Angels with Newfound Hope
Act 2 Chapter 9: Raid
Bryce's Favorite Bar - Day 2, 10:03PM
It had been a while since Bryce faced competition as fierce as Alex. He'd somehow stayed in the game all those rounds through sheer determination, and with two entire glasses of whiskey leading up. That was no task easily accomplished by some of the bargoers, let alone someone he thought completely new.
They both were reaching their limit. That much could be seen through their gentle swaying and drooping eyelids. Maverick had five rounds of Baltic porter totaled between them. Five 20 ounce glasses of 18 proof alcohol: enough to get anyone horribly drunk. It wouldn't be long before this stupid game would be over.
'Just stay in this a little longer...' Alex repeated in his increasingly fuzzy mind. Things were beginning to go dark. And yet, he forced himself to keep standing, keep staring at his drinking rival. Those hazy ambers stared back with a plastered ferocity only he knew. 'Just a little longer... and... you'll...'
Silence. Everyone fell silent when the game concluded. Alex started falling immediately before Bryce, their combined force rattling the surface to its very core. Zhong looked on in shock as his old friend practically met his match in a mere human. Maverick ended the recording with disappointment. He was positive his boss would win, but...
Their results lay in two disheveled heaps on the oaken surface. It only occurred to the remaining guest that they should be woken back up a whole minute later. Prompting the barkeep over, Maverick requested two glasses of ice water.
"I didn't think he would even come that close. Remind me to give Alex a drink later, on the house." The barkeep commended once he had the water over.
"Right. But for now, I need to get these jackasses home." With that, the gray reptile dumped both glasses on his company's heads. Both of them shot up with a collective gasp.
"Aah, freezing!" Alex immediately wrapped his arms around himself in a futile effort to escape the chill.
"Maverick?! What the heck?" Meanwhile, Bryce immediately fired a glare at his underling.
"I had to get you two up somehow. Come on, the bar closes soon, and you both have to get back home." Maverick's only concern shone forth with the intensity of the light bulb above. All he really wanted was for that stupid outing to be over with. That whole thing set the three of them back on the same path as before from what he felt. One that would be changed no matter what the cost would be...
Bryce's Apartment - Day 3, 8:40AM
Alex awoke to a painfully familiar sight. His head didn't even have to leave the rug to realize just where he slept. The pastel blue sofa, complete with sleeping dragon, sat just to his right. Troubled snoring emanated from Bryce's massive form. Perhaps his dreams were turbulent?
Either way, the human wasn't getting another opportunity to remind himself of what happened. He pulled out his phone and...
"What the?" He whispered. The photo he took from their first drinking game somehow remained, even after supposedly traveling back in time. That serene scene was in such stark contrast to the one unfolding. Every single little detail.
"Bryce?" The hungover brunette placed a hand on his dragon's neck. "Why does this always happen to me? I didn't want you to do that and you did anyway. This is Zoe all over again." Letting the appendage slide down those iridescent scales, he continued.
"Why did you stay back there...? I'd have gladly carried-" The motion of Bryce stirring silenced Alex. He averted his eyes as his dragon stretched with heavy yawn.
"Ugh... my head. What even- oh. What are you doing here?" The chief adopted a look of mild annoyance toward his unexpected houseguest.
"I- I guess I passed out after we walked here? Most of last night was a complete blur to me." Alex feigned ignorance with about the same story as last time. Bryce let out an amused huff so as to not disturb his throbbing head.
"You and me both, kid. Guess that game was worse on us than I thought." The fiery reptile then noticed a slip of paper on his coffee table. Reaching for it, both of them read curiously.
'Bryce
Give me a call in the morning.
-Maverick'
The atrocious handwriting was nearly impossible to read. And attached as a footnote was a phone number, most likely belonging to their judge for last night. Bryce punched it in and hit 'call'...
"Hello?" That very voice that haunted Alex grumbled through the speakers. Despite getting on in the morning hours, it seemed that Maverick had only just woken up.
"Hey Maverick. You said to call when we woke up?" Bryce greeted with very little awareness.
"What are you- right: the note. I meant to tell you who won last night. Is Alex with you?" The officer on the other end requested. His boss just put the phone on speaker and set it on the table.
"He's sitting next to me. So who do the spoils go to?" The chief questioned, hoping for something satisfactory.
"Let me send you the footage real quick. And Alex, I'll have your phone back to you later tonight." Maverick fell silent as the latter events of last night were sent over. Playing the recording left both of them in total shock. That impact shook not only the table, but both of them.
"Damn." Bryce uttered in disbelief. Alex could only watch as that played over and over again on a loop. "I still won, but to come that close... Maybe I'll give you a consolation prize."
"Well, you did win. It seems only fair." The officer criticized heavily.
"What? I..." The human trailed off. Did he really want to object and lose the one thing that made him happy besides Macy in those last five years?
No. No he did not. Especially now when he may need his dragon the most. He remained silent after that, leaving their judge to finish up.
"Any objections? No? Good, now I'm going to get whatever sleep I can before my alarm. You two sort out the details." And with that, the line went silent.
"Well shit..." Alex grumbled. The last thing he wanted right that moment was to have to tell everything and get called crazy.
"You held up pretty well, I'll admit." Bryce groaned comfortably from his perch. He didn't feel the slightest bit sorry for his company. He was in the same predicament anyway.
"What does it matter anyway? I'm basically stuck in an interrogation room." The brunette hoisted himself onto the sofa with him.
"Maybe it doesn't have to be that way." The larger male reasoned, an idea popping into mind.
"What do you mean?" Was all his company said.
"Why not compromise? Let's say you just give me tidbits until you're ready for the whole thing." Bryce proposed further. His only hope was that the ambassador would at least consider it. Despite the little time he knew him, he wanted to help his condition for the better, and he likely couldn't without the full story.
"I guess I have no choice." For the umpteenth time in just one day, Alex felt trapped. He began to wonder if using the portal now would have any adverse consequences.
"There's just one condition I'm still holding. Please tell me before you leave. I don't want whatever this is continuing to hurt you. You may be in trouble, but that doesn't mean I don't care." He ordered softly, much like a father would remind his child to do something.
"I'll do my best." Alex nodded in confirmation. This sealed the deal as they got up from the sofa and made way for the door.
"That's all I ask. Let's talk as soon as everything clears up. I can't say everyone at the station is very fond of you right now. It could be curtains for both of us if one of them sees." Bryce informed, to the human's dismay.
"Don't worry about that. It will be by tomorrow." With that, the dragon was left to his own issues...
After taking the day to relieve his hangover and prepare, Alex awaited someone's arrival. It was a good thing Mongoose let him use his suit for his time there. The only thing that sucked was that he would only be able to hide the shirt itself under his button-up. Regardless, it was only a matter of time now. The seconds ticked by disturbingly quick during the bout of sitting around.
A heavy knock at the door announced the very presence he was expecting. Opening it reluctantly welcomed the silver demon into his home.
"What's with the gear?" Maverick pressed the moment he walked through.
"I'm not sitting around while Reza slanders my name." Was all the human replied with. He immediately caught the blood eyes on him. Those judgmental orbs hardly failed in their job of intimidation.
"What are you going to do, Alex?" The officer shot back with a snarl that did nothing. The human in front of him loaded his pistol, readying it for use.
"I'm getting my stuff back. It wasn't very kind of him to take it without asking." Alex brushed past on his way out with Maverick hot on his heels.
"You can't be serious. Do you even remember the other night? He'll kill you before you even get close. These are his active hours." The dragon spouted angrily. His human company whirled around with a confident glower.
"You're one to talk. You literally got yourself shot not once, but twice trying to cuff us both. This op won't be anything new to me anyway." The vigilante shoved his way past, barely turning his head back to address his assailant. "I've been through this before."
"Easier said than done. You know how light of a sleeper he is? I couldn't sneak past him at the station to go get a snack." Maverick cut him off from his underestimations. Why did this damned human have to be so hellbent on getting himself killed?
"I'm not at all surprised. You're terrible with stealth anyway." Alex turned back to his destination: the farmhouse.
"Will you listen to me? You're-"
"I'm going to get my thousands of Centura's worth of gear back, and nobody is going to stop me, Especially not you." The brunette snapped at his tiresome partner. "Don't go following me. You'll only get yourself killed." With that, he whipped back around to begin walking again...
The rest of the way over was deafeningly silent. Maverick had decided to tag along anyway in spite of what Alex said. That led to him coming all this way anyway. Without any idea of what could be in there, he was now terrified.
"I told you not to follow me. Why did you disregard a direct order?" The smaller male fired off back toward his low-lit companion.
"Because you're not my boss. I don't know if you realize that this is a death sentence, or you just don't care. But I'm not letting you die unless I kill you myself." The gray officer guilt-tripped out of sheer irritation. His de facto sergeant redirected his cold gaze before speaking again.
"So glad to see you still want me dead." Alex drew his knife and let its lightless blade shadow over Maverick's face. "You want to do this so badly? Fine. But leave no evidence we were here. This is a quick in-and-out. I grab the gear he stole, and we go. Now, there's a tripwire I'll need to cut at the main entrance."
"So I just let you take care of that?" The dragon deadpanned. He wasn't exactly thrilled by the idea of a less hands-on approach.
"This is purely a covert operation. Letting someone without proper tools do this could result in both of us dying. I'm not taking that risk, Maverick, regardless of how bitter either of us feel towards each other." Alex explained in detail. The last sentence caught his companion off guard. He actually cared enough to want him alive in spite of everything? This man was either very forgiving, or very stupid.
"Fine. Just don't expect me to play nice if we're caught." With that, the duo stalked the hundred feet over. The front door loomed over them like a judge at his stand. Its old hinges threatened to alert all those around with their creaking. The softer pulling of cordage notified them of danger. That was when the vigilante began cutting.
It didn't take long to get through the bright red twine. It fell to the floor noiselessly, with the door itself announcing their presence. Alex crept in first with his gun drawn. Maverick was very close behind. His claws gently clicked against the wood with each soft step alongside.
They paused at the entry to the living room to let their eyes get used to everything. Through the drastic contrast of darkness, they could just make out the outline of tattered seating. The influence on it was obviously Victorian with paisley print upholstery. Rather gaudy in Alex's taste, but that didn't concern him. It was what lay on top instead.
On the sofa's surface, surface glinting in the moonlight, lay his nightshades. The bottom of each lens glowed gently a cyan blue. It seemed Reza had been using them recently.
"I knew it." The brunette whispered. He stalked toward the device and crowned himself with it.
"Sunglasses? And why are they glowing? Tell me this isn't another trap." Maverick whispered his complaint. That human's recklessness is bound to get them killed eventually.
"No. you ever heard of night vision goggles? That's what these are." Alex slid them over his eyes with a bright flash illuminating both lenses. It was a sinister sight in the pitch darkness. One akin to a blue-eyed demon stalking its prey. That only lasted a second as the glow faded out, concealing them once more.
"I find that hard to believe, but whatever. We should press on." The officer crept past and into the main hall. Two doors sat on his left, two on his right.
The vigilante padded to the first door on their left. Opening it revealed to both of them an ordinary bedroom. The closet was slightly ajar with something laying just outside. The nightstand had his Ruger laying next to its clip, which washed him with relief. And laying on the bed was none other than Reza: turned over and fast asleep.
Maverick was motioned to stay there as his company snuck in. His hand was on the weapon when an old alarm clock went off. Using the noise to his advantage, Alex took it and slipped under the bed. The dragon himself dove for another room just in time for Reza to turn it off.
"Ugh... I don't get what Alex finds so appealing about late nights..." The man groaned. His feet slipped onto the ground as some patting was heard on the table. "What the? Where'd that gun go?"
He checked all around the surface, even around the room itself to no avail. That shiny new pistol had just up and disappeared. Only a faint silhouette in the dust remained. The last place he hadn't checked was under the bed. The only problem was that he didn't have those sunglasses with him. The door creaked ajar as he went into the living room. Alex slipped back out just as he heard his adversary go off.
"Where the hell are those night vision glasses? I know I put them right there." Reza fired off, clearly frustrated. Some sliding around of furniture was heard in the frantic search, allowing Alex to slip out and steal the magazine as well. That was when the stomping back was heard. "That girl is going to be so pissed... Fuck it. I can't see anything in here anyway." He grumbled.
With his reentry, the bedroom door loudly creaked open...