The hand over her mouth slowly moves away. Leigha takes in deep,
steady breaths. Slowly, she is turned around to look at her adversary. She
looks down until she was facing this person. She raises her head gradually.
It was Jay. She doesn't know what to thing. She looks into his eyes and
finds something more disturbing than being caught.
His brown eyes search hers; just the sight of her is unnerving to him. He swallows before he speaks. He frowns, his face growing severe. "Why did you come back?" he asks quickly, his voice solid and angry. Why the hell does he care? She thinks. She lets out a breath she didn't even know she was holding. She gulps loudly. "I have to know the truth, Jay," she says.
When she speaks she sees something change in his eyes, something growing softer, almost melting. He shakes his head slightly, eyes going back to being relentless. "About what?' he snapped.
"Everything. What you did to Tai-san, the others,... me"
She strangely finds it hard to say the last part. She sees him relax, he doesn't say anything. Again, like the rest, he's so God awful familiar. But she thought she already remembered everything. Damn. He reaches out and touches her face. She doesn't flinch, he finds this odd but his face doesn't show any emotion. She begins to feel comfortable with him, knowing he's around. Hell no! I am not going to start being comfortable with a Techno for crying out loud! She thinks.
"Why did you let me go, Jay?" she whispers. For a second time he shows no emotion whatsoever. Leigha's back is to the door, but she hears it open a tiny bit, so does Jay. Neither one of them wanted her to be caught by anyone else other than Jay, and they both know it.
Leigha turns around just as slowly as the door is opening. Jay steps forward a tiny bit but Leigha doesn't move. They hold their breaths, neither knowing that the other is as scared. Leigha bites her lip as a figure pokes in its head, unsure.
Leigha slowly lets out her breath. She does not want to be seeing this person right now. She just wants him to leave. It's Pride. Seeing that it was only them, Pride comes through the door and closes it behind him. He stares in disbelief at them. "Jay!" is all Pride manages to say; he's too hesitant for words. Jay doesn't do anything.
"What-" Pride says, looking at Leigha and going closer to her. She lets him touch her, but she doesn't look at him, her gaze set on Jay, waiting for the answer to her question she had asked before Pride came. She shakes her stare from Jay to look at Pride. "Where's Lex?" she asks him, looking at him just as the irresolute as the look on his face.
"Looking for Tai-san"
Shit! Pride thinks. He knows he made a mistake. He shouldn't have said that in front of Jay. Pride still had no idea where Jay's loyalties lied. Some were with the Verts and Mallrats, but some were also with Ram, Siva, and Java. Pride knows that they can't tarry too long, someone might find them all, and then Jay will have to choose his loyalties.
"Come on," Pride says, gripping Leigha by her upper arm. She would not shift. He opens his mouth to tell her that they have to go now, but something stops him. It was the look Jay and Leigha were giving each other. Pride didn't even know if Leigha was breathing.
All was silent. Without the sound of a whisper, Leigha said, "Jay let me go, Pride". When she says this, she isn't looking at Pride, she's staring at Jay. There is a crash a few rooms down; the sound of metal on tile.
"Lex!" Pride mutters under his breath. He moves toward the door and tries to bring Leigha with him. Again, for the second time, she will not move. He thinks for a brief moment. It's either Lex or his Leigha. Lex was in immediate danger and Pride could come back for Leigha. He made his decision. He looks at them, they seem unaware of him. He shakes his head and goes out the door to help Lex.
Yet again, there is silence. Her voice breaks it. "Well?" she asks. Jay has almost forgotten the sound of her voice. He finds it difficult to speak. "Well what?" he finally says. Leigha's eyes widen in exasperation, and she glances around, she had just asked him. "Why you let me go," she explains again softly. He looks down. Jay reaches into his pocket and withdraws something, it clinks in his hand. She cannot tell what it is, but it looks like some sort of jewelry, something ugly and tacky, something Ebony would wear. "Because," he says hoarsely.
He reaches around her neck and claps together the necklace, letting it slide around her throat and down onto her chest. Leigha looks down and touches the necklace with her fingers. It is a long elasticized piece of string covered in small red beads, a cross hanging at the lowest point of the necklace. Now that she sees it clearly, she notices that it is beautiful, and something else. The necklace is her own, but it had been such a long time since she has seen its likeness.
She looks up at him and draws in a long breath, and letting it out just as evenly. "Because you once did the same thing for me," he whispers, stepping closer to her. Leigha remembers the piece of jewelry, she had once treasured it, but she had no idea how he had anything to do with it or where he had gotten it.
Jay sees her puzzlement and explains. She nods, recollecting, remembering that day at the docks so long ago.
Pride opens the door to the empty and sees a Techno lying on the floor, passed out. He looks up and Lex is currently bashing the next masked Techno's head into a wall. "Lex!" Pride hisses. Lex shrugs and drops the unconscious Techno to the floor, his mask chinking on the tile loudly. Pride winces. Les smiles. Both of them know that more Technos are on their way so they get moving, again.
Lex moves on to the door on his right and tries it. Like all the others, this door was unlocked. He pushes it open and slips in, he knows Pride is right behind him.
Lex is horrified and speechless, he can't think of a single thing to say or do. Just breathe, he told himself. He doesn't move. Pride pushes Lex farther into the room so he could see and close the door. "My God," Pride says, his voice below a whisper.
Lex feels all traces of air in his lungs slowly leave him, he can't breathe. On the other hand, Pride is taking in such deep and long breaths that he feels lightheaded. It's dark, but they can both see clearly, too clearly.
The glint of the metal flashes in their eyes. The shallow breaths of the nameless faces loom before them. Desolate eyes stare into the distance. Lex gulps. No, it can't be her.
His brown eyes search hers; just the sight of her is unnerving to him. He swallows before he speaks. He frowns, his face growing severe. "Why did you come back?" he asks quickly, his voice solid and angry. Why the hell does he care? She thinks. She lets out a breath she didn't even know she was holding. She gulps loudly. "I have to know the truth, Jay," she says.
When she speaks she sees something change in his eyes, something growing softer, almost melting. He shakes his head slightly, eyes going back to being relentless. "About what?' he snapped.
"Everything. What you did to Tai-san, the others,... me"
She strangely finds it hard to say the last part. She sees him relax, he doesn't say anything. Again, like the rest, he's so God awful familiar. But she thought she already remembered everything. Damn. He reaches out and touches her face. She doesn't flinch, he finds this odd but his face doesn't show any emotion. She begins to feel comfortable with him, knowing he's around. Hell no! I am not going to start being comfortable with a Techno for crying out loud! She thinks.
"Why did you let me go, Jay?" she whispers. For a second time he shows no emotion whatsoever. Leigha's back is to the door, but she hears it open a tiny bit, so does Jay. Neither one of them wanted her to be caught by anyone else other than Jay, and they both know it.
Leigha turns around just as slowly as the door is opening. Jay steps forward a tiny bit but Leigha doesn't move. They hold their breaths, neither knowing that the other is as scared. Leigha bites her lip as a figure pokes in its head, unsure.
Leigha slowly lets out her breath. She does not want to be seeing this person right now. She just wants him to leave. It's Pride. Seeing that it was only them, Pride comes through the door and closes it behind him. He stares in disbelief at them. "Jay!" is all Pride manages to say; he's too hesitant for words. Jay doesn't do anything.
"What-" Pride says, looking at Leigha and going closer to her. She lets him touch her, but she doesn't look at him, her gaze set on Jay, waiting for the answer to her question she had asked before Pride came. She shakes her stare from Jay to look at Pride. "Where's Lex?" she asks him, looking at him just as the irresolute as the look on his face.
"Looking for Tai-san"
Shit! Pride thinks. He knows he made a mistake. He shouldn't have said that in front of Jay. Pride still had no idea where Jay's loyalties lied. Some were with the Verts and Mallrats, but some were also with Ram, Siva, and Java. Pride knows that they can't tarry too long, someone might find them all, and then Jay will have to choose his loyalties.
"Come on," Pride says, gripping Leigha by her upper arm. She would not shift. He opens his mouth to tell her that they have to go now, but something stops him. It was the look Jay and Leigha were giving each other. Pride didn't even know if Leigha was breathing.
All was silent. Without the sound of a whisper, Leigha said, "Jay let me go, Pride". When she says this, she isn't looking at Pride, she's staring at Jay. There is a crash a few rooms down; the sound of metal on tile.
"Lex!" Pride mutters under his breath. He moves toward the door and tries to bring Leigha with him. Again, for the second time, she will not move. He thinks for a brief moment. It's either Lex or his Leigha. Lex was in immediate danger and Pride could come back for Leigha. He made his decision. He looks at them, they seem unaware of him. He shakes his head and goes out the door to help Lex.
Yet again, there is silence. Her voice breaks it. "Well?" she asks. Jay has almost forgotten the sound of her voice. He finds it difficult to speak. "Well what?" he finally says. Leigha's eyes widen in exasperation, and she glances around, she had just asked him. "Why you let me go," she explains again softly. He looks down. Jay reaches into his pocket and withdraws something, it clinks in his hand. She cannot tell what it is, but it looks like some sort of jewelry, something ugly and tacky, something Ebony would wear. "Because," he says hoarsely.
He reaches around her neck and claps together the necklace, letting it slide around her throat and down onto her chest. Leigha looks down and touches the necklace with her fingers. It is a long elasticized piece of string covered in small red beads, a cross hanging at the lowest point of the necklace. Now that she sees it clearly, she notices that it is beautiful, and something else. The necklace is her own, but it had been such a long time since she has seen its likeness.
She looks up at him and draws in a long breath, and letting it out just as evenly. "Because you once did the same thing for me," he whispers, stepping closer to her. Leigha remembers the piece of jewelry, she had once treasured it, but she had no idea how he had anything to do with it or where he had gotten it.
Jay sees her puzzlement and explains. She nods, recollecting, remembering that day at the docks so long ago.
Pride opens the door to the empty and sees a Techno lying on the floor, passed out. He looks up and Lex is currently bashing the next masked Techno's head into a wall. "Lex!" Pride hisses. Lex shrugs and drops the unconscious Techno to the floor, his mask chinking on the tile loudly. Pride winces. Les smiles. Both of them know that more Technos are on their way so they get moving, again.
Lex moves on to the door on his right and tries it. Like all the others, this door was unlocked. He pushes it open and slips in, he knows Pride is right behind him.
Lex is horrified and speechless, he can't think of a single thing to say or do. Just breathe, he told himself. He doesn't move. Pride pushes Lex farther into the room so he could see and close the door. "My God," Pride says, his voice below a whisper.
Lex feels all traces of air in his lungs slowly leave him, he can't breathe. On the other hand, Pride is taking in such deep and long breaths that he feels lightheaded. It's dark, but they can both see clearly, too clearly.
The glint of the metal flashes in their eyes. The shallow breaths of the nameless faces loom before them. Desolate eyes stare into the distance. Lex gulps. No, it can't be her.
