The ‘oh shit’ look on Teddy’s face said he knew what was coming next. I started shaking them both. When more bills fluttered to the ground I let go of Ryan and grabbed Teddy by the ankles, hauling up into the air upside down.
“Ahhhh!”
I started bodily shaking him. He looked like a damned cartoon character, money just pouring out of his clothes.
“Ooof!” Teddy grunted as I dropped him. He looked up and gave me a sheepish grin. Shaking my head, I told him, “We need to work on your skills, Kid.” I turned to Ryan, who smiled innocently and stepped to the side. Magically a pile of bills had appeared on the ground next to him. “Good call,” I said.
“How about we teach them not to be thieves. And don’t teach them how to potentially get out of being in trouble,” Flir said, giving OD a meaningful look when OD remained silent.
“Oh, right. Don’t teach them any of that shit,” OD told me since I’d been the one who’d suggested that it might not have been the kids who’d taken the money.
I chuckled. “Sure thing.”
The boys groaned in disappointment as Flir started scooping up the money.
“How is he not in The Collective?” Ryan asked, crossing his arms over his chest with a grumpy look on his face.
Teddy nodded at his friend in agreement.
Flir’s head snapped up and he glared at them. “The Collective? Are you questioning my loyalty to the club?” It was impressive—for Flir anyway—that he managed to sound pissed, offended, and horrified all at the same time. I didn’t realize he was capable of that much emotion all at once. Or any emotion other than frustration.
“No, notthatCollective,” Teddy replied with a roll of his eyes. “He means the Borg.”
Flir looked as confused as I felt. “What the hell is the Borg?” I asked.
OD groaned, but before he could explain, Ryan started talking. He was excited and was talking so fast he was nearly tripping over his words. “The Borg Collective?”
Flir and I exchanged glances just to confirm that neither of us had any clue what he was saying.
“The Borg Collective.” It wasn’t a question this time. Ryan sighed in disappointment. He started moving in a slow robotic motion, "Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated.” He and Teddy grinned at us while OD rubbed his hand over his face in exasperation.
“They haven’t seen Star Trek, guys,” OD told them. “Most of us aren’t sci-fi nerds like you two.”
Teddy scowled at him. “Come on, you said the show was great.”
“Yeah, and Flir, well, he’s not even human. I’m sure he’s downloaded some episodes right into his head,” Ryan added, barely holding back a snicker.
“You forced me to watch it. And I said it was alright. Not great. Alright.”
Teddy rolled his eyes again. “The Borg are-”
“No, no, no,” OD said with a shake of his head. “There’s no time to explain.”
“They basically take humans and make them into robots. Or give them robot parts anyway,” Ryan said, still speaking quickly so OD couldn’t cut him off. “And then they work like a hive mind with all the other Borg.”
“And you’re saying he’s a Borg because-”
“Because look at him! He’s basically a robot,” Teddy confirmed, cutting me off and shooting Flir a smug grin.
“Meanwhile you and Ryan were actually a part of The Collective for a while there,” Flir pointed out. “So wouldn’t the two of you be more robot than me?”
They both narrowed their eyes as they thought about that. “They clearly didn’t assimilate us. Besides, we didn’t know we were a part of The Collective,” Ryan countered. “We just worked for Carrick. How were we supposed to know he was Collective?”
“Do the humans who get…assimilated…by the Borg know what’s going on while it’s happening?” Flir shot back.
Confusion filled the boys’ expression. “Well, no. Not usually. They just become part of the hive.”
“So you’re the Borg. I’m one of the good guys. Glad we cleared this up.”
