Working on dialogue here. I'm trying to give Samson and Onzi unique personalities so you can really tell the difference between them. If you have any tips, please let me know.
Sitting atop the Terra Co skyscraper in the center of the city, Onzi crossed his arms. Across from him the
delightful Samson paced rigidly from one side of the building to another. With his helmet placed on a steel canister, Samson stroked his beard thoughtfully. His eyebrows were scrunched together, his jaw was clenched tight. Onzi stared into the into the sky, his thoughts drifting.
A laugh from Samson interrupted his thoughts.
“What are you laughing at?” Onzi asked, furrowing his brow.
“I think it’s funny. We just met each other, we fought this guy who happened to be wearing the same… suit? What is that, a suit?” He grinned.
“Alien organism,” Onzi said sharply.
“So, you’re wearing an alien suit. An exosuit, I guess. So, anyway, we meet, we fight that guy, and now here we are, two superhumans hanging out on top of Terra Co. It’s funny, isn’t it?”
Superhero.Onzi shook his head. “If you say so, man.”
Samson gradually stopped pacing. A dumb smile was plastered on his face. “Did you know that guy?” he asked.
“I might.”
“You might? Either you do or you don’t, right… uh…” he struggled with his words. “Say, what’s your name?”
The feeling of the exosuit loosening around his jaw and mouth as it opened to speak was something Onzi had gotten used to. However, he quickly shut it, hesitating. Who was this guy? What the hell was he doing here? And why did he want to know about Onzi and their attacker?
“First, you answer me,” Onzi demanded.
Samson nodded and leaned up against an air duct, which groaned under his weight. Presently, Onzi muttered to himself, trying to figure out everything he wanted to know about this guy. Finally, he spoke again.
“
Who are you?”
“I’m Samson, who are you?” Samson gave him a sly grin.
Onzi huffed and tapped his foot. “You told me that. Where are you from? Why are you here?”
“That’s two question.”
“Just answer the question, man.”
Samson looked down, trying to hide his smile, but Onzi caught a glimpse of it. The fire in his stomach intensified. His face flushed. Of course, Samson couldn’t see any of that, so he kept on smiling. He scratched his head.
“California.” He paused. “Uh… San Diego.” Onzi’s jaw dropped.
San Diego? Onzi thought.
That’s not possible… Yeah, that can’t be right.“I call bullshit,” said Onzi. He stood and clenched his fists. “
No one got out of San Diego.”
This time Samson’s smile spread even wider than before.
Did I say something funny? What was with guy? Why did he think everything was such a joke? It was like he didn’t take anything seriously. Maybe someone needed to teach him—
No, Onzi thought, taking a deep breath.
No, I saw what he did to Officer Matsumoto earlier. Hear him out.Samson laughed, much to Onzi’s chagrin.
“I’d say the story’s long, but it’s probably not as long as I think. My parents survived the war and raised me. I got out of there when crap
really hit the fan,” Samson said.
Onzi examined him, looking his face over. There wasn’t any trace of deception on Samson’s face. It seemed unlikely that he really was from San Diego—the place his parents had talked about so often—but he was here, telling all of this to Onzi. He had helped Onzi fight Matsumoto and had even come with Onzi to Terra Co. There didn’t seem to be much deception in the guy.
“Fine,” Onzi said. He uncrossed his arms. “Why are you here?”
Samson pointed a finger at him and chuckled. “Probably the same reason you were at the Giants’ HQ, I think. They’ve done some pretty crappy stuff; I just wanted to help.”
Onzi squirmed.
Help. Was that what it had been? Was that why he was there? Deep down in his gut, Onzi knew that answer. But why did that make him uncomfortable? It was justice, wasn’t it?
Especially after what they’d done to his family.
“Sure.”
“That all of your questions?” Samson asked. Onzi nodded. “Fair enough. My turn then, I guess.” He rubbed his eyes and yawned. “Did you know that man from earlier? The guy in the exosuit that we fought earlier, I mean.”
“I wasn’t lying,” Onzi said, sighing. “I might know him.”
Samson’s smile stretched thin. He clacked his teeth impatiently.
“Alright, alright. I’ll ask a better question, because that one is going anywhere,” he said. “
Who is he?”
Onzi stared at him curiously. His instincts told him that he probably shouldn’t trust Samson, even if he was sincere.
Do I even know this guy? Should I really tell him? Maybe he’s not who I think he is. “Why do you want to know?”
In what Onzi could only imagine was a long practice show of patience, Samson pushed off the air duct, scratching his beard and closing his mouth. This time it was Onzi’s turn to grin. It looked like he was pushing Samson to the edge of his patience. Onzi walked to the side of the building and looked down. It was only forty stories. Nothing he couldn’t survive.
“Do you think you’re the only ones out here with these gifts? The only one with powers like you have?” Samson asked.
Onzi stopped in his tracks and frowned.
Are there others? He frowned.
“What are you talking about? he asked, his tone neutral.
“Because you’re not,” Samson continued His face was devoid of a smile. “
You’re not. There are others. Not just me. Not just the other guy we fought. There are others, and they are bigger than you, they are stronger than, and they could kill you.”
A tremor tore through Onzi’s body. Adrenaline filled his body. His heart thumped in his chest. Clenching his fists, he shook his head. The anger. The rage. The fire. He knew this feeling. It was one he had felt often since the exosuit had enveloped him.
It was time to leave.
“They might be bigger. Hell, they might be stronger,” Onzi said. “But they won’t stop me.”
And with that, he stepped off the building. A blast of wind flew past him. Above him he could hear faint shouting.
“You need an ally. You
need one. You don’t understand!”