AN: Oh my God you guys. It's 2:30 and I have a meeting with my lead professor in 10 hours about a paper that's only partially done but is the paper I plan on using in my portfolio which is the thing I need to have to graduate in May. And. It's. Not. Done. But I really needed a break from it. I worked on it for 12 hours today. I'm so sick of American Literature right now, guys.
Anyway. I really like this chapter a lot - it's actually one of my faves. I hope you guys like it too. And I hope it can tide you over until at least Friday. Because that's probably the soonest I'll be able to start writing again. (I say that, but I'm a queen at procrastinating. You guys should check my tumblr - .com. It's titled grad student time suck. Just started it this semester. It will soon be full of student-isms.
RR! Please :) makes me happy when this is a very unhappy time of the semester for me.
Meanwhile, across town, a peculiar report had crossed the desk of Myles Chase.
It had been labeled as URGENT and rushed to his office immediately. As typical, he had shoved it in with the other files that demanded his attention and continued about his daily business until nearly after hours, having decided long ago that his employees were incapable of understanding the actual meaning of urgent. He scowled and shook his head as he trashed a number of reports concerning Techies stealing laptops, or cars, or routers… anything they could get their grubby hands on. That was no concern of his. The majority of them were bottom-feeders. They'd take anything they could get to tinker on, and absolutely no risk as far as he was concerned.
He leaned back in his chair and ran his hands over his tired eyes, tugging the skin back in an effort to refresh himself after a long day. From his reclined position he saw a corner of one of the reports hanging over the edge of the bin and he furrowed his brows. He sat up and plucked the papers from the garbage and smoothed them out on the desk surface, running his hand through his blonde hair as he skimmed the front page. "Jadelyn West." He murmured to himself, eyes narrowing. He turned to his desktop and tapped in her ID into his database – recognizing her photo as soon as it flickered into LEVEL 2 classification caught his eye immediately and he smiled to himself, wondering what trouble she could have gotten herself in this time. Her record was littered with misdemeanors – stealing food, starting fights, being a general nuisance to the public. As a Level 1 threat he received a report on her every month. The fact that she ended up in his stack of urgent files meant she had done something serious.
Jade was Myles favorite anarchist to study; their families had been so close over the years he couldn't help but hold a fond spot for her in his heart.
And by fond, he meant he loved to torment her. And she him. Whenever their paths crossed (as they had a few times since Armageddon), she was always strangely at ease around him. No matter how he infuriated her (and he could tell by the murderous look in her eyes that she hated him) she refused to show him her ruffled feathers. She had been that way since she was a child, long before her father had been convicted and condemned as a technoanarchist. Long before his family would betray hers.
Tearing his gaze away from her surly mugshot – complete with a new eyebrow piercing and emerald streaks in her hair – he returned his attention to the report. "What do you have for me today, Jadelyn?" He muttered, flipping to the meat of the package. "Caught after hours with Compass material?" He heard the surprise in his own voice. He didn't realize there was Compass material left, though thanks to the lack of detail in this report he didn't know what it could possibly be. "Assaulting an agent as well." He clucked his tongue as the plot progressed. She certainly was on a roll this time. She'd be put away for some time if she was ever apprehended. He frowned when he reached the end of the page and scanned the last few paragraphs again to make sure the late hours weren't getting to him. An accomplice? Jade usually worked alone. If he recalled correctly, his agents had recently picked up the tiny redhead she had been seen fraternizing with lately.
Approximately 5'6 to 5'8 in height. Dark eyes. Dark hair. Pretty general descriptors, he thought to himself. What caught his attention was the last note. Possible candidate in the discontinued cyborg program; what possessed what appeared to be a cyberkinetic left arm. "A cyborg." He muttered in disbelief, flipping through the rest of the papers. What did he mean by possible? "Agent suffered a mild contusion during the altercation with JPW0012. During debriefing he admitted to being unsure as to whether he saw actual cyberkinetic technology or not. Agents that arrived to assist confirmed JPW0012 and an accomplice fleeing the scene; none could confirm the cyborg sighting." He read aloud, trying to make sense of the information.
Cyborgs had been deactivated years ago. He had been in charge of that particular project. All registered participants of the programs had been checked off the list. There was a chance she could have poached the technology and installed it herself, if, of course, the report was true and the agent wasn't suffering hallucinations from the concussion. "Well why don't we just bring you in and avoid the speculation." He smiled, returning to the computer and updating her status to LEVEL 1 – APPREHEND IMMEDIATELY. He posted a list of her known haunts and contacts on the Sweepers database and printed one out for himself. He scratched through the names C. Valentine and B. Oliver, leaving only a scant few on the list. He starred one name near the end and made a note to visit the home of one T. Vega early in the morning.
He wondered if Ms. Trina knew what Jadelyn might be up to.
Tori woke with a sharp intake of breath as her alarm sounded internally. She hated initiating a hibernation sequence – she was always rudely awoken by a chiming in her brain and the sensation like she had just suffered a sharp fall. The sun had just come up, a hazy light drifted through the curtains and rested on her still-sleeping companion's face. Sometime in the middle of the night Jade had shifted their positions; the inventor was now draped across her – one leg thrown across Tori's, an arm wrapped around her torso, and her head resting on the Latina's chest, rising and falling gently with Tori's patterned breathing. The cyborg shifted her head carefully to get a better view of the sleeping girl and found herself smiling faintly.
When the memories of last night began trickling back to her she considered slipping out of bed to find Trina, wondering if her older sister still slept the morning away like she did when they were younger. However she couldn't find the motivation to want to disrupt the position she currently found herself in, and didn't want to disturb the beauty dozing on her chest. Instead, for the first time since she could remember, she allowed herself to lie in bed and drift in an out of a light sleep, perfectly content for the time being.
The first thing Jade was aware of was a faint pounding in her head and, in her half-asleep state, she inwardly cringed and wondered if she had drank herself into a horrible hangover. As higher-brain function returned, she realized the pounding wasn't emanating internally, but rather externally. A heartbeat. She thought groggily, listening to the steady beating and breathing coming from the body beneath hers. She drew her free hand up onto Tori's chest and traced a lazy pattern across her collarbone and she snuggled into a more comfortable position.
"You're awake." Tori murmured, not bothering to open her eyes. Jade hummed in response and continued her ministrations as she thought, earning a small giggle and a shrug from the prone girl. "How are you feeling?"
Jade paused. How was she feeling? She cried more last night than she had in years. Her entire perception of her father changed last night and she was left with more questions than answers after Trina's story-time. She had reached full on panic stage after storming off. How could she have not believed in her father? The man who had given her the world when she was younger, who had always been there for her. He hadn't betrayed her.
She had betrayed him.
When Tori had finally appeared it brought on a wave of relief, which only led to a stronger surge of emotions. How, after hearing Trina's confession, could Tori still want to be around her? Daniel had practically been a little brother to her. Tori had never accepted the fact that he had been accused as a Horseman. She had allowed Jade to snap and skulk about whenever he was brought up, only to have her steadfast dedication proven true. Instead of gloating about her victory, as Jade would have, she had wordlessly crawled into bed behind her and held her. Tori hadn't try to coax anything from her, hadn't spoon-fed her any unreasonable reassurances. She hadn't pushed. She had let Jade be while simply being there. She knew Jade well enough by now to know what she needed.
For the first time in a long time, Jade had someone who stood a chance at truly understanding her. She had forgotten how much she had missed that.
The pale girl raised herself up enough to look Tori in the eye, noting how depthless they seemed when they fluttered open, edged with concern. "I'm… better." She admitted honestly. Saying she was fine would have been a blatant lie; Tori didn't deserve that. "Thank you… Last night was kind of …" She trailed off, uncertain as how to proceed.
Tori was shaking her head. "I know. It's okay. I'm glad you're feeling better… I'm glad you finally got some sleep though." She flashed Jade a sleepy smile and wrapped both arms around her, resting her hands on the small of Jade's back. Jade found herself smiling back, and smiling genuinely. With Tori around her anxieties seemed to melt away… no, that wasn't right. With Tori around, she felt like she could actually overcome her anxieties, the problems that plagued her.
The scene before her could not have been less romantic: Tori's hair was disheveled, her eyeliner smeared, and her morning breath was particularly heinous. Jade didn't even want to imagine what she looked like after a night of violent crying. Still, Jade found herself closing the distance between her and Tori and repositioning herself so she was straddling the brunette's hips, hands resting on Tori's shoulders as she supported her weight. She kissed the Latina gently and felt a pair of hands settle gently on her waist. Jade smiled at the embrace; the movement felt fluid, as if they had found themselves in this position many times before.
Jade deepened the kiss as one hand brushed down Tori's torso, slipping under her shirt and against her warm skin. She ghosted the palm of her hand over her tan stomach until she reached her goal: Tori's breast. Jade slid under the offending bra and cupped it gently, smiling as Tori whimpered into the kiss and arched her body into Jade's warm hand. Encouraged, she nipped at the Latina's lip before kissing down her throat and finding that sweet spot she knew the girl must have.
There it is. Jade grinned into the crook of Tori's neck, feeling her hand find its way to the back of her raven-hair and pulling her closer. She nibbled at and caressed the area with her tongue, the small sounds her companion was making slowly driving her mad with desire.
She reluctantly pulled away from Tori's throat and slid down her torso, seeking a new prize. She pushed up the thin fabric of her shirt and planted soft kisses on her toned abdomen, dipping the tip of her tongue swiftly into her navel before dragging it up to replace the ministrations her hand was currently engaged in. She slipped her free hand under Tori's back and fumbled blindly for the clasp, cursing softly as she struggled with it. She pulled away enough to reposition herself and that's when she noticed it.
Those wonderful sounds had stopped. Jade glanced worriedly at the brunette's face, concerned she had done something and wondering where the sudden hesitation could have come from. Tori stared back at her, eyes wide and face etched with worry. It was a deer in the headlights look if she'd ever seen one. Jade immediately retracted her hands and rested them uncertainly on the either side of the cyborg's body. "Are you okay? Did I do something?" She asked self-consciously.
"No! You didn't. It's just…" She bit her lip and stared over her head at the ceiling.
"Too soon?" She should have known better; Tori seemed like the kind of girl that would want to take things slowly. Jade, on the other hand… Better stop it, West. The more you compare the more you're going to convince yourself that you're a whore. She thought bitterly.
"… It's not that either." Tori shook her head vigorously and sighed. Disappointment settled in her eyes.
"Okay… then what? You didn't seem to mind when we started." She hadn't meant for that to sound as demanding as she was certain it had come across.
Tori blushed. "It's just… my body. It doesn't look right."
Jade perked a brow. "It looks fine from where I'm sitting. More than fine, honestly." Her eyes wandered over the exposed tan flesh, her stomach still damp from the kisses Jade had placed there mere moments ago.
"The cyborg parts." Tori mumbled, avoiding Jade's gaze by turning her attention to the window. "I don't look human anymore. It's ugly."
Jade shook her head gently and reached for Tori's cyborg hand, guiding it so it rested on the side of her pale face. "Tori," she chastised softly, kissing the tip of her titanium thumb. "The first day we met I saw practically saw you naked. Every part of you I saw was gorgeous."
"That was different… You weren't looking like that. You were gawking at me because I'm part robot. It wasn't romantic, it was clinical." Tori countered, trying to pull her hand away. Jade wouldn't allow it – she placed her hand over Tori's and interlaced their fingers.
"Tori. Look at me." With her free hand she hooked her fingers under the Latina's chin, forcing their eyes to meet. "You're beautiful, every part of you – inorganic and organic. Look at you," She pulled their hands away from Jade's face and examined the delicately crafted metal. "My grandfather spent countless hours designing just this hand for you. God know how long he spent on everything else. You're a work of art, Tori. These prostheses saved your life. They brought us together." She kissed her forehead gently before smiling down at her. "They're not something to be ashamed of, they're something to be proud of because they're a part of you…" She leaned down and pressed her lips to the side of Tori's perfect cheekbone, right next to her ear.
"You're beautiful. Every part of you. Every scar, every freckle, every rivet." She whispered huskily, breathing warm air into her lover's ear. A firm hand, a cyborg hand, wrapped around the back of her neck, guiding Jade's lips to her own.
"Thank you." Tori whispered sincerely between kisses. Without breaking contact, Jade tugged on the hem of the Latina's shirt, silently seeking permission to remove it. Tori nodded and, in one fluid motion, Jade tugged it over the head. It fell to the floor with a whisper as the pale girl stared in wonder at the beauty before her, breath caught in her throat.
Tori was self-conscious under the probing stare and crossed her arms over her bra-clad chest, a flush travelling down her neck. Jade chuckled softly and shook her head again, raven locks tumbling over her shoulders. "I'll give you something to be thankful for. Just wait." She promised, taking her wrists in her grasp and pinning them on either side of Tori's head.
As Jade reached for Tori's bra clasp again, a sharp pounding sounded beneath them – someone was banging on the door. Both girls jolted, Tori so much so that she almost bucked Jade onto the floor. She recovered her balance at the last minute and slid off the bed and tie-toed quietly to the window. "What is that?" Tori questioned breathlessly, propping herself up on her elbows.
Jade parted the curtain a hair's breath to see who was calling upon Trina so early. Her heart jumped into her throat when she saw Myles Chase standing on the sidewalk below her, hands clasped his back as he waited for the elder Vega to appear. He wasn't alone – a handful of sweepers surrounded him, waiting patiently for any order he might give. This… shit. Fuck. Goddamnit. A stream of curses filtered through the inventor's mind as she tried her best not to panic.
"We need to hide. Now." Jade urged, spinning to face the cyborg. She scooped Tori's shirt off the floor and tossed it to her before kicking their shoes under the bed and hiding any other evidence that they had been in the room. Tori opened her mouth to speak before Jade raised a hand, silencing her, as the door alarm chimed to signal it had been opened. They could faintly hear Trina demanding the reason for such an early intrusion and she knew the older Vega could only stall for so long. Chase looked as if he was on a mission this morning. Jade wrapped a pale hand around Tori's wrist and hauled her to her feet, mouthing "Chase" as soon as she pulled the shirt over her head.
The color drained from Tori's face and wide eyes darted towards the door. Jade could guess what was going through her mind – the man that held a vendetta against both of them was mere feet away. If he found either one of them they'd face serious repercussions – Tori would undoubtedly face immediate decommission. Death.
Jade dragged her towards the master bathroom and shut the door behind them, searching for a place they could hide. She yanked open the closet door and scowled – it was much too small for both of them to wedge into. Some master suite. She thought to herself as panic began to set in. There was nowhere else to hide. She glanced towards the window, wondering if there was any way for them to slip out of a second story window unnoticed. She cursed inwardly again as she recalled the Sweepers that were certainly waiting outside. "Fuck fuck fuck." She cursed.
"Jade." Tori whispered softly, squeezing the pale girl's shoulder to draw her out of her alarm. "Attic." She pointed at a loose panel in the ceiling of the closet, one Jade hadn't noticed before. "Come on, give me a boost." Jade crouched down and braced herself against the doorframe, giving Tori a nod to swing a leg over her shoulders. Struggling under the extra weight – she had forgotten how much those titanium parts added – she managed to right herself enough for Tori to slide the panel out of the way and heft herself into the attic.
She pulled her legs up and vanished from view; seconds later she reappeared, her upper half hanging down into the empty air, arms extended as if she expected herself capable of dead-lifting Jade's dead weight. Jade scoffed softly and shook her head – the inevitable crash would surely draw Chase right to them. "Don't start with me. Give me your hands." Tori ordered, wiggling her fingers impatiently.
Jade glanced over her shoulder and sighed, knowing this was her only option. She wrapped her hands around Tori's wrists and gripped tightly, wincing as Tori did the same and nearly crushed her right arm. She felt herself being lifted, albeit slowly, into the attic. Tori huffed and puffed over her, her human components struggling with the weight. Regardless, a few shaky seconds later Jade found herself in Trina's attic, balancing precariously on a crossbeam. The pair backed away from the entry and Tori, utilizing her night-vision in the dim light, led them to an A-frame that supported the roof. They ducked behind it and strained to hear beyond the insulation.
Even Tori was having difficulties understanding the conversation below them now that two stories separated them. She heard (what she assumed to be) Chase drop Jade's name a handful of times, and heard Trina's voice reach the same ear-piercing level it did when they were younger and she was annoyed. But she couldn't make out any substantial back and forth. The pair sat in an anxious silence as their lynching party strolled mere feet below them. Tori reached out and gripped Jade's hand, squeezing it nervously. Her companion returned it in full and, in the dark, Tori saw her biting her thumb fretfully.
After some time the voices sounded much closer. "They're upstairs." Tori breathed, angling her head to better hear them.
"How long did you say it'd been since you'd seen Ms. West? I know your families used to be so close."
"Hell if I know. I've practically been under house arrest since your father moved me out here." Trina snapped. "Put that down. That came from Rome." Tori rolled her eyes and could only imagine what trinket Chase had picked up. "And I hope your men aren't tracking mud onto my hardwood floors."
"I assure you, Trina, if they do I'll personally terminate their contract." He was smug, just like Madison had been. Tori added that that to a list of things she already hated about the man.
"I'm sure. Well as you can see, Jade isn't here. It's just me like it usually is. Would you kindly get the fuck out of my house now, sir?" Tori chuckled noiselessly to herself despite her dire situation. Atta girl, Trina.
After what seemed like an eternity, the girls heard the front door slam. Tori crept over to a vent and peaked out over the front yard, confirming that Chase and his men were indeed piling into their car and pulling away. She waited until he was out of sight before retrieving Jade and making her way back to the attic access.
Tori dropped down first, easing herself effortlessly to the ground with one arm. She opened the door to the closet and, from her position, saw Trina crouched on hands and knees, peering under the bed. "Treen." She whispered, surprising her older sister into banging her head against the frame.
"Shit. Ow." She hissed, clambering to her feet and rubbing her temple. "Oh, good. The attic. I completely forgot I had one. I was wondering where the hell you two went." She waited patiently for Tori to assist Jade, grabbing her at the waist as she dangled and lowering her gently to the ground. Once her feet were on solid ground, Trina smacked Jade solidly on the arm.
"Jesus, can I not have one day where people are beating up on me? What the hell?" She demanded, rubbing her shoulder.
"You and Tori were seen?!" She screeched, causing both girls to wince. "Well, at least you were a confirmed sighting. The ruling is still out on whether or not the agent has a concussion or he actually saw a cyborg accomplice. What the hell were you thinking?" She slugged Jade across the shoulder again with a closed fist.
"That wasn't my fault! She left the apartment when I told her not to!" Jade defended, stepping out of range.
"You left my sister alone?" Trina was determined to be upset, there was nothing anyone could do to prevent it at this point.
"Trina, stop." Tori intercepted her next swipe, having become used to her sister's rampages over the years. "What did he want?"
"He wanted you two! What do you think? I don't think he's fully convinced yet that you're back, Tori, but it's not going to take a lot. If there's one more sighting of you it's going to be a full on witch hunt. There won't be anywhere safe for either of you. Jade, I'm sure he won't stop looking for you until he finds you. He wants you for questioning."
"Well… he's been here once already. Do you think he'll come back? Maybe we could hide here for a while?" Tori asked hopefully.
"No, it's not safe. If he's got an inkling that you might have actually come back he's going to keep popping in on me. He might search every inch of the house next time, and he'll probably increase security around the neighborhood to try and catch you coming in." Trina shook her head. "No, you need to leave as soon as you've got a plan. You need to run. Both of you. Find somewhere safe."
"Is there anywhere safe in this world for me?" Tori was exasperated and nearing a full-on panic attack. "And I don't want to leave… I just found you. It's not fair."
Jade watched the scene between the sisters unfold before her. This isn't fair. She silently agreed. Nothing about any of this was fair. Chase and his brood had ripped their families apart more times than she could count; she wasn't about to let it happen again now. Not to Tori. Not if she could help it. She was tired of keeping her head down, tired of being persecuted for what she now understood to be no reason whatsoever.
There had to be some way to escape this. There had to be some way to disappear all together like Patrick had planned all those years ago. The only way for that to happen, however, would be for them to be completely erased from the system, and that required an understanding of computers that far surpassed her own. She'd practically need a super-computer to …
Jade blinked. An idea was sparking to life amidst the panic and frenzy in her brain. Her eyes refocused on the sisters before her and the idea began to substantiate itself, began to calm the frantic thoughts. A super-computer. She smiled. They wouldn't be expecting it. Not in a million years. This may just be crazy enough to work.
After all, she certainly was crazy enough to attempt it.