t lead back to them.

“... So now what?” Lutteral questioned as he looked around the mostly clean room.

“Wanna grab lunch?”

He clipped the Deponian on the back of their head, “We just killed a member of Prime Authority. Someones going to start asking questions, and it’ll probably be the Controller himself.”

“So? We play dumb. I’m some lowly junk scab and you’re a prissy sky boy, why would we be involved with the Bailiff? Maybe he ran off with that defective clone squad? Or- oh! Maybe they kidnapped him and are going to offer him as an offering to earn favour with Deponians?”

He crossed his arms, a heavy breath hissing through his filters.

“You think they still have any platypus on the menu?”

“That’s the spirit!”

-

426 groaned. He hurt all over, but it was probably for the best when it seemed to be dividing the pain across his whole body, rather than focusing it just on the holes he’d been given. 

‘Junk- shot and stabbed in one day. At least I’m conscious… and alive, unlike-’