[A's POV, it might get to be A's POV for 2 chapters before going back to B.]
B and I woke up much later than we'd like. It was around 5 pm when we got up; we'd slept for 13 hours. I lifted my head and sat up, and grabbed my glasses. I turned back to B, who was still asleep, and decided to have some me-time without having to give him attention. I stepped into the bathroom, ran some hot water for a bath, and then laid there until the heat had left the water. It was relaxing, taking a hot bath then cooling down in the shower. I couldn't remember the last time I'd bathed. I thought I could think in here, or maybe wash away the building filth I'd felt since we left, but I couldn't seem to do either.
Everything was covered in a metaphorical layer of grime. It made me sick. I wasn't the type who shunned the criminal underworld's doings or rejected a practice because I considered it wrong. I couldn't say what was right or wrong, really, or even tell you how I felt. I seemed to switch between morals every day. It's always been like that; I could find an action completely justified one day, then collapse in shame the next. So I simply disposed of my moral code. I live my entire life with logic and follow the natural course of things. So perhaps that's why I was sick of the city? I loved the natural world. I was deeply in tune with it. I could detect the weather and water currents, smell what plants were right to eat, and pinpoint my location using the stars. Some of it was instinct, some of it was research. Either way, when I was outdoors in nature, I was in my element. So, of course, I'd hate being in this city. I could hardly see the stars, the buildings messed with the wind, I felt as if I couldn't breathe from all the smog in the air, the only things I smelled were car emissions, and the sound was like nails on a chalkboard.
This setting was so unnatural to me. I hated it. Especially the way the people here lived. I knew how criminal organizations worked. It starts out when a group of people feel threatened or suppressed. They're scared, so they group together to provide a sense of protection for their communities. Eventually, protection can become corrupt. It starts to become less about how to provide for and protect their communities and more about how to become more powerful and how they can make themselves live a life of luxury. I'm sure it's not always like that, but it happens quite a lot. That order always reminded me of something -evolutionary niches.
An evolutionary niche is a role a being plays in its ecosystem. A tiger is an apex predator that stalks the forest, a fox is a mid-level predator that can be both predator and prey, and a squirrel is a prey animal. Likewise, an orca, a seal, and a fish could fill the same role. No matter where you go, you'll always find creatures filing an evolutionary niche in an environment. When one animal goes extinct, then another fills its niche. The same goes for humans. We can call the organization of power within an area whatever we want, but we all play a role; fill a niche, if you will. It's not the exact same thing, but they are similar. Humans are just animals, after all. When I mentioned apex predators, I mentioned sharks and tigers, but if you were to introduce a human into that environment, they'd become the apex predator. Humans are apex predators; we're much too smart to not be. And two animals fill the same niche; they'd outcompete with each other sooner or later. So when it's all humans, what fills what niche?
The answer: Humans. There are roles to fill in society; we all have a niche. There will always be lower-class citizens, just as there will always be prey, and there will always be someone to fill a said role. No one wants to be the lowest tier in a system, but there will always be that tier, and something will always fill it. But of course, a squirrel can't not be a prey animal without evolving, so if one was to change their social standing, they would have to 'evolve' in a sense. Human society mimics what we see in nature. It's a part of us that we can't let go of after all.
With that said, I wonder, what is my niche? I must fill a role, and so must B. I suppose we're criminals. The true lowest tier, no one wants to be around someone who breaks their precious law. But then, of course, criminals, especially of B and I's caliber, aren't a part of polite society. As I said before, we're part of the criminal underworld, a second ecosystem that thrives inside another, such as a wetland in a forest or a reef in the sea. B and I would be scum, useless, delinquent children in polite society that would be better off locked in some cage being told off all day. However, I wish to see how we'd fit into a community filled with other people viewed as monsters. Perhaps it was the reason why I agreed to show up at that bar because I was curious about how other criminals would view me. I knew this was a slippery slope. I'd have to be careful to not fall down. The same goes for B. I wondered if I should ask him about his feelings on the situation, though I was still deciding.
I stepped out of the shower, dried off my glasses (yes, I shower with my glasses on, I can't fucking see), and stared at myself in the mirror. I was surprised to see, but I'm still perfect after all this time. My clear, pale skin, no hair on my body, ideal fat to muscle ratio, surprisingly slim for someone with so much fat and muscle, my gorgeous thin waist and feminine hips, deep red eyes, and soft hair that I'd worked so hard to curl perfectly with my (please don't judge me) bowl cut and my beautiful, pure white, sharp, serrated fangs I loved so dearly hadn't changed at all since we'd left our life of comfort. And yet, of course, I ignored my least favorite features. Which sounds a bit narcissistic, blatantly disregarding my undesirable features in favor of my desirable ones. But my lesser traits weren't things such as acne or odd birthmarks. It hurt to admit, but it was true. I was biologically female. One could pass aside my high voice and slim waist. Hell, you could ignore almost everything about me that would indicate my sex. But one couldn't ignore my rather large breasts. I had some other transgender friends who'd been blessed with smaller chests that made it easier to throw on a tight sports bra and call it a day, but I was stuck having to suffocate every day and wear a hoodie tree times my size to ensure I was referred to as my proper gender.
I turned away. I suppose there was a bright side to having such large tits because B found them very attractive, which made me feel a bit better about being born with the wrong chromosomes. Actually, B had a way of making me feel much more comfortable with my body. I've never once heard him say we had 'heterosexual sex' despite me having a vagina and him having a penis, technically making it heterosexual on the purely sexual level. I seductively put on my clothes, not like anyone was watching me, but I liked to act promiscuously when alone. I just thought it was fun.
I combed my hair, ensuring that it didn't mess up again. I had extremely curly hair when I was little, and it drove me mad. I eventually got it to calm down a bit. I removed myself from the bathroom and went to stare at my still sleeping boyfriend. It really was annoying how late he slept sometimes. I wasn't used to being awake without him. I could have read, but I remained by his bedside. He was so cute when he slept, his silky black hair cascading over his soft skin, his sweet lips gently parted as he breathed slowly, the way he curled up to sleep, I just wanted to hold him forever. I loved him so much. I reached out and gently placed my hand on his cheek. B stirred a bit but leaned into the touch. I rubbed my thumb against his pale skin and put my forehead against his. He was so perfect. I trailed my thumb over his lips before kissing him softly. I loved it when we kissed. His lips were so lovely, and I loved the feeling it gave me. Every kiss felt like our first. I was always so nervous yet so happy when we eventually did.
After kissing him, B woke up a bit.
"Aw, did I wake you up, sleeping beauty?"
"Mm, what time is it?"
"Around 7 pm."
"I was out that long?"
"Yeah… how was it? Your sleep?"
"Fine… Can you kiss me again?"
I planted one foot on the ground, then swung the other one over B's lap as if I was mounting a horse, "Of course." Then I kissed him again.
B kissed back and grabbed my waist; my lower legs were on the bed, making sure I didn't break his poor femurs. I put my hands in his hair and licked his lips. B was in the ornery mood today, as he didn't let me put my tongue in his mouth. I grabbed his shoulders and pushed him down, breaking away from our kiss. I made sure I was pinning him when I bent down and kissed him again, rougher this time. I nipped at his lips and licked him some more before he finally opened his mouth so I could make out with him. That lasted all of an hour. By the time we were done, it was 8.
I laid down next to B and snuggled into his shoulder, "BB… I'm hungry. Can you take me out for dinner?"
B pet my hair, "Yes, but only if you clean up this room. We need our stuff packed for when we move tonight. I'm going to get ready." B stood up and walked back to the bathroom, and blew a kiss to me before heading in. It was the little things like that which always made my heart skip a beat.
I really wanted a date with him, so I stood up and got to cleaning. By the time he had gotten ready, I had all our stuff packed up. B looked absolutely dashing. Black ripped jeans, a chain on his pants, a black hoodie with his red and black leather jacket on top, and makeup was done to highlight those pretty eyes of his. Not what most people would consider fancy, but I found the outfit stunning.
B and I made our way through town; we picked a place close to where we had to be soon to eat. B knew me all too well, as he decided on a BBQ place. I got to tear through some steak and ribs while B ate his chicken salad and watched as I ripped the meat apart like a crocodile yet still managed to keep the sauce off my pants. B paid the truly horrified staff and tipped them extra for having to see me eat. We walked out, arms linked. B gazed at the pocket watch he kept.
"11:30 pm, huh," B said.
"We should be close to where we have to go." I let go of B. It was time to be serious.
B flipped his watch shut and put it back. I looked around, trying to find where we were supposed to go. It took a while, but we found it, a bar called 'Jesters' hidden in an unpopulated area. It was mostly small shops or cafes and wasn't a place you'd go at night if you weren't a local but not an ideal tourist destination during the day either. Really, it seemed like you'd only walk through this area if you wanted to get to somewhere else. I could imagine that this place only got traffic from locals coming to a shop or people on their way somewhere else. I took a deep breath.
"B, are you ready?"
"You ask as if you think I'm scared."
"I ask as if I think you want to prepare yourself before we go marching into a desolate bar run by shady figures in the middle of the night."
B smirked at me, "I was ready when I walked out the door."
I took another deep breath, "Ok, then, let's get this over with."
I flipped my hood up and pulled the door open. The inside of the bar was devoid of any people aside from Jack, Jessie, and another girl sitting on the bar next to Jack. The floor was in red and black tiles, there were two large windows in the front, both tainted so you couldn't see the inside from the outside, and the walls were black for a good three feet before switching the red. The ceiling was black with fancy lights over each table and one in the middle, but they weren't on. The only area that was illuminated was the bar, how ominous.
"Well, you actually came," Jessie remarked.
"I'm not one to plan things I won't commit to," I said.
B was eyeing the girl next to Jack, most likely reading her name, but he looked at her a bit too long. B didn't really have a type, so to say, so it was tricky to deduce if he had a crush on someone, but I think he did have a crush on this girl.
"So, you like it? You think you could work here?" Jessie asked.
I stepped closer to the bar to get a better look, and B stood where he was, "I suppose…"
The girl on the counter looked over at me, I hadn't noticed before, but her eyes were grey; Like L's. I locked eyes with her, and she flinched a bit, "Him? Jessie? He's going to be working here?" She asked.
"Yes, Court, he and his friend will be working here. I wanted them to see the bar and meet you, of course." Jessie replied.
"Huh, well. I'm Court or Courtney. Either one works. But I usually get called Court during the night shifts and Courtney during the day or in public. Who are you?"
I smiled, just a bit, and stopped staring at her with such cold eyes, "Alan Philips Grant, lovely to meet you."
She smiled back, then turned to Jessie, "So what will they be doing?"
"I'm not quite sure," Jessie looked over at B, "What are you boy's skillsets?"
"In general, or what would be useful here?" I tilted my head.
"Both. we'll be on the same side now, so we won't have to fight."
"Well, in that case. I can calculate large numbers and equations in my head, remember details easily, along with an extensive photographic memory. I'm also able to see very well in the dark, lift heavy objects, and can cook well." Not mentioning my fighting skills, but those don't matter.
"Right… and him?" Jessie pointed to B.
"Oh, he's very precise, has amazing deductive abilities, incredible endurance, and loves to clean." B isn't allowed to talk about himself. He always brags.
"Well, what do you both want to do?"
"What can we do? Neither of us has ever been to a bar, nor have we worked in anything similar." Truthfully, I had no idea how restaurants and bars worked. It never interested me.
Jessie glared at me, he was clearly fed up with B, and I's societal incompetence, "Well, we need bartenders… and someone who can clean up after hours, do inventory, guard the place. Stuff like that. We're short-staffed most of the time. Of course, you'd have to live here to do all that."
"For free?"
"Uh… Yeah, I suppose. If you did all of those jobs, you'd get to live here and eat here for free, but that'd be your payment. You'd get to keep any tips you made, of course."
"I could do that. Rue and I really only need money for food and shelter. Everything else is just useless commodities we could live without."
"Wait, so, you want them to live here for free and take care of the place and also work here as bartenders full time without pay?" Courtney interrupted.
"Not full time. They'd have time to sleep, time for breaks, school, and any holidays." Jessie said.
"Rue and I don't go to school. I graduated what you could consider 'high school' when I was 14 and earned all my PhDs by the time I was 16. I'm very educated. Rue is as well, though his expertise comes less from studying and more from experience."
"I see…"
"H- How old is you?" Jack asked.
"I'm 17; however, I will be 18 later this year. Rue turned 17 in January."
"Shit… When this year?"
"December 12th, why?"
"Oh, sick. Imma be 18 like a whole two weeks before then."
"You seem very stupid…" That was partially a way to agitate him and a simple observation. I have no qualms about him being older, but I find him to be a fantastic plaything.
"Hey, fuck you!" Jack yelled. He didn't seem like he'd hurt me, however.
"I'll get a schedule made for you two and set up a room for you and show you the ropes." Jessie clearly had no patience for our bullshit.
"When could we do this?" B asked after a while of inspecting the room, "We actually have our bags packed and can check out any time at our hotel. And nighttime really is the best time for us to be active."
"You're stayin' at a motel, kook. Learn your damn words." If Jack did that one more time, B'd slaughter him.
"I'm not entirely sure you speak real English, sir," I said. I didn't need B in a bad mood due to Jack and his persistent… ways...
"I ain't. English is dead to me, ya know?"
"OK. So if you and Allan could get your things and come here while we prepare the place then discuss the schedule, that would be fantastic." Jessie did not sound happy.
"Yes, that would work." I bowed. Then grabbed B's hand and pulled him away. "We'll be on our way now."
B and I left as quick as possible and made sure to be back to our room in less than 15 minutes. I sat B down on the couch and sighed.
"So? What do you think, Beyond?"
"I don't quite know, Ale."
"Do you think we made the right decision? Do you have any idea on how to get control over the situation?"
"Why do you always want to be in control of everything, Ale? We need to just go with this. We don't know enough to make any type of move quite yet, and frankly, I don't think we've made any major oversights or wrong judgments that could get us in trouble. We're treading on thin ice, but by all accounts, we should be safe for now."
"I do hope so… but you are aware of our biggest issue at the moment? Yes?"
"If by the issue you mean our cover story? Then yes, I am aware."
"Right, we need to assess what we've said and what to continue saying. Calling ourselves government experiments was a good move, mentioning that we know classified information not as much so."
"I specifically said that we were government experiments but that that term wasn't quite right. We should continue addressing ourselves as government experiments but shouldn't deny that it's not an exact explanation. When addressing our classifying knowledge, we should simply say when we can't answer a question. It'll be easier that way."
"We need to make lies for said knowledge. We also need to make up a backstory. And we also need to decide on how to answer questions with classified answers."
"What do you mean by that, Ale?"
"Say we're asked where we were made or raised. We obviously shouldn't answer that truthfully, but we physically could do it. So would we simply say, 'we can't answer that, or should we specify that we won't answer that?"
"Since we're using a false story, it would be safe to differentiate what we know and what we don't know. Hell, I'd even advise it. I'd be smart to admit we do know some things but don't know others as a means of protection. We may have to modify our story as time goes on, but we could simply say we had to withhold some details before we knew we could trust them."
"And when should we trust them?"
"Once we have a grasp on all our coworkers and who they're in league with. We need a grasp on everyone's intelligence and willingness to dig into what we're saying. We also need to analyze the people they know. If it's anyone who could benefit greatly from our knowledge, then we deem them unsafe."
"If a single one of them has an ally that could benefit from our information, then the entire thing becomes unsafe. We must account for all situations."
"Always the cautious one, Ale. We should think about the two people we know the most on, so far: Jack and Jessie."
"Jack doesn't seem very bright. Nor does he seem to be the type of person interested in conspiracies. I don't think he'd be interested in our real information either. Judging from what we've seen and heard of him, he is the LA Ripper, and he knows how to cover his tracks. He won't be a problem."
"Right, and what's your take on Jessie?"
"I believe he poses much more of a threat. He seems well educated in the art of killing, which will be a problem for us. Of course, there's a high likelihood that he has connections we'll have to investigate, considering that he's an adult. Furthermore, I believe Jack doesn't have any connections or at least very few due to him only being 17 like us."
B nodded, "right… So what's our next move?"
"I say we create a story and head back over to the bar. We need to at least get that done as I don't know when the next time we'll be able to move 100% freely will be." I had to think this over carefully. I loved strategy and making plans, especially since our opponents had played their cards so well and had backed us into a corner. "Our opponents have us backed into a corner for now… they've made nothing short of amazing plays this whole time. Though a new round is beginning and I believe we can turn the game around and beat this upcoming round and set up for the following ones with the right observations and actions. I must say B, I'm happy you brought me here. This is the most exciting level of Life I've had in a while."
(=Right, so it took a while, and now I've finally got everything arranged. Sorry for any past errors; I have better proofreading software now. And sorry for any past inconsistency; halfway through making this, I changed A a bit, as in he's FTM trans now. His full name is Alejandro Aleiqckxzsander Axle Alan Anderson-Armenta, and I should be hanged for that name. I also have a new way of indicating when I, the author, am speaking. I'm gonna try and do this proper now. Oh, and I've decided that there will be no explicit NSFW here. I don't feel comfortable posting it yet. There will be some nasty jokes, and maybe some strong hinting and some 'then they fucked' but never any explicit stuff.=)