I hope that answer was honest cause otherwise I'll look like an absolute idiot here.

This is actually interesting info, cause given the connection they seem to have on the show, while also having a serious lack of information about each other, gives us two options: It could be possible Shrike and Beebs used to be friends when they were younger, and life simply made it's thing and they had to split apart for a long, long time. Finding each other once again as adults and deciding to start a business together for the sake of that old friendship, cause y'know-- Who's better to trust out there to watch your back in such a hostile universe than an old friend?

It would explain why they seem to have this certain level of closeness to each other, almost knowing what the other is thinking, while at the same time feeling like two complete strangers. There was a gap in their lives that they don't know about, and are still not ready to share. It would also make any future reveals sting even more, cause what's worse than refusint to trust someone you used to share everything with long ago? I think it's an interesting perspective on friendship. Things change, people change, life changes. Shrike and Beebs are not the same people they were before, and that's scary. It's scary to be open and honest, to be vulnerable. It's not the same from when you were a kid, when you could swear everlasting friendship at the smallest act of kindness, that's not how things work.

The things they must've seen and gone through by themselves still hurt, and despite their past history together, it's still hard to imagine the other would understand-- why they did the things they did then.

But it could also give them the opportunity to reconnect once again, forming a far stronger bond than ever before, once they're aware of each other's experiences, mistakes, and fears. If they're getting along this well now, imagine how it would be once they feel safe enough with each other. To know for sure, that no matter what happens, they can still trust each other with their lives.

Or. Y'know. Maybe they just met in a random encounter in the current time and began talking, and decided to start a merc company cause they had no one else to turn to, and they tolerated eachother enough to try it <3