Jayla's boots crunched snow as she walked. It was cold and windy. Rusted metal from collapsing structures creaked and swayed in the wind around her.
I'm in the Cosmodrome.
She drew her hand cannon and watched for resistance from the Fallen that had infested the area.
She climbed a metal staircase and entered a familiar diamond-shaped doorway.
...In the warmind vault.
As she crossed the threshold, fear gripped her.
SIVA.
The system of red fiberous tendrils wove down the hallway and embedded in the wall. Nobody really knew who was directing SIVA now, but it definitely seemed out of control.
She walked as delicately and slowly as possible so as not to trigger the defenses, even tho if she saw it, she was certain it already knew she was there.
Why has nothing stopped me?
There were no Splicer Dregs, no active SIVA moving about...no dangers appeared on her HUD. She instinctively held her hand up and Orrin appeared.
"Complete your mission." He said.
She kept walking.
Stay focused. You know what you have to do.
An automatic door at the end of the hallway opened and she gasped.
SIVA had formed long tendrils that wove and cut thru the room, almost resembling muscle fiber the way it was positioned.
In the center of the room was a humanoid body, hanging from the ceiling, almost in a cocoon-type position. Arms bound tightly to its sides, with the legs dangling
Jayla stepped closer, and turned the body to face her.
She shrieked and stumbled backwards, falling onto the ground.
She recognized the dark wavy hair and wide, mental-patient eyes.
The body hanging was L.J's.
SIVA was wrapped around his upper body and embedded in his legs, wrapped around his throat; she could even see tiny fibers in the edges of his eyeballs.
Complete your mission. You know what you have to do.
She pulled her sword off her back and raised it high, tears filling her eyes.
Before she could bring it down tho, she heard the rush of movement and L.J's body hit the floor.
SIVA, like a swarm of bees, attacked the body, and he rose, like a zombie, 80% consumed. His face was the only thing still mostly intact.
His crystal-blue eyes were clouded over and his head was contorted to lay parallel with his left shoulder.
Sobbing, Jayla braced to bring the sword down on his head, but she couldn't move.
When she brought the sword back, SIVA had gripped her wrists.
The remnant of L.J stepped closer to her.
One arm separated from his torso to grab her by the throat.
Jayla heard the angry rush of SIVA moving again.
L.J's dead eyes stared thru her.
"Mission failed." He said.
No...NO!
"L.J!" Jayla shrieked and shot straight up in her bed.
There was a pool of sweat where she had been sleeping and she had kicked all of her blankets off the edge of the bed.
"...L.J?" She whispered.
Orrin's blue eye blinked awake from her end table.
"Jayla...are you alright?" He asked sleepily.
Jayla blinked a couple times and rubbed her arms anxiously. "I'm in the Tower...it was a dream. Where's L.J?"
"Probably asleep, like you should be." Orrin answered. "Nightmare again? Are you alright?"
"Yes...this one was different tho. It was about L.J. I need to see him for a second; i'm not going to be able to fall asleep unless i do…" Jayla swung her legs over the side of her bed and stood up, still rubbing her arms.
"It's 3:30 in the morning. Plus the last time you two were together late at night…"
Jayla rolled her eyes. "Look, that won't happen again. If anything even did happen. Neither of us remember it. Come with me."
Orrin floated up to her shoulder as she slipped into a t shirt and a pair of leggings and a sweater. "Okay. As long as i'm there, i won't let you get into trouble. Let's go."
Jayla grabbed a blanket on her way out the door and forgot her shoes.
The Tower was almost completely silent, except for a couple frames guiding in ships from a few night-owl guardians on last minute ops.
She slipped down to L.J's quarters without being seen.
"The bell will wake everyone up." Orrin warned her.
Jayla knocked on the automatic door. "L.J?" She hissed loudly.
No answer.
She knocked again. "L.J? Are you awake?" She asked again, a little louder.
"This is probably just as loud as ringing the bell." Orrin kept glancing around them.
"What do you want from me?" Jayla asked him exasperatedly.
She knocked one last time. "L.J?"
The door slid open and L.J stood in the doorway, in his kimono, rubbing his eyes.
"Jayla...are you alright? You do realize most sane people are sleeping right now…"
He waited for Jayla to say something but she was frozen, staring at him for a moment.
"Are you alright?" He asked again.
"Yeah...yeah, i know, I should be asleep. It just wasn't happening; i was hoping maybe you'd be willing to talk."
L.J looked at her sideways. "How come you didn't want to talk during the day?"
"Look," Jayla sighed, "thats the reason i'm here. Can i come in?"
L.J pushed his wavy dark hair out of his eyes. "I suppose we both could use a nightcap; come on in."
Jayla stepped inside and Orrin whispered in her ear.
"Go. Easy. It's not a one-night stand if it happens twice!"
Jayla shooed him away from her ear like a fly. "Yes mother!"
"What are you feeling?" L.J asked.
"Whatever you've got is fine. Surprise me." Jayla answered. She sat at the barstool in front of the kitchen counter and rested her head in her hands.
"Here." L.J pushed a glass in front of her.
"To your good health." She said distractedly, barely looking at him as she drained the glass.
L.J pulled up a stool across from her and poured her another.
"Talk to me, chief. I know you're not alright and i'm too tired to play guessing games tonight."
Jayla drained the glass and held up her hand. "Just give me a second; i'm trying to figure out a way to say it that doesn't sound lame."
L.J poured himself another glass. "Fair enough. Take your time."
Jayla toyed with the empty glass in her hands for a minute or two before starting.
"Remember what you said about Lyssia? When we were watching the fireworks? You said you thought she knew you loved her, but you never got to find out for sure, and you didn't want to make that mistake again?"
L.J nodded. "Yeah, i remember."
Jayla opened her mouth to speak, and then closed it. Then she glanced at Orrin, opened her mouth again, and closed it. Finally she lay her head on the counter with a 'thud'.
"Do you hate me?" She whispered.
"Once more? I'm getting old." L.J said, smiling.
Jayla lifted her head and rested her chin on the counter. "Do you hate me?" She said again. "Because of that thing with Celestia? You can go out with whoever you want; you don't need to have my permission or approval. Honestly asking me was a shitty idea to begin with; i tried to warn you-"
"I'm not going out with Celestia. First of all." L.J said.
"Because of me?!" Jayla wailed.
"Oh come on!" L.J laughed. "You're cute and spunky and about a handful and a half, but i'm kind of offended that you'd think you had THAT kind of a hold on me!"
Jayla paused in shock and tried to process everything he'd just said. "Wait, i am...you are...the what is what now?!"
L.J shook his head. "You were right. She wasn't my type. I didn't need or expect her to be, really. I just needed to know for sure."
Jayla nodded after a minute. "I guess i can understand that."
L.J smiled a little bit. "And there's no way i could hate you, Jay. However, i am flattered that you care one way or the other. You're my friend, and my fireteam member, the only one of my friends who knows my story-"
"Well, don't let your head get too full; i only cared because we have to work together." Jayla said quickly.
"Mmh, hmm." L.J smirked. "And, most importantly, you're my drinking buddy."
Jayla laughed hard at that; the most genuine laugh L.J had ever seen from her.
He walked around the counter and gave her a long hug. Her arms hung limp at her sides and she pressed her face against his shoulder.
"So that's that." He said. "Feel better?"
Jayla nodded quickly, her nose bumping up and down against his shoulder.
"Are you tired now?" He asked.
She shrugged. "I guess i can try to go to sleep now."
L.J patted the back of her head, and let her go. He went into the bedroom and pulled a pillow and an extra blanket out of the bureau. "Sleep in the bed; i'll stay on the couch. There's no use in you going all the way back to the Titans quarters tonight just to wake up in less than 5 hours."
Jayla shook her head. "I'm not kicking you out of your bed. I'll sleep on the couch." She took the blanket and pillow from him and arranged them on the couch.
L.J thought about protesting but he finally just rolled his eyes. "I'm starting to think Darren was right about you disagreeing for the sake of disagreeing."
Jayla shook her head and draped her sweater over the back of the couch. "You think whatever you want."
L.J shook his head and walked to the bedroom. "Well, i hope you can sleep okay out there. My offer for the bed still stands."
Jayla smiled and shook her head too. "Thankyou, but no. This is perfect, just like this...Thankyou."
L.J smiled a bit. "Wake me if you need anything, okay?"