Someone Shut Off The Power
Ajay woke up to banging on her apartment door. At first she thought it was her head as she sat up. Her brain felt like it was going to burst out of her skull. "Ugh." She got to her feet and finally made it to the door where the banging was getting more intense, or maybe it was her brain. She opened the door hoping to find Octavio but instead she found Elliot standing there. She stared at him as he stared at her, "Whatcha need Elliot?" There was a bit of awkwardness between them.
She watched him just stare at her. They both just stared at one another with looks of confusion plastered to their faces. She looked down and realized that she was just in her bra and panties. "When the fuck did this happen?" She held the door open, "Get in here." Elliot smirked, "Only if you insist. Have you been drinking?" He could smell the liquor on her right when she had opened the door. Ajay would have rolled her eyes at him if it didn't hurt her head so much, "If ya don't get in here I'm gonna shut the door."
Elliot walked in and stood there as Ajay closed the door behind them. "Ajay…" He stopped and watched her body disappear into the hallway. He couldn't help but smile when he saw her ass. He quickly snapped out if and followed her into her bedroom. Ajay pulled some clothes out of the dresser and tossed them onto the bed. "Ya mind if I grab a shower while ya talk?" She could still smell the liquor on her skin.
"Do you need some company?" The words blurted out of his mouth but he wasn't ashamed because he meant it. She didn't bother to give him a response as she headed towards the bathroom. He really didn't have a choice so he followed her across the hall and waited outside of the bathroom as she got into the shower. One again he admired her backside before it disappeared into the bathroom.
His thoughts were abruptly interrupted as she spoke over the water from the shower, "What did ya come over here for anyway?" Elliot leaned against the wall in the hallway. "Renee was doing recon for Octane's date with Yoko." Ajay punched the wall in the shower. Mistake, her hand immediately regretted her brain's decision. She shook her hand as if it would get rid of some of the pain.
The sound of something loud falling or crashing into the wall prompted Elliot to push the bathroom door open. He peeked inside of the bathroom hoping to get a glimpse of her naked body, "Are you okay?" Ajay nodded as she finished getting cleaned up. "Yah." Elliot waited to continue as he watched parts of her naked body through the foggy shower glass. He could faintly remember what her body looked like wet and wanting.
Elliot fought back the urge to remove his own clothing and join her in the shower. The thought of their wet, naked bodies against one another started to make his pants tight. He sighed and pushed the thought away, "Anyway, I was with Natalie, Loba, and MRVN. We got the artifact that Loba was after but Natalie got injured." Ajay rushed out of the shower and past Elliot, "What da fuck Elliot. Ya should have said that sooner." Elliot watched as she rushed past him with her wet, naked body.
He quickly followed her and watched her get dressed. "How bad did she get injured?" She threw on the essentials, as well a black tank top, a pair of black shorts, a black hoodie, and her favorite boots. Elliot rubbed his forehead, "Bad." She threw her hair up in a messy bun and picked up D.O.C. She packed her drone up and threw her backpack on. "Take me to her." He a smirk on his face, "Well that was fast." Ajay didn't seem amused as they left the apartment.
The early morning sun burned Ajay's eyes as they made it outside of the apartment complex. Ajay was surprised when Elliot took her to his bar. When they entered the bar it was empty. "This better not be some kind of joke Elliot." After they entered the bar Elliot closed and locked the door behind them. "As much as I enjoyed my morning with you, I promise I am not messing around." He smiled, "For once."
He grabbed Ajay's hand "so soft" and led her to a door behind the bar. He pulled her through the door. On the other side of the door was the kitchen. He quickly led her through the kitchen. On the other side of the kitchen there was another door; which he led her towards. Elliot opened the door and pulled her down a path of stairs. Ajay had another surprise that morning when she found that in the basement of the Paradise Lounge was an elaborate work space and small living area.
Ajay found Natalie laying on a single bed in the living area. She actually looked quite peaceful despite her circumstances. Alexander sat on a chair next the bed. Ajay rushed to Natalie's bedside and set her backpack down on the floor. Alexander moved out of the way as Ajay began to assess Natalie. Ajay hardly noticed Renee, MRVN, and Loba standing nearby but soon enough she could hear Renee talking to Alexander. "I didn't expect you to hold a vigil Alex."
MRVN touched Renee's arm, "He hasn't left her side since we got back." Loba smirked, "She'll make a full recovery. What matters now is finding the other half of the Gemini…" Loba was interrupted by Alexander, "Should Ms. Paquette's condition worsen you will live out your days so unrecognizable; you'll beg me for death." Alexander's voice was scornful as he spoke.
Renee was inches from Loba's face, "Is this all worth it, Loba? All these pieces? This artifact? Is it worth all this suffering?" Loba didn't back down from Renee, "It's everything." Renee's face twitched from Loba's answer. "Why? What is it?" Renee asked in the most calm voice that she could produce. Silence and tension filled the room.
Loba was not happy that she would have to explain herself once again, "I already told you, all I know is that it's a piece of tech…" Renee clenched her fist, "I'm not talking about the artifact. I'm talking about the source code. What is it?" Loba's eyes widen but before she could answer Renee was cutting again, "He's above you." Ajay looked at Renee who wasn't even looking up.
Ajay looked up into the shadows of the ceiling and locked her eyes with a set of ominous red glowing eyes. Chills crawled down her back from the familiar set of eyes. Revenant's words pierced through the tension between argument of Renee and Loba, "I have a better question, girlies… when were you going to tell me there's a whole world out there where I'm worshipped like a god?" Ajay gripped onto Natalie's lifeless hand as Renee pulled out her kunai (a small double sided knife derived from Japan). "How long had he been up there?"
Loba's eyes were filled with rage as she stared at Revenant, "How did you get here?" Revenant was smiling from the shadows at her, "It's a mystery. Maybe magic. Or maybe the front door." He spoke to her like she was a child. Loba tried to maintain her composure but it was hard with all the hatred she had for him, "But how did you know where we were?"
Revenant crawled slightly away from the shadows of the ceiling so that everyone could get a better look at him, "A little birdie told me. Wraith here knows all about little birdies, don't you?" Loba glanced over to Renee, "You told him?!" Loba clenched her fists at her sides as she was ready to pounce on Renee for giving away her plan.
Renee sneered at Revenant. She really didn't like to be called her arena name, Wraith, outside of the arena, at least not in the manner that he was using it, "No. Why would I?" Revenant dropped from ceiling with a small robotic thud noise. He loomed over Natalie, "Looks like there's a mole in your clubhouse, Loba. Skinbags… you just can't trust them." He seemed pleased as he spoke.
Ajay stood up, ready to fight Revenant if she had to. Loba watched Revenant's every move, "You've been spying on me." Revenant put a hand behind his back, "The information came to me. I never asked for it. It's only been a few weeks, and you're already rubbing people the wrong way. If you want some pointers about winning the gang over, I could've helped. All you had to do was ask. Just remember to say please first…"
Renee clutched her kunai tightly in her hand, ready to strike, "Cut to the chase. What do you want?" Loba interjected herself into the conversation, "That's obvious. Declare war on the Syndicate and stage a coup, just like his shadow self did. Or... maybe he thought he'd kill me first." Revenant slid two fingers across Natalie's cheek but Ajay quickly slapped his hand away.
He smiled at Ajay which only confirmed her hatred for him. "I'm very busy these days, aren't I? So many choices…" Revenant's voice was low as he spoke. "A month ago, I didn't even know I had a stalker. And now look at us, Loba. Like an old married couple." He smiled at Loba, enjoying the game he was playing with her.
Loba was tense, "I don't remember you being this talkative when you murdered my parents." Revenant offered Loba an even more condescending smile, "A lot's changed since that night." Loba held her hand out in front of her and looked at Revenant over her nails, "You don't say. Look, if you're going to kill me, just…"
Revenant silenced her with his hand as he spoke, "Oh, if I wanted you dead, you'd already be dead, and they'd all be fighting over your corpse." Revenant jumped onto the foot of the bed where Natalie was resting. Ajay went to push him off of the bed but Loba grabbed her arm. Ajay looked at Loba and yanked her arm out of her grasp. Ajay would not let him touch Natalie again, especially since she couldn't even defend herself.
Revenant continued his onslaught on condescending smiling, "The only reason you're still alive is because I find this vendetta of yours adorable. Except now you care about spare parts more than me. And that's got me curious. Why did you change gears so fast? Are you already bored with me? Because if that's the case, I'll just tear you apart right now."
He hopped down off of the bed with a snarl, landing right in front of Loba. "As for staging a coup... the other me can have this world. I can't think of anything more pathetic than being King of the skinbags. Besides, you're far more interesting..." Loba smirked at Revenant, "Look at that. Something we agree on." She looked back at her perfectly manicured nails as if she was ignoring him.
Revenant moved closer to Loba until he was right in her face. Ajay heard a tear and almost a roar type sound behind her and Loba. She didn't even realized that Renee had been gone and there was a portal in her place. Renee popped out of the portal with Anita, Makoa, and Bloodhound. The portal snapped shut in an instant. Ajay saw a familiar device on Renee's wrist. Somehow Natalie must have outfitted Renee with a device to use her abilities outside of the arena.
Bloodhound and Makoa had their guns drawn but surprisingly Anita had put hers away. Anita pushed her way between Loba and Revenant, "Your mama never told you no jumping on the bed, jackass?" Anita always seemed to have some smartass comment to say. She stood in front of Loba, with her back to her. A sly smile sat on Anita's face. Revenant somehow looked surprised through his robotic features, "What the…" Anita got right in Revenant's face, "Looks like our timing is on point. Let's show this FNG what happens if you don't fall in line, ladies."
Revenant smiled at Anita, "You skinsuits ruin everything…" Revenant extended his arm out to the side of them with his palm downward. Out of the floor a totem formed, dark shadows of black smoke falling from it like fog. Ajay's shoulder began to ache as she could feel the immense power that poured from the totem and crept along the floorboards near them. Ajay was a bit shocked that he could summon a totem outside of the arena. She knew that he harnessed a great deal of power but she didn't know the extent of it.
Ajay began to feel a bit weak but she tried not to let it show on her face. Anita held her arms out, pushing everyone back, "Live totem! Nobody touch it!" Ajay was almost relieved when she heard Anita warn everyone. Ajay felt like she had lost a piece of herself when she had last entered the shadows from touching the totem. She wondered if anyone else felt the same way when they accessed the totem in the arena.
In a burst of dark smoke Revenant and the totem were gone and the agonizing pain in Ajay's shoulder left with them. Loba stomped her foot on the wooden floorboards, "Damn it, someone is feeding him information!" Anita brushed it off as she turned to face Loba, "Don't be so dramatic. This isn't some telenovela. The Sim likes to lurk. He could have overheard any of us talking about the missions. Doesn't mean anyone's a spy."
Ajay almost jumped when she heard Hyeon Kim's voice, "Sounds like something the spy would say to throw us off track." Anita didn't even look at Hyeon Kim but instead she kept her gaze upon Loba, "I'm not even gonna dignify that with a response. Sim's messing with our heads. That's what he does. End of story. Report back here at 0-600. And be on your toes, ladies. If that last mission was any indication, this is going to get a lot messier."
Anita marched out dragging Makoa and Bloodhound with her. Everyone else seemed to linger but Ajay needed to finish her exam with Natalie. "I need ya all ta go. I need to finish up with Natalie." Alexander began to sit down in the same seat that he was in when Ajay arrived but she stopped him, "Ya too Alexander." Ajay didn't have time to deal with anyone or anymore interruptions.
Ajay motioned for him to leave but Alexander gave her a stern look. She really didn't care what he was thinking, "Just go please." Her voice didn't waver as she spoke to him. Alexander went to say something but he stopped himself when Ajay's back was to him; she had already began to assess Natalie. He finally turned and left.