The Lady or the Tiger: G-Force style by WyldKat
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Story Notes:

The started life as a scene for another story but was cut because it didn't quite work. But, I enjoyed the converstation too much to scrap it, so I re-did the setting and turned it into a vingette.

Thank you to Nancy, for doing two beta reads on this in less than 48 hours, and for pointing out the obvious mistake I had managed to miss.

Perhaps seeking familiar companionship or maybe just trying to stay out of the cold autumn rain that had been falling for most of the day, the members of G-force slowly gathered at Jun’s Deli. The dining area was empty, save for the teens, casual customers driven away by the same rain. The idle conversation between Jun and Jessie took a somewhat philosophical turn.

“You’re the one in the arena,” Jessie said, referring to the story of the Lady or the Tiger, “one door leads to your heart’s desire the other leads to a squad of armed Spectrans. Which one do you pray opens?”

Mark glanced up from his reading at bar. “That’s a pointless question. No one in their right mind would choose the door with the Spectrans.”

“Actually, no it isn’t,” Jessie said. “If you know that whichever door opens, your life will change and you cannot go back, which would you choose, almost certain death or spending the rest of your life doing something else?”

“It still makes no sense.” Mark laid his book down and pivoted on the bar stood to look at his young team member.

“So, you would choose your heart’s desire, walking away from the fight? Leaving it for someone else to finish.”

“No, I mean,” he sighed, “it’s not simple as that. Sure, someday, I want to find a normal life, but not right now.”

Jessie gave him a soft smile. “But, for purposes of the exercise, you have only today to make the choice.”

“That actually is an interesting question, Jessie.” Jun finished wiping down the tables and came over and settled across the table from her. “How did you come up with it?”

“I found a variation of it in a psych class.” Jessie shrugged, tapping an open textbook. “I thought it was intriguing.”

“Does the question assume that the heart’s desire is human?”

“It really doesn’t say, but generally speaking, one would assume that the heart’s desire is a human of the opposite sex.”

“Not always,” Key laughed, passing his hand game to Tiny. “In Jason’s case it would be a Mustang or a Cobra.”

“Wrong on both counts,” came a voice from the front of the shop, “it would be a 1967 Dodge Charger with a 4 barrel carburetor, 426 Hemi engine, royal blue in color.” Half the occupants of the room turned to stare at T.C. who was sitting on the window ledge. She smirked and told them, “Someone doesn’t clear out his browser’s history buffer.”

“I’ll take the Spectrans,” Jason growled softly from the back of the room near the empty band stage as he deftly planted a dart in the middle of the board.

Jun turned to look at him. “Even though you are most certainly going to die?” she asked quietly.

“Yes, and I’ll take as many of the murdering bastards with me as I can.” The look he gave the girls said quite clearly he wasn’t kidding.

“What about you, Jun?”

“I would hope it was my heart’s desire,” Jun started.

“Marky warky,” Key chortled, ducking to avoid the casual cuff from Tiny.

“Because then,” Jun continued, ignoring her little brother, “the two of us could take on the other door.”

“No fair, you don’t get to open both doors.” Key protested.

“Who says? I picked one door; nothing is stopping him from opening the other door.”

“Well, Mark, would you?” Jason laughed at his commander’s predicament.

Mark glanced around the room and realized he was the center of attention. “Yes. It is still too early in the war to just walk away. What about you, Tiny, you haven’t said anything.”

“My heart’s desire, on a forty-footer in the harbor just outside the village.” Tiny answered without pausing the game. “Man, I’d miss the Phoenix though.”

“I thought your heart’s desire was an all you could eat burger joint.”

Tiny calmly reached out, grabbed Key by the back of the neck and shoved him off the bench. “What about you, shrimp?”

“Man, give me the Spectrans! Girls are stupid,” came the half muffled response.

“You won’t be saying that in three years, my friend,” Mark laughed.

“T.C.?” Jessie turned and looked towards the other female member was still perched on the window sill, alternating between watching the traffic and her teammates.

T.C. shrugged, “It really doesn’t matter, since I lose either way. Being married isn’t much better than being dead,” she added with a snort and turned her attention back to the traffic. “By the way, it’s stopped raining; looks like the clouds are clearing.”

“What about you, Jessie?” Jun asked, “You posed the question, what‘s your answer?”

“I don’t know. The question assumes I have a heart’s desire, which I don’t. That’s why I find the question so intriguing, I don’t know whether I would pray for a quick, if painful death, or an uncertain future.”

“Man, Jessie, you think of some weird shit,” Key said as he scrambled up from the floor.

“Key! Language!” Jun scolded.

“Sorry, stuff,” he amended, sticking his tongue out at his sister. “I’m going to the park where I don’t have to hear people ask questions that make my brain hurt.”

“You have to have a brain, for it to hurt, squirt,” Tiny stood up and languidly stretched.

Key gave an indignant squall and turned to beat the bigger boy in the chest, which Tiny appeared not to notice as he calmly reached down, grabbed the younger boy up and casually tossed him over one shoulder. “I’ll get him out of your all’s hair for a while,” he said as he started for the door.

“Put me down, you big ape!” Key squealed, pounding his fists against Tiny’s back.

“I will,” Tiny chuckled and winked at T.C. as he walked out, “soon as you remember my correct name.” Key’s inarticulate sounds of frustration were soon muffled by the closing door and the laughter of his team.
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