The City of Los Santos.

They say it's full of glamour, perfect year-round weather, and the only place where dreams can come true. A place where the education system, health care providers, and police task force are quintessence to living in harmonizing peace in this day and age. If someone told you these things, you'd be hard pressed not to believe them, wouldn't you? It does sound like an ideal place to live. Who wouldn't want to live in a place where everything is supposedly perfect?

But if you believe this, then you would not be prepared for the slap of reality that would soon find you.

The City of Los Santos is not glamorous, not so "perfect" as proclaimed, nor is it a place where dreams come true like in a child's fairytale. No. This city is the epitome of the filth that hides behind its shield of false perfection. Crime is at an all-time high, with gangsters driving up the streets just to shoot someone to be "initiated" into their gritty gang. Pollution has become one of the major environmental issues this city has faced. They claim the air is good here, but just beyond those skyscrapers is an entire section dedicated to that disgusting morning smog we see on our drive to work. And the corruption, oh the corruption! Leave it to the city officials, insurance companies, even the damn Los Santos Police Department to have their finger in the pie. They are willing to beat down just about anyone who stands in their way if they were ever defied. If you're lucky to meet a cop free of the corruption, then you'd best hold onto them... or next time, that officer would be "non-existent" in their records.

So why even discuss a city such as this? What purpose does it serve in this story, if it truly is as terrible as they come?

Simple: this is the city where Axelia Payton decided to live out the remainder of her days. Flying from her hometown of Vice City, she came here to escape the intrusive past that endlessly haunts her, in hopes to do some semblance of good before dropping out of this gig forever. It was going to be her last job, the one that'll be the magnanimity of her true being. But what skill did she have that no one else seemed to carry?

Another easy answer: she can go in places certain individuals cannot, remaining unnoticed and irrelevant while unbeknownst to the schmucks that she holds all the cards. And not only that, but she is one of the most skillful hackers in America. But what's a hacker from Vice City doing here in Los Santos? Why exchange one beachside city for another?

As her plane touches down at Los Santos International Airport, we will delve deeply into her tale of deception, greed, and corruption, but most of all...

A temptation of an amorous rendezvous with a man she was never supposed to meet.


The wind whipped wildly outside the arrival doors of the Los Santos International Airport, filled with people from all levels of society chatting away on the terminal. This was the City of Los Santos, and it was where Axelia Payton finally lands. She pushes the door opened with her forearm, her boots thudding loudly as she makes her way down the small steps and right to the sidewalk. She hadn't been here in the city before, but already she could tell she was going to hate this place. Sure, she exchanged one beach for another, but it was no Vice City. At least she knew how the people there were. She was one of them. Her phone suddenly goes off in her pocket, a sound that took her completely off-guard. She never received messages after she left home the first time all those years ago. Axelia was considered the black sheep in her family, despite being anything but kind and respectful to anyone she met. The first and last time she heard anything from her family was to let her know her father had passed away. But the messages she was to receive today were far different than somber knowledge. As she retrieved the message, it revealed nothing more than an address. She didn't know where it was, but something told her if she went there, it would make sense. She looked at the sender's name, only to see that it was a private number. She could only assume it belonged to him. As she slipped her phone back in her pocket, she thought about the man who could've sent it to her.

In the City of Los Santos, there is a group of people that are considered vigilantes, although their heroic deeds go unrewarded. In the public eye, they're supposed to be a menace to society, leeches who want nothing more than the world to crumble into ruin. But that's a misconception fed to the public to keep them ignorant to the truth. In reality, these vigilante hackers were actually cracking down on the scams and deception the bigwig corporations were feeding the innocent people. Within the last year, they've already shut down many different corporations around the entire world, and their latest project is none other than the most corrupt city in America - Los Santos. And the one who led the charge was a mysterious figure known only as The Honey Badger.
Axelia had heard about the Honey Badger all her life. Most believed him to be a myth, or a boogeyman hackers would tell one another before they do some wicked scheme. Others revere him as a legend, a saint who uses his skills for the betterment of humanity. Axelia didn't know if she really believed that there was such a person out there with that amount of power. It seemed entirely unlikely. That is, if she hadn't returned to Vice City on that dreary day to bury her father.

She tucked her phone back into her pocket, looking out for a cab to finally roll up to the curb. She thought about what this address could be, and the only thing that came to mind was a safe house. The Honey Badger seemed ready to accommodate all who chose to work under him, even if those accommodations were not the best. Still, at least he looked out for his people. Axelia's keen eye spots a cab in the distance, her instinct to step a foot into traffic and flag the driver down being no more than a force of habit right now. Even down to her whistling at the driver, which - truth be told - wasn't really supposed to work for her, but that's a habit, too. It seemed the five years she had spent in Liberty City hailing cabs had done her some good, though. As the driver slowed to a stop, she approached and got into the back passenger side of the vehicle, being sure to retrieve her phone for the address before settling in. Once she told the driver where she wanted to go, they were on their way, driving off from the airport towards the city of Los Santos. She looked out the window, her mind wondering as the radio began to fill the car with a late 80s song; Heartbeat. She hummed along with the tune subconsciously as she thought about her task, about what the Honey Badger wants from her. He had came to her that day in person, told her he needed her. Axelia didn't believe him, at first. With everything that happened in her life, she felt she was no more than a waste of space. Why would he need her of all people? But it became apparent that he knew everything about her, and promised her a chance at the one thing she so desperately wanted: Redemption.

Her phone suddenly buzzed in her pocket, a text message received from some other unknown number.

Welcome to Los Santos, Axel. -HB-

'HB? Honey Badger?' she thought, staring at the message on her phone. It seemed that the Honey Badger was well-connected to everyone, even down to their private numbers. Was he spying on her? Did he hack her phone to track her location? The driver had stopped at a red light, his voice snapping her back to reality. "Hey chica. We're here." She looked up from the phone in her hand, shifting in her seat to see the building right across the street from the stoplight. The words Dream Tower were written on the side, in English and what she could only assume was an Asian language. She couldn't tell which one it was. The driver was able to pull her up to the sidewalk across the street from the apartment building, the seemingly long car ride finally over at long last. As she stepped out, the cab driver called out, "Hey! This ain't a charity, bud. Pay up!" Axelia was confused. Why would he assume she wasn't going to pay? "I am. One sec," she replied, pulling her wallet out as she looked at the charge. It wasn't too bad, and she paid the man his due. "Thanks. Next time, pay up before gettin' out," the cab driver warned her. "Otherwise, they'll think you're gonna run off without payin' 'em." "I'll keep that in mind," she answered, watching the driver zoom away toward the city. Axelia stood there a moment before turning her attention towards the apartment building, a long-winded sigh leaving her as she ran across the street. This place was to be her home from now on. It didn't look like much on the outside, but she did hope that the inside was better. She took her phone out to check the time. 2:04pm. Sounds about right. She arrived to the city a mere two hours ago by plane, and now she's here at her new home. She's beginning to wonder if all of this was worth it.

Upon entering, an older man with greying hair sat at the counter, nearly dozing off while some Asian drama was playing in the background. He coughed horribly all of a sudden, groaning as he stretched. "This damn cold!" He looked up and noticed Axelia, looking her over carefully before resituating in his chair. "Who are you? New customer? We have no vacancies," he replied in a grouchy voice, suddenly coughing again. Axelia approached him, taking her phone out again. "Actually, I already have a place here. Apartment 15? Someone had already purchased it for me." The man squinted at her, looking her up and down again before noticing her tattoo on her stomach. "Ooh. You're the tattoo girl. With the flower!" Axelia looked down at her tattoo. "It's a hibiscus," she told him, but he didn't hear her. "Yeah, there was some weird talkin' scrawny guy in glasses who spoke about you. Said you'd be here by the end of the week. Looks like you're early!" She was curious as to what he meant, but the man turned and pulled a set of keys off the wall, turning back and handing them to her. "This key's for your apartment door," he shows the bronze key, and then holds up a silver key; "and this one's for the garage. You got a car?"
Axelia shakes her head, although she did own one. A motorcycle, a customized Dinka Akuma. It was one of her most prized possessions. She currently had it shipping here by request to the Honey Badger, but was told it would take some time to get it here. She didn't mind the wait, but definitely missed her favorite bike. "Well, if you do, you can park it in the basement. Laundry room is also down there, and is coin operated. No pets allowed. Smoking's allowed, but no serious drugs. No guns, either. This ain't a gang clubhouse. And keep the noise to a minimum after eight o'clock. Parents with their kids, y'know?" Axelia nodded, about to take the keys until the proprietor snatched them away from her. He coughed violently into his elbow before sniffling and continuing. "Rent's due within the first five days of every month, and it can't be late. Luckily, your pals paid the next two months in advance, but still. Utility is included in the rent, so when you pay the rent, that extra charge pays that." He holds the keys out to her, but before dropping them into her hands, he gives her one last look over. "I've been told you're a quiet one by those friends of yours. Keep to yourself mostly. I hope they weren't lying..." Axelia smiled wearily, looking the proprietor in the eye. "I'm good for it."

The man waited another moment before dropping the keys in her hand, pointing over at the elevator. "Apartment 15's on the third floor, at the end of the hall on the right. You'll know it when you see it." She simply nodded before walking off towards the elevator, clicking the panel to call it. The doors opened immediately, and she entered, clicking the panel to the 3rd floor. She leaned back against the elevator, a quiet sigh leaving her as its music chimed on. It has been a long day. A shower sounded nice, and a hot meal. She wondered if everything she needed was in this apartment. The Honey Badger explained that he would take care of her things, that his team would move everything she needed and set it all up for her. Does this also mean her personal items were moved in there, too? She shifted her weight. Surely they didn't snoop in her things, right? They may be a group of hackers - superb ones, at that. Still, it bothered her to even imagine someone looking through her personal belongings.


She had this key inserted in the lock for some time, but couldn't seem to open it. Not because the handle was stuck or broken. The door was fine in every way. Axelia was just frozen in place. She had moved from place to place in hopes that she could finally find somewhere to call home. But everywhere she went, it eventually brought despair to her. She had considered backing out on this, on leaving Los Santos and living in that desert in the middle of nowhere again. She thought about her time in Liberty City, about the first man she ever loved. Roger was her whole world, and he loved her just as equally in return. But even with that, he still left her because she couldn't give him the one thing he desperately wanted. It crushed her, knowing she was the reason for their dream not coming true. Would she also be the reason for this plan to fail? So much seemed to be riding on her to succeed.

She shook the thoughts out of her mind and entered the apartment at last, being mindful to retrieve her key afterwards. At first glance, it didn't seem so bad. In fact, entering this place brought a sense of calm to her. The walls were filled with her old movie posters, as well as some recent ones she acquired. There were also newer posters she didn't own hanging up at the entrance of her apartment. A gift from the other hackers who set up her home, perhaps? She came around the small wall and saw the living room, her huge, L-shaped white couch settled perfectly in its center. The coffee table sat before it neatly, with magazines and tissues resting perfectly in place. Axelia would take another step forward and notice her bookshelf at last, filled with all her books she had accumulated over her life. It was nicely decorated, too, with small plants and bookends. There seemed to be duplicates of some of these books. Probably extras if she ever had guests. She turned to see her television, a large one mounted to the wall. That one was not hers. Another gift, perhaps? She wasn't complaining. It would be nice to watch her favorite classics on a bigger TV anyhow! She can already see how good Rum Runner would look on there. The entire entertainment center looked decked out with all sorts of speakers, some video games, controllers and guides, music CDs and magazines. There were even old computer towers with an equally old keyboard and mouse lying around on it. She supposed it would be for her to tinker with if she ever got bored.
A peek to her left revealed her tiny, green kitchen, complete with a small island, fridge, sink, and oven. She took off her coat and folded it onto the island's countertop, opening the cupboards and checking everything out. Her old bread box, salt and pepper shakers, and all her glassware was put away neatly, as well as other kitchen appliances that she didn't realize she owned. Or maybe she didn't own them, and they were added like some of these other items were. She didn't care. It was functional, at least. She opened the fridge to find beer, water, some soda, and so many diverse types of food. There was even some wrapped meatloaf in there, with... "A note?" She pulled the note off the wrapped food, observing it before finally reading.

Here's a little home welcoming gift. Made it myself! Hope we get to work together sometime. -GH0ST

"Ghost... I've heard of 'em," Axelia whispered to herself, looking back at the meatloaf. It did look very appetizing. "Think I'll heat it up after my shower." She smiled softly to herself before shutting the fridge door, placing the note on her jacket. It was a ridiculously cute looking note, with an actual picture of a ghost next to the name. She wasn't sure if the drawing was intentional, but it did make her smile a bit. She looked over her kitchen island and saw a simple little table, decorated with a few candles, and a bowl of oranges. Next to that was a tall shelf with her boxes of photos and other miscellaneous things. She stared at the three boxes full of photos, a doleful look in her eyes. She couldn't bring herself to look through those photographs. They were all of her past, of her first and only marriage. She wanted to leave that old life behind. If she's going to live in Los Santos, she was going to make the best of it.

She returned to the tiny hall where her front door was and went into the next room, immediately recognizing that it was her bedroom. Her blue sheets and covers, her dresser and wardrobe, everything she had in her old bedroom in Vice City was here, even down to her wicker woven trunk she used to store her least favorite clothes. She chuckled as she observed the room, checking the drawers and wardrobe to see her clothes all in order. To see how well put together the room was, how cared for and delicately her things were handled was a good sign. They respected her belongings, even accommodating her with other things she didn't own and they gave her. There was another door on the opposite side of the room, and as she approached it to peer inside, a dry chuckle left her throat. "Wow. A bathroom the size of a prison cell... I dig it." It truly was extremely tiny, but she couldn't complain as it had the essentials to serve its purpose. At least this one has a functional shower. The shower in the old house she once resided in, back in the desert, was very temperamental. It only worked when it wanted to!

She flopped on her bed lazily, noting the fresh linen scent on her sheets as she curled up a moment. This was not as bad as she anticipated. It was better, in fact. The members of this group have helped her feel right at home, accommodating her with clean sheets, fresh fruits, other food and drinks, even some extra flair to her new home, right down to the plants, even. She felt a smile grow on her lips as she sighed warmly, finally removing her fingerless gloves off her hands.

"Yeah. This is starting to feel a little like home. Just a little bit."


"Hey daddy what happened to you and me? I've heard sorry before, Get-up get-out..."

Axelia was sitting casually on the couch, the television blaring a contestant singing a song on Fame or Shame. She really wasn't into the show, but she was bored and had nothing better to do. She took a bite out of the reheated meatloaf, savoring the taste as she chewed it slowly. Ghost really knew had to cook a meatloaf. She hoped to try it freshly cooked one day. She folded her legs under herself, the plate settled in her lap as she watched this nervously sweet, blonde-headed girl finish up her song. The poor girl's dancing was a bit terrible, but she certainly was trying her heart out. She did seem unchoreographed, and it showed. However, Axelia thought it was sweet this girl was given a chance, albeit a slim one, on the show. And the girl had a pretty singing voice, in her opinion. The judges seemed uninterested in her, however. Although Lazlow looked enamored by her strangely enough. Well, he did seem a bit like a sleaze ball to her, but what can she say? Most celebrities in this city were.

"Yeah! That was fantastic!" Lazlow shouted on the television. Axelia groaned, reaching for her soda can on the coffee table. She got the feeling the man was just trying to feel up on the poor girl, as he always does with young, up and coming female stars. She smacked her lips after taking a sip of her soda, settling it back down on the table before returning her attention to the television. Lazlow was telling the judges that if they voted wrong on this, it could be the end of a lot of promising careers. Axelia took another bite of the meatloaf on her lap. Sadly, she had this feeling that the judges weren't going to pick this poor girl. The girl was barely known to them, and because of how unchoreographed she was, it was an instant loss in their books. It was too bad really. She had a nice singing voice, and for someone who wrote her own song, it wasn't half bad. As Axelia took a napkin to wipe her mouth, Lazlow murmured something quickly in his microphone, right before the commercial break. "Seriously, guys. Vote the right way 'cause a maniac's gonna fucking kill me." She arched her trimmed brow. What was this about some maniac? What did he mean, vote the right way? For this girl? Now Axelia was curious as a kitten, waiting patiently for the commercials to go through so she could see what happens next on the show.
As the show returned, they went through the list of contestants again, with the last one being of the blonde-headed girl, Tracey De Santa. The judges truly didn't know this girl at all, and it seemed unfortunate. The girl had potential with that voice of hers. As she guessed, however, the judges didn't vote for her, and instead voted for some monkeys. Axelia groaned at the decision, as it was quite vulgar, but once again, what can she say? Vice City was just as bad in some cases. But how would Lazlow react? This was why she kept watching the show for this long in the first place. After a moment, as expected, Lazlow went crazy when the final decision was made. He talked about how Tracey had sung her heart out, and how she was going to be a star. Then, after some insults were thrown at Lazlow, he officially physically attacked Hugh, insulting him back. Axelia was now out of her seat, standing a little bit closer to the television to watch the fight. But the show was cut short, and ended before she could see what happened next, with Anita Mendoza talking about next season's episode. She cursed under her breath, grabbed the remote to click a button, and bring up the information for the episode she just watched. "Huh. This was last year's finale." This intrigued her even more. Who could cause a man to act so irrationally on television because some girl didn't get the final votes? Lazlow was obviously scared to pieces, practically begging that this girl be deemed the winner. But as Axelia began to really pounder on this, her cell phone went off, vibrating loudly on the wooden coffee table. Turning off the television, she put down the remote and retrieved her phone, unlocking it to read a newly received text message.

Axel, we need to talk. Go find a payphone in the city. I'll contact you with the details. -HB-

"Honey Badger!" she whispered harshly to herself, immediately dashing off to grab her boots out of her room. This was it. The big assignment! Now she'll finally learn what her task in this city is.


The city certainly had a stench to it, one that Axelia didn't much care for. Finding a payphone nearby was a very daunting task, as well, causing the woman to hate the distance she had to travel to find one. Why couldn't the Honey Badger just send her an encrypted email with a video file? Did he genuinely want to talk to her? She was unsure of whatever his reasoning could've been, although he could've made this easier by simply calling her cell phone. Still, the man had his reasons for doing this... whatever they were.

She would eventually find a payphone closer to Downtown LS, near some office buildings of some sort. She was relieved to have found one, but how was she to know he'll call this one? She waited diligently beside the now barely used, but completely vandalized phone booths, noting how abused and run down it was on the inside of one. Even the phonebook was barely held together on the chain it dangled from. She took her phone out to check the time. "It's 4:31. When is he going to call?" This was worrisome. Why would he want her to go to any random payphone in the street? People passing by gave her confusing looks, wondering why she's standing around waiting instead of using the phone. Either that, or wondering why she had a cell phone in her hand, standing next to a payphone. It was a bit irritating, the staring. But none of those glances mattered in that instance, as the phone finally did ring, causing Axelia to pick it up immediately. She slowly held it to her ear, listening quietly to whoever's voice would come out the other end.

"It has been a while, Axel."

It was him. It was distorted and garbled heavily, thanks to a multitude of voice modules, but there was no doubt in her mind. This was none other than the Honey Badger, himself.

"Listen carefully to what I'm about to say. Memorize it."

She could hear him shifting some papers around, then clicking on a keyboard before continuing. "Augury Insurance is blackmailing their customers with ridiculous interest rates. We caught wind of their little scheme after your return to Vice City." Axelia bit her lip. So, they have been watching her for a while, as well as this insurance company. Was this place her task? Just hearing the word blackmail seemed to suggest so. "We want you to infiltrate as an employee and plant a bug in their systems. It will be a challenging task, to be sure. But once you're inside, we will know everything about them. To expose their dirty secrets officially, and put an end to them." The way he said it seemed alarming. Axelia wasn't sure if he intends to do harm to the employees, but something told her that that's not this group's nature. Still, his voice terrified her. It was not pleasant in any way.
"You are the only one who can do this, Axel," she heard him say over the phone. She tightens her grip on it, her downcast eyes deep in thought. She's the only one, was she? Because she wanted redemption? Helping the innocent people of Los Santos who were victims of this insurance company's blackmail would be her redemption, wouldn't it? It was not difficult to process this. It was a simple task, one she could finish with exceptional ease. This sounded like it could be a cakewalk. "Now..." His voice was deeper than before. She could tell he was preparing himself for her answer, because a question was about to be asked. She felt it in her bones. And as expected, he continued, asking;

"Do you accept this assignment?"

Axelia closed her eyes, sighing softly as she decided to process all that was told to her. Augury Insurance, a big-name corporation that was in the business of blackmailing their costumers to pay more than they could pay. It was wrong to extort that amount of money out of their pockets, to force them to abide by their company ruling to give it up. It was fraudulence, plain and simple. But seeing as they live in one of the most corrupt cities in America, these poor souls stood no chance against these powerful companies. She thought about her own past, about her youth and that one hacking job she had that caused her to try and find ways to redeem herself. She could never forget it, all those innocent people. She could not allow that incident to repeat itself.

"Yes."

Axelia gripped the phone tightly in her hand, opening her eyes once again as she answers the Honey Badger's question. She could hear him make some sort of sound on the other end. Was he holding his breath, hoping to hear her say yes? It was as if she unknowingly accepted some marriage proposal of his. Maybe, in a way, she did. "Very good," she finally heard his garbled voice reply. "Keep your phone close tonight. You will receive a package in the morning before heading out to your next objective. Go home and get some rest, for now. Badger, logging out." She made an affirmative sound into the phone as the line suddenly disconnects, leaving a dial tone and an automated voice requesting for the user to hang up and try again. Axelia hung it up with a sigh, her mind reeling as she finally turns to walk away. The Honey Badger had been planning this gig the entire time, hadn't he? To contact her and have her be the one to do all of this? He knew this would be the prefect job for her, way before he came to her at the cemetery in Vice City. She knew almost next to nothing about this group of hackers, except for the ghost stories about the mythical Honey Badger, and now she's a part of them.

She's able to hail a cab to depart from this place, requesting the driver to take her to the beach. She wanted to feel the sand under her feet before going back to the apartment, to determine if the sand here felt the same as her hometown. She would gaze out the window as he drove through the traffic, her mind on the Honey Badger once again. Why does he do all this? What satisfaction does he gain from taking down these corrupted bigwig corporations? Was he a victim like the others, or was this something he wanted to do in his spare time? It made no sense to her. Then again, did anything in this life make sense? She thought about the other people that could be working underneath him. What were they hoping to accomplish, working with a man like the Honey Badger? Did he promise them wealth, or fame? Were they in search of redemption, too, like she was? Or perhaps they just wanted something to do? How many people were working for the Honey Badger, anyway? There were just too many questions Axelia had that would remain unanswered for the time being. For now, she would simply have to trust him.

"We're here," the cab driver called back to her, taking her out of her trance. She murmured thanks as she mindfully paid him first, getting out of the vehicle to see the sun setting over the ocean. It was extremely beautiful, the way the water looked on fire and sparkled in the setting sun. She made her way down to the beach, stopping right at the tip of the sand to remove her boots. She had been waiting all day for this, to finally feel this sand beneath her feet and determine if it felt the same as the sand in Vice City. With her boots in hand, she elegantly stepped into the sand, pressing her toes into it deeply before walking upon it. It felt a bit lighter than the sand in Vice City, softer than she thought it would feel, too. It wasn't a terrible feeling, but she could feel the difference. She bit the inside of her cheek, wiggling her toes in the sand. She wasn't disappointed, but she hoped... she wasn't sure what she had hoped. It may look like home, the sunset reminding her of how pretty the ocean can be, but the sand didn't feel like the sand back home. It's like eating your favorite meal prepared by someone you love. It tastes so delicious and savory that you can never forget it so long as you shall live. Then, when someone else makes that exact same favorite meal, you notice that there's something ever so slightly different about it. None of the ingredients changed, nor the recipe to prepare it, but you can still taste that something isn't quite the same as the way the person you loved made it.

A football suddenly lands beside Axelia, kicking a little bit of sand up her ankle. She turned to see a young man with frizzy-looking red hair approach her, apologizing for the ball. He had lots of tattoos on his body, the most notable one being on his neck which read "entitled". His body was quite flabby, but he seemed fit, like he had been working out a lot recently or within the past year. His face was also leaner compared to the rest of him, although his body wasn't too far off from the looks of it. "My asshole dad has, like, this killer arm," he suddenly said as he stood back up, playfully flipping the football in his hands. "Again, sorry about that!" She smiled, trying to be friendly. "It's fine." She truly wasn't bothered by it, as she was about to prepare to head home anyway. She peered over at a silhouette of a man in the distance shouting a name, possibly this young man's aforementioned father, who called out to him. "That your dad?" she asked, squinting at the figure. It was hard to make them out from here, but it was apparent that they were older, their sunglasses blocking their face as their shorts, and opened shirt gently moved in the ocean breeze. "Yeah. I better head back before he has an aneurysm or something," the man joked, turning to walk away. Axelia was impressed by the distance this man's father had thrown the football. He could've been a football player in high school, or had played professionally at one point, or still did. She fixed her bangs as the wind whipped through her hair, looking over at the departing younger man. "Hey," she called, causing him to stop in his tracks. "Could you tell him, your dad, that he's got one hell of a throw? That distance is impressive." The man seemed confused at first, but smiled smugly, trying to act flirty towards her. "Totally... if I had your number." She groaned quietly at the terrible attempt of a pickup line, putting a hand on her hip. "I'm thirty-three, son. I'm not in the business to date anyone, let alone boys." "Some older women are hot," he argued, but added quickly; "But you're kinda talking like my dad does, which is weird, so I'm good." He was laughing as he put his hand up defensively, playing this interaction off as a joke entirely. "I'll tell him what you said, though. Sorry again, lady!" He finally began his jog back to his father, the older man waving his hand as he watched his son return. He had patted the young man on the shoulder before receiving the ball, looking over in Axelia's direction as his son pointed her out to him. She looked away, sighing as she took in one last look at the sunset before beginning her trek back to the city. She needed to get back now. The sun was sinking further into the sea, and she needed the sleep before tomorrow. She peered over at the father and his son, watching them for a moment as they walked away with arms around one another. She remembered how her father and her use to walk on the beach together, before racing back to their beachside home to see who was the fastest. She missed those days.

As she glances back at the sunset one more time, Axelia can't help but feel slightly overwhelmed with the events of today. She was sure that, with time, she would come to think of Los Santos as home. But for now, she would see Los Santos as her place of work. Augury Insurance was to be her biggest task to tackle. She felt ready for it. The question was: Was she truly prepared for what was to come?


She sat on the train as it trembled and rocked rhythmically, the sounds of the people on it chattering away combined with the tram's rattling created the typical orchestra that would paint the cityscape. Axelia had awoken early this cloudy morning, a text message being what greeted her as she got herself going. A package had arrived right outside her apartment door, just as the Honey Badger said it would. The text message explained that Axelia was to take the items from the box before she left, as they were essential for her next task. The package contained only three, remarkably simple items: a tram ticket from Little Seoul Station to Burton Station, a red earpiece, and a pair of red and black Vixen modeled glasses. She wasn't sure what the glasses were for, but the earpiece and ticket were obvious. She had the earpiece already attached to her ear when she used the ticket at the station, while the glasses stayed in their eyeglass case. She was looking at them as she sat on the tram, the case opened with the glasses glistening off the overhead light in the tram car. Someone on the same tram even complimented them, saying they looked unbelievably cute. It only made Axelia more curious as to what its purpose is. Were they only for show, to help her with her disguise for Augury? She shook her head as she closes the case, holding it tightly in her hand. No way these glasses were just for show. There had to be another reason for them. She could sense it.

The tram was coming to a stop as the voice announced that they were at Burton Station, the woman reacting as quickly as a child would when they are told that they're going out for ice cream. This transit station was barely used by the populace of Los Santos, most preferring the heavy, bumper to bumper traffic to the simple train station. Axelia wasn't complaining, however. There were barely any people here, which meant that there were less eyes staring at her. As she took the stairs next to the railways, about out of the station entirely, she suddenly heard the earpiece come to life. It startled her a little, stopping the woman in her tracks as she spoke into the earpiece. There was no response. She gently spoke into it again, and once again, there was no response. Until a voice suddenly came booming in, playful and loud; "Testin', testin', one-two-three! All bound for Morningtown, many miles away!" The male voice had a very thick accent, one that Axelia couldn't place. He continued singing the unknown song into her ear, going crazy with the depth of his voice, and playfully changing the tempo every few notes. She had a feeling that he didn't notice her. Who was this guy, anyway? "Hello...?" she responded to the singing man, who stopped immediately. She wasn't sure if his voice had cut out entirely, or if this was a glitch with the earpiece, but after a moment, all her worries were put aside. "Ah! You heard all that, didn't ya, bruv?" What kind of an accent was this? Australian? "Yeah. It startled me a bit," she admitted, putting a finger to her ear to keep the device in place. The voice on the other end was quiet a moment, as if they were processing something. "Are you really Axel? I thought you were some bloke, based on that there ol' name of yours." She chuckled, looking around to make sure no one was listening in as she spoke to the man. "Yeah. I get that a lot."

Axelia chose the hacker handle "Axel" because it sounded manly, which protected her identity for many years. She preferred to have a misleading name than one that sounded like it would make her stand out like a sore thumb. And it worked a little in her favor, as it almost sounded like a part of her name, which was not intentional, but appreciated. Even if Axelia was out of the hacking scene for a brief time, she was well known through certain circuits, her most famous hack being one from Liberty City. This was before she met her now ex-husband, when she wanted to do some good for a group of people who hired her for genuine help. She was grateful to them, as they did eventually introduce her to Roger. But this was now a bitter memory when Axelia thought about it.

"Well then... let's start this ditty over," the voice on the earpiece replied, gently clearing their throat. "G'day, sheila! I'm Wendigo. I'll be your guide today, so to speak." Wendigo? The name seemed misleading by the sheer sound of this man's voice. He seemed too cheerful to name himself after a flesh-eating monster. Then again, her codename was just as misleading, seeing as it sounded manly. "You almost there, sheila?" She let out a small sigh as she finally proceeded up the stairs, replying; "Yeah. Almost." "Oh good on ya!" She could not understand this man's enthusiasm, even if it did seem nice to meet a fellow hacker who was as jovial as this one. "Badger said you would be perfect for this job. Bloody oath he did!" Axelia chuckled softly to herself, barely understanding this man's speech as she neared the top of the stairs. "I'm sure he was." The stairs led right to the start of Rockford Hills Plaza, a chain of clothing and jewelry stores lining the streets behind her, with the plaza directly to her left. But the only building that mattered to her was the one directly in front of her, right across the street: Augury Insurance.
"OK, sheila," she heard Wendigo's cheery voice become serious, realizing that now was a suitable time to get down to business. "Here's some info on Augury. They herd them innocent folk in with promises that their families will be insured in case of some fatal crash, yeah?" She made an affirmative sound as she stood next to the crosswalk, waiting for the signal light to change so she could cross. "Except," Wendigo continued; "when them folk get into a lil' fender bender, their interest rates suddenly sky-rocket! I mean, crikey! Didn't their parents teach them to respect the elderly?" As Axelia began her way across the first part of the street, she scoffed at the description of the crime that Augury was getting themselves into. It was unbelievable that they were doing this to people, forcing the customer to pay them a huge amount of cash when something as tiny as a bump happens. She was already starting to hate the way this company was doing their customers dirty, a scowl already creeping upon her features. "That's powerful companies for you," she scoffs angrily, watching out for an oncoming car. "Well, I bloody don't like it, sheila." That was easily agreeable. She was none too happy with this knowledge either. "My grandmama would spat a dummy and beat 'em with her ol' cane if she found out about this!" She couldn't help but chuckle at Wendigo's sudden outburst. Something told her that he was a jokester, that he tries to help liven up the situation if possible. She shook her head, clearing her throat quietly. "She sounds lovely," she teased, crossing the second part of the street at last. She could hear the Australian scoff in her ear, possibly shaking his head on the other end at her. "You don't know my grandmama, Axel." She let out a dry chuckle in response, stepping back on the curb as the car waiting on her zoomed past quickly.

Axelia stood there on that curb as her eyes made contact with the Augury building, it's tall, sleek oval design unique to the rest of the buildings on this street. The bright blue neon sign looked as pristine as the smoothed rock walkway that surrounded it, the black outline of the building selling that sleek look that the company seemed to pride themselves with. "There it is," Wendigo suddenly replied, as if he could see that she was looking at the building. "Yeah. I saw it from the transit station I just left from," she replied, crossing her arms as her eyes squinted to observe the occupants of the building leave. It was a bunch of women in suits with skirts, giggling like a bunch of school girls gossiping about something ridiculous. She heard the Australian man groan in her ear, causing her to imagine that he was shaking his head once again. "So full of 'emselves, eh? What I wouldn't do to give them blokes the what-for!" Axelia could hear the anger in his voice. She could sympathize with him, as seeing those female employees across the street laugh about something still was causing her blood to boil. What was so funny that made them giggle like a bunch of children? Did they close a deal recently that cost someone millions for a tiny accident? She shook her head, looking away from the women. This was only her second day in Los Santos and she was beginning to hate being in the city again. All she could think about was going back to Vice City now, to get away from this place. The air was already making her feel ill with displeasure.
The kind voice of Wendigo snapped her back to reality, who seemed to have taken a moment to breathe before speaking. "You got the glasses we sent ya?" She took the eyeglass case out of her pocket. "Yeah, but..." She still didn't understand. Why were these glasses so important? There was nothing about their design to suggest that they were special in any way. Expensive but nothing more. "They special, y'see?" Wendigo began, his attitude seemingly more cheerful as he begins to explain. "I designed 'em meself using that there Vixen model as a base. When worn, a part of it will activate, transmittin' a signal from wherever you are, to us. This way, they can give us a live feed of the building through your 'eyes'." Axelia was impressed, taking the glasses out of the case to observe them again, closely this time. She couldn't believe that someone was able to develop technology like this, as it felt like something that belonged only in the movies. She couldn't hold back the smile that found her lips, the realization of the purpose of these glasses becoming known. "So, you'll see what I see... literally." She tried to tone down the excitement in her voice, unable to help the fact that she was impressed by Wendigo's ability to create actual working tech like this. "Fair dinkum!" he beamed through her earpiece, noticing her excitement which equaled his own. "Go on! Put 'em on, sheila." Axelia put the case back into her pocket, carefully putting the glasses on her face. She had to adjust them a bit on the bridge of her nose, although they felt a bit small upon her face in general. She scrunched her nose in discomfort, then tried to fix the temples of the eyeglasses behind her ears. It only made it pinch her skin worse, causing the once enthusiastic hacker to grimace annoyingly.

"Aww! You a right beaut!" Wendigo chimed in, his voice playful and teasing. It was obvious that he could see her somehow, through the traffic cams or some other unknown means. She groaned very quietly to herself, unhappy with the way the glasses sat upon her face. Did he make the glasses smaller when he designed the tech, or are Vixen glasses naturally this small? Either way, she was uncomfortable wearing them, and wanted to take them off as soon as she could. The sooner they finished whatever they needed with the glasses, the better. "Ouch. Silent treatment, eh? Alrighty then..." She did feel bad for ignoring Wendigo, as she was sure he meant no harm with the creation of these remodeled glasses. She just wanted to focus and get them off, maybe even send them back to have them refitted. "Look at the buildin', please, sheila?" She did as instructed, folding her arms over her chest as Wendigo went to work. She couldn't tell exactly what the man was doing or seeing, but she knew that - as a fellow hacker - he obviously knew what he was doing. She deferred to his judgement.
She could hear him make long pauses of silence after quietly asking himself questions she could not hear. She wanted to ask if everything was alright, to see if there was anything she could do to help in some way. Wendigo finally spoke to her again, a long, disappointing sigh leaving him. "I can't tell what kind of security system they have. This could be tricky..." Axelia was stunned. A member of the Honey Badger's elite group of hackers was actually stumped? That didn't sound right. Weren't they the most skillful hackers in the whole world? What was he expecting to find by simply looking at a building? "How so?" she asked, curious to see if Wendigo would indulge her with his predicament. "Normally," he began, sighing again, "I could tell what kind of security someone has from the outside, as there are lil' signatures my systems can detect. The signatures are very weak to begin with, which is why I developed that there tech yous wearin' for almost six years, to perfect detectin' them." To hear that Wendigo had rigorously worked on technology for that long, just to detect very weak signatures that certain security systems seem to emit, was astonishing as well as inspiring. She couldn't believe that he did all that just for something so small. She didn't even realize that security systems had signatures to begin with. Something told her that in his past life, Wendigo worked for security companies or developed tech for them. She wouldn't put it past it. "It seems to me that these Augury blokes have gotten 'emselves quite the excellent system," Wendigo sighed, the sound of disappointment in his now lost jovial voice. "Looks like youse have to be on the inside just to see what kind of party they got in there." "So... what? We're stuck?" Axelia asked, taking off the glasses at last. To feel the relief on her face was refreshing, but that didn't stop the dissatisfaction both she and her fellow hacker acquaintance felt. Axelia couldn't believe that this group could actually be stumped when an obstacle blocks their way. She thought that they were prepared for everything that could be thrown at them. Wendigo responded after a long time in silence; "For now, yes. Until you get a job workin' on the inside."

That was something Axelia had a hard time figuring out how to achieve. She was good with computers and tech, but how was she supposed to convince an insurance company to hire her? She had worked at a phone company as an operator for tech support back in Liberty City, but that was before, and in a different city. She wasn't sure how to convince them that she would be a good match for them. "Which shouldn't be too hard for you," Wendigo suddenly said, continuing from before. "You're quite the charming lady." Axelia could hear a hint of playfulness in his voice, causing her to raise her brow at the claim. "...and what gave you that idea?" she asked slowly, her eyes suddenly peering up at a traffic cam she finally noticed. She knew he would see her. He was watching her this entire time. "People talk, sheila," he simply replied, the sound of his lips smacking as he began to eat something on the other end. "That, and... well, you do look bloody beaut in a suit. It's the thing to jimmy the roo in their daks, eh?!" She suddenly heard him laughing to himself in her earpiece, obviously tickled by his own joke. She didn't quite understand it at first, although after a moment, it all began to make sense. It caused her face to fall into her palm, shaking her head at the dirty joke. Wendigo was still laughing, but it soon became apparent that he was the only one laughing, and he cleared his throat. "...bad joke, eh? Sorry." She looked up at the traffic cam, nodding gently. She knew the man meant well, but boy did he need to work on his jokes.

"Anywho, sheila," he suddenly said, his mouth stuffed with something to cause his muffled speech. "Our work here is done, for now. I suppose you can go get a brekky, and—" His voice is suddenly cut off, going completely silent on the other end. It caused Axelia to press her finger into the earpiece, calling out to him. "Hey. Uh... Wendi? What happened?" She tried to act natural, pretending to be talking to a friend on the phone in the street, but when there was no response, she began to worry. Why did his voice cut out like that? Was there already a problem on their end? There was no way that was possible, but she couldn't help but think of the worse. "Wendi. I think you lost some bars," she said, pretending to act casual. "How about you call me back when you have a signal? Okay? I'm gonna hang up now..." In truth, she didn't know how to hang up the call on the earpiece. She tried feeling around for a button, but couldn't seem to find one. She decided taking it off would be best. But as she was about to, a voice spoke softly in her ear, one that startled her greatly.

"Axel."

"Badger?!"

Her voice was low and harsh, surprised by the distorted, garbled sound of his voice. She stood still on that curb, listening intently to the Honey Badger's words as he spoke to her. "Wendigo explained your predicament. It is unfortunate that his latest tech is not working. I personally helped fund his research." So that was how Wendigo was able to develop the tech for the glasses. The Honey Badger must be some secret billionaire, as it must've costed a fortune to even attempt to fund a project like that. "Axel. You need to listen now. I believe it's time." Axelia was confused, her eyes gazing slowly up at the traffic cam. "I can see you are puzzled. Do not be." She bit her lip, shaking her head. This was a lot she was taking in, and none of it was even making sense. What did he mean it was time? Time for what? Why should she not be confused when that is all she feels in this current situation? "I don't understand," she responded, sighing in defeat. "You will in time," Badger responded coolly, despite his deeply garbled, autotuned voice. "Go to the nearby clothing store, Ponsonboy. It is across the street, back where you came but around the opposite side of Rockfort Hills Plaza." What was the Honey Badger asking of her? Ponsonboy was a luxury clothing store that specialized in suits and other high-end clothing. She certainly didn't have that kind of cash on her, not right away. Why should she go there? "I need you to explain somethi—" "There is no time, Axel," Badger cuts her short, his voice a bit sharper in her ear. "All will make sense when you go there. It's not far. Please." Axelia groaned quietly to herself. She was starting to get tired of being told to go from one place to another, without so much as an explanation as to why or what the purpose was. She understood that they were basically a secret society of hackers, but even so. She was becoming irritated with the running around. "Fine," she finally replied, looking in the direction of the traffic cam. "But there better be a good explanation for all of this." "There will be, Axel," she heard the Honey Badger respond, his voice now softer again. "I promise."


At least seven people came into this store, that being three men, two women, and a married couple. Axelia couldn't understand why she was here, especially since she was obviously out of place. The Honey Badger may have told her to come here, but nothing more. He said that it would make sense when she came here, but it only continued to confuse her further. She looked at one of the men's suits, noting the quality of the fabric as the married couple was getting rung up at the register. Axelia knew she couldn't afford suits of this quality, but then again, she wasn't here to shop. She was thinking about leaving. Why would she stay here another minute more when there was obviously nothing here for her? Just as the thought occurred to her, she witnessed a black SUV pull up, parking right outside the store. She watched as a couple men in suits and sunglasses got out, one opening the door to the backseat to allow a third person to get out. The third was a woman, her ebony skin elegantly cared for, adorned with makeup and perfect violet lipstick. It didn't look too dark upon her lips, nor did it distract the eyes from the rest of her features on her face. She wore an equally expensive suit, one with a skirt as she approached the door, one of the men opening it for her to enter. She wore oversized sunglasses and a large hat, her long, luscious brown locks gracefully bouncing with every stride the woman took. There was no way this woman was someone she was expecting. At least, the Honey Badger didn't say to expect anyone. Besides, this woman was one of high class, who was swimming in cash and needed a place to blow it all. There was no way she was a part of the Honey Badger's crew. Axelia returned her attention to the fabric as the unknown woman approached, also looking at the fabric of another suit. She tried to focus her attention away from the rich woman beside her, unknowingly disregarding how close this woman was to her.

"The Honey Badger sends his deepest apologies," the woman suddenly whispered under her breath.

"What?"

The unknown woman had spoken to her, and she knew the Honey Badger. Now she just couldn't believe it. This rich woman knew exactly who she was, and knew the Honey Badger as well. But that couldn't be. How would a woman of this stature know the leader of an elite group of underground hackers? Who was she? "He wanted to meet you in person, but business called him away. He sent me in his place." Axelia slowly turned away, trying to act casual in the store as she spoke to the woman. "Is that right?" "Don't be so selfish," the woman snapped. "The man has a lot of business to conduct. You'll have to deal with me until we get back." She turned to the ebony skinned woman again, watching her looking at the women's suits now. "What the hell is that suppose to mean? Get back where?" she asked the woman, who only sighed in reply. "He didn't explain anything, didn't he? Typical." She turned to face Axelia, removing her oversized designer sunglasses to look her in the eye. They were a beautiful chocolate color, but were stern and serious as she stared daggers back into the green eyes of Axelia's. "I am Umbra," she spoke delicately, putting her glasses in her suit's breast pocket. "The Badger sent me to provide my services. We're getting you a suit for tomorrow, for work." "Wait. We're actually buying something from here?" This was a bit overwhelming. Most of the clothing here ran well into the thousands when it came to the price. Did this woman truly have that kind of money to flash around? "Yes," Umbra replied with a scoff, grabbing the suits she was observing earlier from the rack. "After we're done here, we're going to headquarters. He is expecting you." Axelia's eyes widened immensely, gazing back into the eyes of the woman before her with surprise and excitement. "Are you serious?" she asked, nearly beaming. She couldn't believe that she was going to their headquarters, the secret HQ that no one in the entire world — save for the actual group — knew existed. The woman approached her, her face completely unfazed by this fascination that Axelia had. She suddenly shoved the suits and clothing into her hands. "Yes. Now try these on. The sooner we find suits that fit, the sooner we can get out of here and back to headquarters." She clapped her hands in a hurrying manner, then proceeded to lead Axelia quickly to the changing room. The cashier looked at one of the suits in her hands, saying it would look smashing with a camisole if she wore it. Umbra ignored the woman's suggestion, pushing Axelia into a dressing room to change.

About an hour, and many suits later, she was done at last. Axelia didn't think that Umbra was so serious with clothes, but she did certainly seem high-maintenance. Umbra also did end up grabbing a black camisole for one of the suits the young hacker fitted into, seeing how it did work with one of the outfits. As she watched Umbra take her suits, she pulled out her wallet, noting how little cash she had on her person. "I'm not sure how he expects me to pay for all this," Axelia admitted, shaking her head. "You're not," Umbra replied sharply, leaving the young woman in the dressing room, and approaching the cash register. "We'll take the lot, thank you." She pulled out a credit card, swiping it elegantly as the young hacker came around the corner, adjusting her comfy black sweater. The Honey Badger was more than willing to pay for clothes as well as accommodate anyone who worked for him, a fact that Axelia was beginning to realize more and more. Just how much money does he have? There must be some source he works through to earn the cash to pay for all of these expenses. If the Honey Badger pays his crew for their arduous work, as well as pay for newly furnished apartments for other members, who pays the Honey Badger? It didn't make much sense.
Umbra took the bag of suits for Axelia and gave them to one of the men, who carried it while the woman put her designer sunglasses back on. "Come, Ms. Payton. We cannot be late." Axelia took a breath, following the woman willingly out of the store. The men opened the door to the backseat, allowing the two women to get in as they quickly packed the bags into the trunk, getting in and starting the car to finally drive away. The driver made a U-turn as soon as he was able, driving in the opposite direction as Umbra took off her sunglasses again. "So, you're Axel." Her voice didn't sound impressed, her eyes equally so as her chocolate hues looked the young woman up and down. "I was expecting a man until Badger told me you were a woman." "Yeah. I get that a lot," Axelia repeated, looking out the window. She wanted to memorize the streets. so that the next time she had to go to this place, she wouldn't need an escort. It was nice, however, to meet more members of the Honey Badger's group, as now she could only assume that Umbra and these two men were all hackers. "So, what's your story?" she asked, trying to be friendly and make conversation with the rich woman. "No." "What?" Axelia looked over at her, confused. "I do not know you well enough, Ms. Payton. And above all..." Umbra leans over, a harsh glare in her eye. "...I do not trust you. Whatever Badger sees in you, I don't see it. He says you're special, but I call bullshit." She leans back in her seat, staring straight ahead with a scoff. "Even with that Decker job back in Liberty City, it does you no credit to me. So, you hacked a computer to prove a business partner was stealing money from them. Big deal." "You don't like me very much, and we only just met," Axelia pointed out, crossing her arms. She didn't like being attacked by a fellow member of the Honey Badger's crew, even if they looked to be one of the most respectable members. Why was she not accepting of her? It's not her fault that the Honey Badger wanted her to join.

Umbra chuckled smugly to herself, peering over in Axelia's direction. "It's not that I don't like you, dear. I don't trust you. There is a distinct difference." Rain suddenly began to patter against the car, Axelia noticing that the clouds finally decided to form a storm. The rhythmical sound of the rain hitting against the car was a soothing sound to her ears, and she could remember many times it lulling her to sleep in the past. "I just want to understand what he sees in you," Umbra went on. "You are obviously on his personal list. You, Ghost, Wendigo, even that little hellion, Frostbyte… there is something about you band of misfits that he sees that I don't. I will never understand that man's vision, even back when he started this whole thing." Axelia suddenly realized then that Umbra wasn't just one of the Honey Badger's crew members. She was one of the original members that started this. She had to be, by the sounds of it. Were things different in the past? How long has the group been active? There were so many new questions that she knew she wasn't going to get answers to right now. "Maybe one day, we'll find out together," Axelia said with hopefulness in her voice, her eyes gazing back out the window. The rain made it difficult to memorize the streets and buildings in the area, making tracking this place down even harder on her. Umbra scoffed quietly to herself, looking out the window. "We shall see, Ms. Payton. But I will not hold my breath. The Honey Badger is an enigma even to me. Even after all those years in the—" She suddenly chuckled to herself, leaning back into her seat. "Look at that. You almost got me talking about myself."

The driver suddenly turned as they went under a highway, into a little path that was not entirely obscured, but also barely unnoticeable at the same time. It was confusing as to why they were going down this road, as it eventually led to the large storm drain. Was the location of their secret headquarters truly underground? They drove all the way to the end of the long storm drain, up to where the tiny lake was beyond the drain itself. The driver drove across the flowing drain water, up to a tunnel that Axelia barely saw in all this rain. It was dark and damp inside the tunnel, and the driver moved very slowly with the SUV. The tunnel had lots of downhills as it went further underground, the lighting getting darker and darker the further they traveled. "Why are we down here?" Axelia asked, looking out the window in confusion. "You already know why," Umbra replied, simply staring ahead. The driver drove further into the tunnel before stopping, looking in the rearview mirror at the women in the back. "We're here," he said, his voice surprisingly deep. "Let them know we've arrived," Umbra ordered, causing Axelia to look towards the front seats. The driver gently nodded his head before honking his horn. The sound of the horn echoed even more loudly down in the tunnel, a sharp ringing suddenly humming in Axelia's ear when the driver stopped honking it. Was that their signal to let others know they were there? Where were the others, and how were they to get to HQ from here? The tunnel obviously went on further, but they stopped here, where there was nothing on either wall except lights. What was going on?

Just then, the wall beside them suddenly opened, revealing a secret door that led the group onto an elevator. It was a large, wide elevator, big enough to hold at least two vehicles before descending into the unknown depths. The driver pulled into the large cargo elevator, a moment passing before the doors suddenly closed behind them and brought the elevator to life. It chugged harshly before finally lowering slowly, as if it was purposely lagging to allow a more careful descent to the underground. "This is amazing!" Axelia gasped breathlessly, watching the elevator's mechanisms grinding away out the window. "How did the Honey Badger set all this up? It's like he's Bruce Wayne with a Bat Cave, and everything!" There was silence in the car for some time, causing the young woman to turn to see why Umbra didn't respond to her. She discovered that the ebony skinned woman had her eyes glued on her phone the moment they got onto the elevator, her finger swiping word after word on the device. Axelia decided to lean forward to the front seat, asking the men instead. "Hey! Has this always been here?" One of the men didn't respond, but the driver turned a little, startled by her voice. "I suppose it has. I'm not sure." "What?" Axelia was baffled. "How could you not know? Haven't been working for the Honey Badger since... forever?" The driver shook his head, looking away bashfully. "To be honest, I only started working for him about a month ago. I ain't much of a hacker." A surprised gaze came upon her face at this man's admittance, now even more intrigued than ever. So the Honey Badger didn't recruit just hackers, he also recruited regular people, too. But what was this man's skills? "So... what did you do, before all this?" she asked curiously, leaning on her elbow. The driver looked at her through his rearview mirror, gently clearing his throat as he adjusted his tie. "I... I boosted cars. I ain't proud of it, but... I was hurting for cash and needed the money so my kids could eat. Then Badger came along, took care of 'em. He said he could use a skillful driver like me, so... here I am." Axelia slowly leaned back in her seat as the driver told his little story, the disclosure of his tale causing an overwhelming sensation in her heart. The Honey Badger truly did seem like the type of man who helped others out of the kindness of his heart, finding ways to give these people a second chance to do something good with the skills they have. She couldn't believe that a simple man such as this driver, who only did this terrible crime to feed his own family, caught the attention of a man of renown like the enigmatic Honey Badger. It made sense, too. Not all hackers are good drivers, or just didn't want to drive, thus having a man like him be their driver was reassuring. She wondered if this was all he did, however. Were there any dangerous driving jobs he did take for the Honey Badger, and if so, what were they? And then there were the other members of the crew. Did the Honey Badger recruited them when they were at their lowest, to help them find ways to do something good in their life?

"We're here," Umbra suddenly said, stealing Axelia away from her thoughts again.

The elevator groaned heavily as it finally reached the bottom of the shaft, a large grate opening to reveal a parking lot. There were several vehicles here, all of different shapes, sizes, and brands. It amazed her how this place could fit that many vehicles at once. The driver pulled into a random parking spot, turning the SUV off and promptly exiting the vehicle along with his counterpart. Both men opened the doors for the women to exit the vehicle, with Umbra making haste towards a set of doors on the opposite end of the parking lot. "Hurry, Ms. Payton. We don't have all evening." She quickly turned to the driver before leaving. "Make sure her clothes are delivered to her apartment immediately. She will need them for tomorrow." The driver nodded and went right to work, taking the bags out of the trunk and moving them to another vehicle. He would soon get into this vehicle to depart, the driver never to be seen again by Axelia until some unforeseen future. She followed Umbra as instructed, knowing that keeping this woman waiting would be asking for more trouble. Upon entering the doors, Umbra removed her oversized hat, her long locks also coming off with the hat to reveal her short, black hair, which was adorned with a single, red strip on one of her bangs. "Finally," she said as she sighed in relief. "I hate that wig. It ruins my hair." Axelia had no idea that Umbra was even wearing a wig that entire time, her eyes staring at the fake hair attached to the hat intently as the woman waved it around haphazardly. A sudden crash echoed as something heavy fell in the distance, followed by a voice; "Oi! Careful with that, ya drongo!" The familiar voice caught Axelia's attention, as she turned in the direction it came from. Down the stairs from the doors they entered from was a large opened room, filled with many different terminals and computers, a multitude of generators and lights, and over dozens of cords and wires everywhere. There were people of all different nationalities in this room, from different social circles and occupations chattering away or working, one of them even playing with a hacky sack. "Frostbyte!" Umbra suddenly called, causing the young man with the hacky sack to stop playing. "What the hell are you doing here, boy? You're supposed to be at home with your mother."
The young man fluffed his spiked hair, careful to make sure it didn't lose its shape. It was all white with blue tips, as if the hair was frosted and cold to the touch. He obviously cared very much for his hair, as shown by his delicate hands combing it back. "Pssh! You for reals?" he laughed as he approached, gripping onto the railing of the stairs. "When I heard that Badger was gonna make a big speech, I had to come. I wouldn't miss seein' him for the world!" Umbra placed her hands on her hips, shaking her head disappointingly. "You are supposed to be at home doing your homework, not fooling around here." "You're not my ma, Umbra! I can come and go as I please!" the man argued, before noticing Axelia behind her. He whistled as he got a good look at her, tilting his head so she could see him. "Heya boo," he called in a singsong voice. "They call me Frostbyte. And might I say, you lookin' mighty fine, mama." Axelia let out a dry chuckle, placing her hand on her hip. "Son, how old are you?" Frostbyte chuckled playfully, shrugging his shoulders as he still held onto the railing. "Sixteen. But I'll be seventeen in three months!" Axelia shook her head as Umbra dropped her head into her hands, groaning annoyingly. "Boy don't make me call your mother and tell her you skipped the last three days of school," the ebony skinned woman threatened, glaring at the boy. He gasped dramatically, his hands flying to his mouth. "Oh no! What ever shall I do?!" he asked jokingly, obviously not fazed by Umbra's threats. "Ya should threaten to tell his mum about that porn stash o' his, instead," a familiar voice called out, causing the boy to spin around in terror. "Aw shit, dude! Don't tell her about that! I'll never hear the end of it!" A man in slim glasses approached from behind the row of computers, his finger pushing the glasses up on his nose more. "Then ya better start listenin' to Miss Umbra, ya ankle biter. She's like the mama kangaroo 'round here when the Honey Badger's away." Axelia couldn't help but smile as she heard the man's voice, knowing that this was none other than— "Wendigo!" The man in glasses turned to see her, a joyous smile crossing his lips. "Crikey, Axel! Ya here!" The boy snapped his head back to look at the woman on the stairs, his head cocking puzzlingly. "Wait. That's Axel? I thought they were a dude." "Apparently, she gets that a lot," Umbra groaned, finally descending the stairs. Axelia followed behind her, finally coming face to face with Wendigo and Frostbyte as she shook the former's hand.

"I'm really glad to finally meet you in person," she said enthusiastically, a kind smile upon her lips. "Ah, the pleasure is all mine, sheila!" Wendigo had an equally nice smile, his finger pushing up his glasses again. He had a scrawny build compared to the young Frostbyte beside him, who was more than glad to show off his toned arms with his sleeveless hoodie. Wendigo adjusted his loose button-up shirt, stuffing his shirt tail into the back of his trousers. "Badger's talkin' with one of our own at the moment, sheila," he told her, leading her away and toward a platform near the far back of the room. There were stairs that led up to the platform, a door being the only thing between this room and the next. Axelia could only assume that it was an office of some kind, possibly belonging to the Honey Badger. A tall, dark figure slowly walked back and forth in front of the large glass window of this office, their face obscured by what looked like a hood and a face mask. "Who is he talking to?" she asked, her eyes locked onto the figure beyond the window. Wendigo adjusted his glasses, looking over at the female hacker as he answered her. "Ghost. She came back from a lil' job someone hired her for. See, when non-Hackernites contacts us, they give up their role in the job they were hired for. Meanin', the one who originally hired that hacker now has to pay us instead of them." "Non-Hackernites..?" Axelia turned to face the scrawny man, the term he used completely unfamiliar to her. "Ah right. Ya don't know our official name," Wendigo said, shuffling over to a computer terminal that suddenly flashed a bright light. He began to do a string of inputs quickly, working as he begins to explain. "We are the Hackernites. A weird name, no doubt. But that is what Badger says we are, and I'm bloody rapt to be one." The computer finally stopped flashing, the man stretching as he turned to face her. "Yeah, not all of us are hackers, but most of us are. We're like one big family." He approached again, a comical smile upon his lips. "Betcha thought we'd be a buncha dags, eh, sheila?" She turned to look the place over once more, a quiet sigh leaving her as she tries to wrap her head around the terms Wendigo is using. "You talk so differently than everyone else," she admitted, turning her attention back to the dark figure in the office above. "I have a hard time understanding you. I'm sorry." Wendigo let out a little laugh, sweeping back his blonde locks as he nods his head. "Sorry. Guess the Outback in me is strong. Blame my pa."

So, she guessed right. He was Australian.

The door suddenly opened and everyone in the room stood at attention, staring silently up at the office anxiously. A woman came through the door, her posture indicating that she seemed very exhausted from some unknown prior activity. She sighed as she fixed her pixie styled hair, a hand suddenly clamping down upon her shoulder, causing her to turn around. And there, standing at the door was a tall man in a heavy trench coat, his collar pulled up completely to help obscure his face. He wore a very intricate face mask, one that resembled that of an animal's muzzle, full of teeth that peeked through the creature's snarl. He wore a hood over his head, indicating that under that trench coat was a hooded jacket that he also wore. He squinted his eyes at the woman before him, blinking in silence as he delicately took her hand. Axelia couldn't tell exactly what this man was doing, but she did notice the thick yellow envelope he handed her. He wrapped the woman's fingers around it, holding her hands close to his chest as he looks up into her eyes. "For Alex," he suddenly said, his voice completely garbled and heavily distorted to hide the man's true identity. There was absolutely no doubt in Axelia's mind now.

This man that stood before them, with that mask and coat, was none other than the legendary, enigmatic Honey Badger, leader of the supposedly infamous Hackernites.

"Thank you," the woman before him said, holding the envelope close to her chest as she slowly began to make her way to the stairs of this platform. The Honey Badger looked out to the crowd that watched him diligently, gazing over them like a king would look over his subjects, standing with such pride before them. He finally turned his eyes upon Axelia, his gaze sending a shiver down her spine as the man suddenly outstretches his hand towards her. "Axel." His voice was so commanding, unknowingly causing her to gasp out loud when he called her name. It was as if she were in middle school again, getting spooked when the teacher called on her for some unknown reason. He beckoned her to him, his fingers gently motioning her to come to him on the platform. Everyone in the room stared at her as she slowly began to make her way to the same set of stairs the other woman was taking, her heart pounding as she took a breath to steady herself. Now she felt like she was back in school, going to the principal's office because she caused some serious trouble with her teacher. As she began to ascend the stairs, she passed by the woman holding the envelope, both women unknown entirely to one another meeting eye to eye for the first time.

Her deep brown pixie cut was beautifully curled and complemented her features well, along with the many freckles that dotted her sweetly aged face so delicately. The reading glasses upon her face had slipped a little, revealing the woman's luscious lashes and tired, yet gorgeous grey eyes that seemed to reflect flakes of Axelia's green hues in them. The baggy sweater she wore was almost similar to the one that Axelia was wearing now, although it was definitely a different brand than hers. The bracelet on her wrist seemed to be handcrafted, adorned with beads of all shapes and sizes, even in a multitude of colors. Following the beads on her wrist, Axelia noticed that the woman had a tattoo as well, but because she was clenching the envelope in her arms to tightly, it was hard to tell exactly what the tattoo was. Her footsteps were lighter than Axelia's as well, probably because of the tennis shoes she was wearing compared to her own heavy black boots. The woman's eyes lingered long enough to see Axelia give a tiny, sweet smile to her before turning away, a shyness that she had not noticed the woman had before. They both went their separate ways, the woman seemingly on her way out of the compound while Axelia was to finally greet the Honey Badger again in person.

This would be the second time she had stood before the giant of a man, her eyes gazing up into his unnaturally beautiful auburn orbs before motioning her inside. It was dark inside his office, with little to no illumination within. He couldn't secretly be a vampire, could he? She took a deep breath as she entered his office, the leader of the Hackernites looking over his subjects once again before finally following the young woman inside. He closed the door promptly, a loud, echoing slam resonating within the underground compound. She could feel her heart in her throat, the man's presence somehow terrifying as his large form slowly staggered toward the window. He took a moment as he stood there, quietly noting how his crew was still staring up at the office window so silently. She heard him scoff before reaching his hand over to a button on the wall, pressing it after a short delay in his actions. The shades for the window began to slowly lower over it, obscuring both his crew's view and hers from one another. "We do not need the distraction," he explained, his voice so deeply garbled and yet, so soft as he spoke. He hit another button on the wall, the room ever so softly illuminating to reveal the man's extremely messy desk, and multiple boards on the walls that were completely decked out with information from all sorts of sources. There were faces she didn't recognize, information from multiple sources she didn't know. One name did seem to repeat itself, however — a one Lester Crest. Did the Honey Badger deal with this person often? There was even an entire map of the island, revealing a lot of activity happening in the city with even fewer ones happening in Blaine County and beyond. She was mesmerized by these boards full of knowledge, her eyes wanting to drink up every bit before she felt a heavy hand on her shoulder.
She turns to stand face to face before the Honey Badger, his snarling face mask and towering figure quite intimidating as he stares down at her quietly. He stood there for a long time, just staring at her in silence before he motions her to his desk, moving deftly but with purpose. She follows behind him as he slowly approaches it, noting that the man seemed sluggish with every step he took. Was he injured or exhausted? This didn't seem typical of the man, as he had such a noble air about him. She heard his distorted voice sigh, his fists pressing hard on the desk. "Ten years," he whispers suddenly. "I have been waiting for this day for ten long years. The day you take Augury down once and for all." She blinked in surprise, not even realizing that he had been after this company for that long. But if that were true, then why did he only just discover their recent activity when she returned to Vice City, as he claimed before? Unless, they have been scamming their customers for that long, and only now, he had the proof to finally show the world. She saw him reach for a picture frame on his desk, which he delicately paws with his free hand. She tried peering over his shoulder to see who was on the photograph, but was denied, the picture now being held close to the Honey Badger's chest as he clenches his gloved fist tightly. "I could not do what you are about to do. I did not have the strength nor the means to stop them all those years ago... when they hurt the person I care about." He carefully places the picture frame back down, the picture still obscured from Axelia's view. "I have been waiting for so long, unfortunately allowing countless others to go through the same pain as I had. But not anymore."

He turned to face the woman before him, his eyes growing soft as he places a hand upon her shoulder once more. "Axelia Payton," he continues, startling her as she heard him call her by her real name. He reached inside his coat, retrieving something he wore around his neck. Unraveling it from his coat, it was revealed it to be none other than a flash drive that hung on a lanyard, which he seemed to keep awfully close to his person. His nimbly removed the flash drive from the cord it hung from, gripping it tightly before he took her hand and placed the tiny object in it. He sighed as he folded her fingers over the flash drive, his hands cupping her own like a father cradling their child one last time. "This flash drive," his garbled voice began, the man's steely eyes locking with her own, "is the key to taking Augury down. It contains a virus that I have developed over the last ten years. Its purpose is to find the files that contain the scams they are running, and expose it all over the internet. They wouldn't be able to stop it once the media gets their hands on that information. I know it exists. And this virus will help you find it." He unexpectedly looked exhausted as he began to explain himself, as if he forced himself to fight for this long to give her this flash drive. She could see it in his eyes. The Honey Badger was working himself to death to expose this insurance company that not only wronged hundreds, if not thousands of people, but also seemed to have wronged him in the past. He took a long breath as he composes himself, trying to keep the mysterious, elegant air about him strong as he looks down at her. "You have deserved redemption for so long. Do this single task for me, Axelia Payton. Do this task, and the thousands of lives that were affected by Augury will be saved from this fraudulence... and you will be redeemed."
She felt inundated with this task, as the importance of this single, tiny flash drive meant that everything he had worked for would be riding all on her success. It was a lot to put on a person, and she was feeling the effects deeply. She knew she could not fail him. Doing so would not only mean that she failed the Hackernites, but that she failed to save the innocent people of Los Santos as well. "I want you to be my sword," he continued. "I want you to cut them down from where they stand, and make them see the error in their ways. I want them to know what it is like to be swindled out of the millions they have stolen from the people they had sworn to help. Be my merciless angel, and help me destroy Augury Insurance." She felt her chest swell as he spoke to her, a powerful emotion washing over her as he holds her hand close to his chest. The man truly was exhausted, but he didn't let it discourage him. He wasn't going to allow himself to be dissuaded from accepting this mission, as she knew she couldn't do either. The fact he was even giving her a second chance, especially after what she had done in her youth, living with that nightmare day in and day out. She closed her eyes as she felt the man's heartbeat through his chest, the steady thrumming of his heart creating a sense of calm in her soul as she takes a lungful of air.

"Axelia Payton. Do you truly accept this task?"

She finally opened her eyes to look up at him, her purpose as clear as her conscious and her decisions.

"Yes."


She was standing over the sink in the women's bathroom of Augury Insurance, practicing her breathing as she tried to calm herself. This was the big day. The day that this company was going to go down and bite the dust it rolled in with. She breathed through her nose and out of her mouth slowly, her chest rising and falling gently as she practices her lines in her head. The earpiece in her ear came to life again, the familiar Australian voice chiming in, as expected. "G'day, sheila! Lookin' like a right beaut today, I'm sure!" She chuckles at his compliment, adjusting her suit coat. "I won't lie. I'm nervous as hell," she admitted, smoothing out her suit pants next. Wendigo made a sound as he loudly slurped his drink in her ear, lightly smacking his lips afterwards. "Ah, don't worry! She'll be right," he said, trying his best to encourage her. "Ya got everythin' you need. The flash drive, the glasses, the earpiece. Fair dinkum, sheila, she'll be right!" She shook her head as she smiled widely, a light chuckle leaving her. She was glad that Wendigo wanted to help her personally, to be on the comms alongside Badger. She could feel the uneasy weight in her chest leave as she felt a bit calmer than before. "Wendigo, I will never understand what the hell you're saying," she chuckled, fixing her hair one last time. "I can only pretend to understand at least half of the words that come out of your mouth. And even then, that doesn't do me much good." "Whatever helps ya sleep at night, sheila," he laughed jokingly, causing the woman to laugh softly in return. "How the new glasses workin' out for ya? Ya try 'em on yet?"
Axelia took out the familiar eyeglass case she had in her small briefcase, opening it to reveal the newly redesigned Vixen modeled glasses that Wendigo had adjusted for her. After her meeting with the Honey Badger, the leader explained his ultimate plan, how she was to be the one to infiltrate and integrate into the Augury workspace, use the flash drive to locate the files needed to help expose their schemes, and upload them to the internet for the news and media outlets to find and do with as they saw fit. It was then that she approached Wendigo, explaining how the glasses were too small and desired a bigger pair. He was more than happy to oblige, immediately tinkering away at the glasses to adjust them, as well as update his tech to work better and be more obscured to the naked eye. Axelia finally placed the glasses on her face, a silent sigh of relief leaving her as she was happy to discover that the glasses did, indeed, fit her face properly. She looked at herself in the mirror, knowing that Wendigo could see her reflection through the special hidden cams and signatures on the glasses. "Perfect fit," she said, standing proud and tall in the mirror. Wendigo didn't say anything for a long time. She wondered if there was something wrong, or if he finally learned who was operating the security in this place. But instead, the man's voice was soft as he whispered in her ear. "You really are a bloody beaut, sheila." She smiled shyly, her eyes gazing away from her reflection as she finished adjusting her suit. She didn't really feel beautiful but she did feel like a powerful woman standing before the mirror like this, her posture tall and serious.

"That is the stance of a confident woman," the Honey Badger's distorted voice echoed through the earpiece, nearly startling the woman as she does everything to keep her composure. "This is perfect, Axel. You will need to bring this attitude to the CEO's office, and put him in his place." She huffed quietly, nodding in reply. "Who is he?" Wendigo could be heard typing away at lightning speeds on his computer, obviously obtaining information for the Honey Badger to convey to her. "The CEO of Augury Insurance is one Dickens Cunningham. Forty-one years old, plays tennis on the weekends, owns an overly priced sports car, and is quite literally the embodiment of the man's name." She snorted as she heard the Honey Badger actually attempt a joke, noting that it was a bit funny for dry humor. "This man loves to hear himself talk. He will talk for hours if you let him, Axel. Exercise extreme caution." She nodded in reply, finally adjusting her small wristwatch. "He absolutely abhors women. He may not seem like he does, as there are mostly female employees working here, but the man despises them. He believes his position gives him the power to control them. Do not let him control you." Axelia thought about the CEO Dickens Cunningham, about all the information that was just shared to her by the Honey Badger personally.
The very description of the man was enough to make her sick to her stomach. She had to face him, this man who looked down on women with distain, who saw himself superior to his feminine counterparts. How do the women in this place even cope with a man like him? Do they bow to him, giggling as he forcibly flirts with each and every one of them? She felt her throat tightened at the thought of it. It made her feel dirty, as if she was about to willingly walk right into sewage drain at someone's leisure. She prayed she had the strength to ward him off. She knew she had to if she wanted get hired here, and finish the job she was sent to do. She took one last look in the mirror to make sure every piece of her was in place, a much-needed deep sigh helping her relieve some weight off her shoulders. "Alright. I'm ready," she announced, determination in her eyes as well as her voice. She knew that they were watching what she could see through her glasses, possibly getting into position to help her the best they could at headquarters. She was grateful to them. "Erm… Axel?" Wendigo's voice suddenly stops her from exiting the bathroom, her forearm resting against the door as she waited for the Australian to speak. This was the first time she could sense dread in his voice, as the man always seemed so jovial and goofy whenever he could. She did understand his duress, but knew he really shouldn't worry. Axelia believed that everything would work out well in the end, even if it becomes a challenge getting there. The man with the heavy accent let out a shaky sigh.

"Be careful, love."

Axelia blinked as she noticed Wendigo changed her nickname for her. She was utterly taken aback by this man's sweet gesture, his genuine concern for her growing strong since the moment the two of them spoke to each other right outside this building just yesterday. She couldn't stop the smile that found her lips, relieved that there were still people out there who actually cared for her.

"Thank you."

She whispers as she finally exits the ladies' bathroom, immediately being greeted by the familiar black and blue interior of the building. People in suits were coming to and from the elevators, some eating lunch, while others were discussing the policies to new customers. It looked as ordinary as any ordinary day in Los Santos. Axelia knew the truth behind the matter, however. There were darker things happening here in the city, and this company was one of those stains. She approached the information desk, where a man greeted her with a friendly smile. Upon telling the man her purpose here, he immediately phones the offices upstairs, letting whoever was on the other end know that there was a "possible new hire." Axelia didn't like the fact that she had to be hired here. If she had the choice, she would do something more meaningful in her life, something that wasn't so dangerous or awful. What that thing was, she wasn't entirely too sure, but she knew it would be more relaxing than this. The man at the information desk directed her to the elevators, informing her that she must go to the top floor to meet "the big man." She already disliked the sound of that, her stomach feeling as if it were in knots as she began her ascent in the elevator.
As the elevator arrives to the top floor, she is greeted by a singular hallway, with a set of glass doors that revealed the color scheme in the next room suddenly shifting. The stylized black and blue palette Augury is known for had transformed into a palette of powerful icy whites and a cooling grey tone. The floors were as white as pearls, the walls stylized with grey wood. A jagged blue and black stripe lined the wall on the left as soon as one walked beyond the glass doors, which possibly led towards the office of Dickens Cunningham, himself. As she pushed the glass door opened, behind a long, white desk, sat a woman in a grey pinstripe suit, clicking away at the computer in front of her. The phone would ring before Axelia would make it to her desk, the woman promptly answering it with a shrill, grating voice; "Hello. This is the office of Dickens Cunningham at Augury Insurance. Blaire speaking. How may we insure your life today?" As the woman known as Blaire finished her introduction to the caller on the phone, she peered up, noticing Axelia right away. "I'm sorry. The position for a security team has already been filled. Thank you and have a pleasant day!" She hung up the phone immediately, turning her attention to Axelia as she walked in. "How may I help you today, miss?" Blaire was overly friendly towards her, which could've been comforting if not for her shrilly voice. "Axelia Marston. I came to speak with your boss."

Before she came here, the Honey Badger wanted Axelia to choose a false name. In order to protect her identity and secure her position in this company, they knew they needed to create a whole new life for her to pretend to live. But Axelia didn't want to change her first name, much to the Honey Badger's dismay. Still, she did agree to change her last name to one she preferred, which was Marston, her mother's family name. She would remember stories her mother's family had told her, about how she was from a line of cowboys and gunslingers, how her great-great grandfather — known as John Marston — was the most vicious criminal in the Old West. However, her family said that that's what history would've taught, but her great-grandfather — the son of John Marston — left a journal that detailed how his father was murdered after striking a deal with government agents, despite doing everything they wanted him to do. The journal depicted how he hunted down the men who murdered his father three years after his death, avenging him before finally settling down to start his own family, willing to keep his father's family name alive. And for many years, it did, until her mother was born. She was an only child in that family, which meant that the Marston name finally ended. But Axelia believed that even though the name faded away, the Marston line lived on in her. She was willing to accept the name, not because of her mother, but because of her great-great grandfather, who was wronged by men more powerful than he was. She hoped to bring redemption to his name.

"Do you have an appointment?" Blaire asked, arching a brow. "I do. It's in five minutes." The receptionist looked down at her notepad, finding that, indeed, Axelia had an appointment with the CEO. She gave a friendly smile, pressing a button on the phone on her desk to call up her boss. "Mr. Cunningham?" "What is it, Blaire? I am a terribly busy man!" Axelia did everything she could to hide her trembling fist, but it deceived her slightly. The man had answered the receptionist rudely, his own strident voice harshly shouting back at her. He was so loud, in fact, that Axelia could hear him from beyond the short hall behind the receptionist's desk. "Your two o'clock appointment is here. The one with Ms. Marston, sir." Even with the way he shouted at her, Blaire was will so happy to respond to him, her smile not forced at all. How could this woman still smile so happily despite being a verbal punching bag? Was she thinking happy thoughts to take the abuse, or was she genuinely happy to work for this guy? The tone in the man's voice suddenly changes, a more controlled sound leaving his throat as he requests tthat she send her in. As Blaire hangs up the phone, she turns to Axelia, that same, almost unnatural smile still plastered on her lips. "Mr. Cunningham will see you now." Axelia took a long, deep breath as she began to make her way in the direction she saw Blaire motion to, her heels echoing as they clicked along the marbled floor. Despite not yet seeing the CEO of Augury in front of her, she could already sense the dread she felt inside. The man had a cruel voice, one that shouted needlessly to anyone he deemed beneath him. The Honey Badger was right about him, which meant she knew she had to keep her guard up. There was no telling how the man would react to her, or to the act she was about to bring forth to the table.

As she rounded the corner, the room opened up to what appeared to be a whole entire living space, minus the bedroom and other essentials. The white couches and chairs circled a stylized coffee table, which even had a flat screen television accompanying the room. Beyond those chairs and couch was a long, glass table with a diorama of all of San Andreas on it, and executive chairs lining around it with one at the head of the table. She assumed that this was where the CEO conducted most of his meetings, pointing out locations using the diorama to his advantage. The man clearly had money to burn if he had this personally commissioned. "You seem impressed," a voice from behind caught her attention, causing the woman to spin on her heel and confront the man sitting behind a glass desk. His black suit and blue tie were as sharp as his eyes, which stared harshly back into her as he leaned forward in his seat. A sly, devilish grin graced the man's lips, his eyes observing her every move right down to her body language. This was, no doubt, the CEO of Augury Insurance, the man known as Dickens Cunningham. He let out an exciting sigh, his eyes hungrily drinking in the sight of Axelia as he stands up from behind his glass desk. "Exquisite," he said, a wide smile plastered on his lips. "Oi! She jimmied his roo," Wendigo suddenly says in her ear, holding back his laugh. She had nearly forgotten that she had left her earpiece in her ear. "Focus, Axel," Badger reminds her. "Do not let him see any weakness. He thrives on overpowering women in the workplace, despite his deceptive behavior. Show him you are a woman worthy of his demanding respect." Axelia elusively nods her head, taking the earpiece out of her ear expertly as the CEO of Augury Insurance approaches her, his hand outstretched. "When they said that a new girl wanted to work here, they didn't tell me she would be so beautiful," he said, the honeyed words flowing from his mouth. He grinned as his tongue ran over his lips, disturbingly enjoying the sight of her too much. He was as slick as the oil in his hair, which kept it kempt and stylish alongside his clean-shaven face. And it was enough to make her sick. "And I was told this place takes pride in its work," she began, looking around the office once more. "But honestly? All I see is a very impressive interior, with unextraordinary employment." Dickens eyed her intently, a pearly smile suddenly crossing his lips. "Smart and beautiful. A little feisty, too." He withdrew his hand, realizing she wasn't going to shake it. "You want work, do you? Serious work?" She nods in reply. "I do. I am the best in my field." The CEO began to circle her, continuously looking her up and down. She hated his eyes on her, looking at her like she was some prize to be won. It made her feel even more filthy, her mind demanding she showers as soon as she gets back to her apartment. But she kept her composure, daring not to show weakness for it would give the man a chance to pounce on her. She couldn't allow that to happen, not during this crucial moment. "What are your skills?" he asks suddenly, finally finishing looking her over again. She scoffs quietly, her eyes shifting over in his direction. "You already know the answer to that. You're stalling, Mr. Cunningham." The man's smile faltered a bit, obviously realizing that she was not going to play the typical card most women in this position would fall for. As she arched her brow at him, the man's pearly smile returned, now even wider than before. "I suppose I am, Ms. Marston." Dickens returned to his executive chair, sitting down in it slowly and crossing his leg before inviting Axelia to sit. After a moment, she takes a breath and moves to take a sit on the other side of his desk.
"You are a very intriguing woman," the man admitted, leaning back in his chair. "I must say, you seem familiar with how this entire rodeo show works." He suddenly leans forward, leaning over his desk to look her in the eye as another smile creeps up on his lips. "I like that in a woman. And not just any woman." He stands up with a start, coming around his glass desk to sit on the edge of it, propping his leg up on it a little. "A woman of your stature. A woman who does not accept being pushed around. A woman..." He chuckles to himself, folding his hands into his lap. "...who will do anything to get the job done. That takes ambition. And you are a woman of ambition. Are you not, Ms. Marston?" Axelia could tell the man loved the sound of his own voice, just as Badger said he would. She ignored his questions, and instead, prompted one back. "And are you a man of this same ambition you so highly speak of?" His smile only grew, to the point that if he smiled any longer, it would get stuck that way. He stood up off his desk with a start again, circling back around it to stand beside his chair. "You have quite the mind there, Ms. Marston. You are different from most of the women who work here. You don't take anyone's bullshit." He sat down in his chair, leaning back in it lazily. "You have this... sophisticated air about you. You must think you're so confident that you will easily land this position, that all you must do is be tough and show me you have what it takes. You must think I demand such high praise and respect. And you would be right..." He leaned forward, clasping his hands as his eyes practically stared at her dementedly. "...I do demand respect." He slowly raised out of his seat, his fists pressing hard against the glass desk. "In less than one year, I shoveled all sorts of shit to get this company where it is now. I had to break backs — stab backs — to get what I wanted. I poured every ounce of my life into this company! And I will damned if anyone, man or woman, comes in here demanding that I must immediately do the same in return!" His face was extremely flustered when his rant was done, spit ever so slightly daring to drip from his mouth as he spoke. He didn't seem to realize that he was getting heated from explaining all of this to her, that it riled him up like how bees do when they feel their nest or queen is threatened. In a moment, he realized what he had done, immediately standing up straight to fix a single hair that had slipped from his sleek hair as he steadied his breathing. Axelia was shaken by his voice, but stood her ground as she had trained herself to do. She couldn't let the man get to her, no matter how much this behavior he displayed disturbed her. He took a very deep breath before slowing sitting back down, his hands gripping the arms of his chair tightly as he forces a smile upon his lips. "But you... you don't demand respect. You simply expect it. That's why you're so confident, isn't it? You already know what I am going to say before I say it. You've dealt with people like me before, haven't you?" Axelia kept her gaze upon him, staying extremely focused on this man. A part of her felt that if her vision ever faltered from his face, he would lash out violently at her. She did know his type. She had dealt with a man like him before. Despite not receiving a reply from her, he begins to laugh erratically, leaning back in his chair. This man was like a firecracker waiting to go off, his actions speaking much louder than his words. After a moment, he stopped, sighing heavily as he stares at her intently. "We are so much alike, you and I. Two sides of the same coin." His unnatural pearly white smile returned as he stared at her, his body now entirely relaxing despite how high his blood pressure seemed to have been. "I knew I would like you the moment you stepped through that door."

They sat in those chairs a moment more before the man opened a drawer in his desk, taking out some paperwork and placing it in front of her. "This is everything I have on you. Everything you sent in," he said, his index finger tapping the paper rapidly. She glanced down at it a moment and recognized that it was the falsified resume that the Hackernites created, one that they knew he wouldn't be able to refuse. "You are a star player," Dickens continued. "A natural leader, in some cases. Nothing but high praises from your previous employers back in Liberty City. You did everything you could to crawl your way to the top. You didn't force your way..." He leans forward again, the smile still plastered on his face. "...I like that. You worked for it. That's why you know what I'm going to do. You know because I already knew the moment I read this resume." He stands up now, still leaning on his desk to stare Axelia in the eye. "I only have one question, one that you must answer for me, Ms. Marston." She cocked her head slightly, waiting. It was a bit intimidating to sit here in silence for so long, as she desperately wanted to say so many things to the man. However, she knew she couldn't, for saying the wrong thing will blow her cover. She had to keep the act up, no matter what. Dickens eyes her up and down one last time, his face morphing from the fake, plastic smile to a deadly serious tone with stone cold eyes. "Are you going to fuck with me and my company, Ms. Marston?" Axelia chuckled softly as the man asked his question. She wanted to answer truthfully, but knew it would only screw her over. She had to keep her secret under wraps. She leaned forward herself, her hands clasping around her knee after she crosses her legs. "On the contrary, Mr. Cunningham," she begins, her voice gentle and sweet as she stares directly into the CEO's brown eyes. "I would stand to gain nothing from doing such things. I worked tirelessly to get where I am, same as you. I put my life into a company that eventually spat in my face. You, on the other hand, seem like a man who deserves the best of the best, one who is willing to follow your every word. And that, Mr. Cunningham, is what I do. I make sure the task before me is done, yes, no matter the cost... but if it costs me this company's lifeline, I will not allow it to stand. The company comes before me or anyone else... which might also mean, it comes before you." Her last statement caused the man to blink at her frantically, seemingly thinking about something. She knew she got his attention. She leaned back in her chair, a coy smile upon her ruby lips. "But you know what's best. I will not question your judgement. Now... does this answer satisfy you, Mr. Cunningham?" It felt as if a long time had passed before Dickens suddenly smiled that fake, plastic smile again, his entire posture standing up straight and tall as his stretches his hand out to her. Axelia knew that this meant one thing, and as she stood up, he responds;

"Welcome to Augury Insurance, Ms. Marston."

She shook his hand, gripping it tightly as she knew he would like. But the man didn't release his grip on her hand. A tingle of fear began to swell in her chest as she stole glances between his hand and his face, which leaned closer to hers. His cologne was expensive and smelled horrible, as if he wore one cologne too many. His smile was still on his face, his lips slowly creeping towards her ear as he whispers ever so softly into it. "Don't fuck with me, Ms. Marston. You will regret it." She swallows harshly, the threat echoing deep in her mind. She could sense that he knew more than he was letting on, that he was happy to accept her but only because the paperwork said he should. In the end, the man was still egotistical and cruel, a misogynist and a thug all at once. She fakes a smile in return, whispering back in his. "To do so would mean death to this company, Mr. Cunningham. You have my word." She could sense he was smiling for real now, as he chuckles into her ear excitedly. After a brief moment, he releases her hand, pulling away from her to lead her towards a room nearby with a tiny row with only three computers. There were actually people here, at least two others out of the three computers. Why did he lead her here? "This is my elite staff," Dickens explained. "I want you to work closely to me. There will be times you'll have to go downstairs, possibly to deal with clients and customers, but otherwise, you'll be here. I like having my elite staff nearby to answer my calls quicker." He offers her a seat at the final computer, which she accepts immediately. "I would love for you to start today," he admitted, leaning down to her level. "Show me how quickly you can get things done." He smiled his pearly smile at her once more before finally departing, leaving her alone with the two other individuals at last. They were extremely focused on their work, completely ignoring her, and zoned into their computers. "Perfect," she thought, taking her earpiece, and putting it back into her ear. The kind voice of Wendigo was finally heard, which was frantic and worried. "Oi! Love! You okay?!" She sighs warmly, whispering. "Yes. I'm fine." She could hear him sigh in relief, his worries for her touching her deeply. "Do not respond to us anymore, Axel, just in case the other two are listening," the Honey Badger spoke, his disembodied voice nearly startling her. "Take the flash drive and insert it into the computer you're working on. It will take a moment to boot, but once it does, there will be a single file. Open it." She nodded affirmatively, immediately going into action as she takes the flash drive out of her pocket. The drive was blue and small, and looked beaten up with scratches and indentions. The Honey Badger must've always had this drive with him, not once letting it out of his sight. She inserted it into the computer, giving it time to boot up. She glances over at the two people beside her, who still completely ignored her. It wasn't until they both stood up to walk away together that they noticed her, but still ignored her as they asked which one of them was buying lunch. She was glad that they were gone. It gave her a moment to breathe. "Do we know what security we're dealing with yet, Wendigo?" she heard Badger asking, their voices still in her ear. "Sorry, sir. Not yet." She could hear the Honey Badger sigh disappointingly. "We can't give up. Keep scanning for signatures." She looked around every so often to help, hoping she would be able to help him spot any signatures. An angry grunt was all she got from the other end. "They're bloody good, mate," Wendigo responded angrily. The flash drive finally finished connecting, causing her to get to work right away. Axelia opened the drive, noting how it only had one file on it, named 'Venezuela'. Why was it called that? Was it a place of memory for the Honey Badger? She clicked on the file name, which revealed one more file — 'school'. There had to be a connection, she believed, between the Honey Badger, Venezuela, and some sort of school. There was no way the leader of the Hackernites would just pick these names. Something told her it was personal.

"Activate it, Axel."

The Honey Badger's voice took her out of her trance, and she responded, activating the virus, and allowing it to get to work. She expected it to do something flashy, to do some sort of crazy animation while it searches the computer for the files it was supposed to search for. But nothing happened. She arched a brow, watching the screen carefully. A black textbox with a blinking white cursor appeared, asking for the password. "Tom," Badger responded, and without asking, she simply input the name. Upon entering it, the computer came to life, the virus immediately searching all throughout the computer for any proof it was designed to find. It was not at all flashy or noisy as she expected, as it instead showed a tiny pixelated honey badger pop up and disappear all over the screen. It eventually led to a pop-up suddenly flashing on screen, for Women's Preserve Skin Cream. A red dot also began to flash at the bottom of the screen, she and the others noticing it before it was on-screen for too long. "Something isn't right," Badger murmured in her ear, his voice unknowingly shaky. She didn't understand what the problem was, but knew that the red flashing dot meant trouble. Were her actions being recorded? Was it a warning that something was wrong with the computer? The pixelated honey badger seemed to reappeared and disappeared more frantically than before, which only seemed to make her nervous. This obviously was not suppose to happen with the virus, so what was going on? "Remove the flash drive." The Honey Badger's voice startled her again, only this time, it confused her. Why does he want her to remove it now? "Badger, mate?" Wendigo began, his voice soft. "What are ya sayin'? It's still downloadin' data to—" "Remove the flash drive now, Axel!" Badger's voice boomed loudly, causing her to immediately do as commanded. The virus immediately stops working, noting that it needed the flash drive to function at all. She could hear her heart drumming loudly in her chest. This was the first time she had ever had something like this happen to her, as most of the time, being involved with viruses were mostly successful when she did them. So why was this one any different? What caused the Honey Badger to get so spooked?
As she pondered that thought, rapid footsteps began to approach her direction. She stuffed the flash drive into her suit pocket, immediately getting back to work on the documents that were there. It hid the pop-up that occurred during the hack, which she didn't even realize until much later. But she wouldn't have time to close it, as Dickens Cunningham returned, this time, followed by a man in a black, almost militarized uniform. The unknown stranger carried a tablet, his clothes consisting of distinct colors that were not Augury's. Axelia knew that this man was trouble, but as to what kind, she didn't know. "Is there a problem, Ms. Marston?" Dickens asked, his face contorted into one of disgust. She knew she needed to find a way to make this encounter seem confusing, as if she didn't understand the nature of this approach. She peered over at the man in the black uniform behind him, finally noticing on his hip the gun that was nestled snugly into its holster. The only ones who were allowed to have guns here were police officers or security officers. This man behind Dickens had to be one. She swallowed hard, doing her best to hide it as she stares the men in the eye. "No," she lied. There had to be a way to lure them off her, and she needed to think fast. She leaned over and clicked a button to minimize the document, the random pop-up suddenly flashing across the screen. This had to be her ticket to safety. "This popped up while I was working, however. I do not know if it's relevant, but—" Dickens turned to the security officer, who looked on his tablet as something came through, blipping at him. Within a minute, he looked back up at the CEO. "That's it," he replied, nodding. "That pop-up was the anomaly on this computer." Dickens Cunningham slowly turned his head back in her direction, a little smile forming on his lips. "Well. If it happens again, please let my security chief here know. I'll have the computer purged thoroughly before you go back to work again. We can't have any nasty viruses getting through to our systems, now do we?" Axelia looked at the security officer, hoping that someone in the Hackernites might know who he was. He was the head of security here at Augury, as claimed by the CEO, although the man didn't say much. Which security company did he work for? She could hear Badger's breath on the other end of her earpiece, noting how uneasy he sounded. Does he know? "Get out of there," she heard the Honey Badger say. She smiled, standing up and straightening her suit. "Excuse me, gentlemen. I must go relieve myself," she lied again, her hand on her stomach. Dickens didn't respond to her, but instead nodded and left, returning to his own desk on the other side of the hall. "Women's room is just down the hall," the security chief answered her, not once removing his eyes from hers. She didn't like how he looked at her, as if he were able to read her face so clearly that he knew she was here for a purpose. She smiled courteously before finally departing, a long, quiet breath escaping from her chest.

Finding the bathroom was quite easy, and Axelia immediately gripped onto the sink, her body suddenly weak from the stress she was under. She turned on the sink to full blast, cupping her hand under it and trying to drink it. "Badger," she began, leaning on the sink as the water dripped down her chin. "What the hell is going on?" She heard him sigh on the other end, realizing that there was more to this company that meets the eye now. Who was that security officer? What security company did he work for? There were so many questions she had, but no answers to them. Not yet, at least. The Honey Badger could be heard shuffling around on the other end, his voice echoing through to her ear. "Merryweather. They are the ones in control of security." A multitude of voices gasped loudly in surprise, other Hackernites who were just as shocked to discover this fact. The Honey Bader sounded just as shocked to learn this, despite how calm his disguised voice was. "They are one of, if not, the best security companies in America, following a strict militarized playbook that we can't predict. Getting past them is like sneaking past a rabid dog whilst carrying meat. It will smell that from miles away, wake up, and give an endless chase." He paused, as if taking in the severity of the situation now. "We have got our work cut out for us." Axelia lowered her head, unable to look herself in the mirror. "I failed," she whispered, ashamed of herself and her skills. The Honey Badger gave her this task, a simple one at that she knew she could do, and she couldn't even accomplish this goal. She knew everyone was disappointed in her. "No. You had no way of knowing that Merryweather was the one behind their airtight security," Badger responded, an eerie softness to his voice. He paused again, as if observing the information before them. "We just need to outsmart them. Luckily, I have dealt with Merryweather in the past, albeit briefly." Her head lifted back up, her spirits returning as the Honey Badger explained himself. "We just need to create an additional virus that will completely shut down their systems, giving us time to expose the company's scams. This could take months to achieve, however." Axelia blinked, staring at her reflection in the mirror.

To create a virus, especially from scratch, was not an easy task. Seeing as how they were basically going up against a private army in terms of security, she knew that this journey ahead was going to be even more difficult than most other things. This isn't some small-time bank job, some easily hackable task that required no planning or thought. This was going to take months of work, months that Axelia had to spend here in this city of Los Santos. A tiny thought had occurred to her. What if she were to simply leave? Surely no one would miss her, and the other members of the Hackernites could easily take over. She suddenly remembered what the Honey Badger told her, about how she was the only one who could slip in unknowingly, who was good at acting like a normal, everyday civilian. This was her strength, one that the Honey Badger knew she had. She went back to that thought. If she did leave, the Hackernites would definitely fail, and she would be the reason they failed. Despite not wanting to stay here for months and months, she knew she needed to put aside her personal feelings. The road to redemption is never easy, and she knew that. This was only the beginning of the long journey head.

"Are you still up for the task, Axel?" Badger asked her, but she already suspected that he knew the answer to that.


Two months.

Two months had passed since Axelia Payton had begun to work at the Augury Insurance offices. She clicked away on the keyboard as the day was coming to a close, finishing up a document before she finally was to go home. In truth, she was only inputting keywords for the Merryweather systems to identify, allowing them to believe she was working. Axelia had truly excelled at her work, even closing a few deals with clients. She hated it, however, that she had to basically lie to their faces about how Augury was going to take excellent care of them, that no accident, big or small, will deter them from their goal to help others. She wanted to tell them to truth, to get as far away from this place as quickly as possible, to save them. But once more, she was to lead them to the slaughter than to rescue them. Just like before in her youth.
She suddenly hears heels clicking towards her direction, inhaling a sharp breath as she knew who those heels belonged to. "Girl! You have been working nonstop!" Blaire chirped, standing before Axelia with two other female employees. She had come to learn and recognize these women over the last two months working here. They were the ones she saw all that time ago leave the building, laughing and giggling about some unknown thing. Even though she knew a little more about them, she still didn't care much for them, especially for the CEO's receptionist, Blaire Wiggums.

Blaire was nosy, and always trying to get Axelia to come away with her and her girlfriends to some event. A party, a get-together, going out for drinks, going to her house and invite male strippers. The list goes on. Blaire was also persistent, always nagging as she pushed the button to whoever she must push to get them to accept her fake, foible nature. The woman knew business, and she knew how to coerce anyone to get what she wanted. The only one she had yet to successfully coerce was Axelia Payton. Axelia didn't want to do these things, her time more focused on work and less on socializing. It was not just an act she kept up. She legitimately felt this way. Blaire sat on the desk beside her, watching her fingers clicking away with a speed she hadn't seen before. "Please?" she pleaded annoyingly. Axelia didn't even bother looking at her, still focusing on her work. "I need to finish this. Afterwards, I'm going home." The answer only caused Blaire to groan quietly, the other two women murmuring. "See? I told you she wouldn't want to come." "I know! She's such a workaholic!"

"She needs to go out and get drunk with us one night."

"Or get laid! A good lay is what helps me unwind after a long work week."

"And how many times do you lay before Monday?"

"Girl, way too many to count!"

Axelia felt disgusted by the way these women chatted away behind her, her face grimacing as she had to sit there and endure it all. She was not interested in sleeping with men, or drinking, or doing any sort of activity that involved these women. She simply hated that they wanted to involve her in their affairs when she didn't want to be involved at all. Couldn't they see that she just wanted to be left alone? But Blaire wasn't having any of that. "You need a break," Blaire had suggested, leaning over to turn off the monitor Axelia was working on. She could feel her teeth grit as the receptionist does this, becoming highly irritated and annoyed. Now she definitely wanted to go home. "Come with us tonight! There's this new hot club now in Vespucci! Maisonette Los Santos, they call it." She leaned down to look Axelia in the face, an overconfident smile gracing her bubbly features. "And there'll be a bunch of cute guys there! Come on! What do you say?" The other two girls began to beg and plead to Axelia to go with them as well, the term 'girls night' being repeated over and over again. Blaire batted her eyelashes adorably, trying to coerce Axelia to come along. She honestly didn't want to. These women were not her friends, despite being nothing but simply chatty with her. She didn't like people hanging around her while she was working, and especially not now, when she was there for an entirely different purpose. "I have so much work to do, Blaire," she replied, turning her monitor back on. "I'm sorry. Maybe another time." The monitor is turned off again by the rebellious woman, ignoring her claims as she leans down in front of her again. "You need to relax, girl! You're so uptight! And I just know that there's a bunch of cute guys at the club! Maybe you could take one home for the weekend, have a little fun before work on Monday." The bubbly receptionist's singsong voice continued to poke at the nerve Axelia could feel building inside her, but she forced to restrain herself from any sudden outbursts to avoid suspicion. There was no way this woman was going to let this go, either. For the first time, Axelia was left with a dilemma on socializing with these employees. They wanted her to come with them to a nightclub, to dance away their worries and stress, and meet men there to bring home for the night. It was not her ideal outing. In fact, she was a simple woman, with simple tastes. She didn't like partying or going out as much, and rather enjoyed the comfort and safety of her apartment.

She had two choices now: either ignore the woman and have this encounter happen again later down the line, or accept the invitation in hopes that it'll shut Blaire up and leave her alone in the future.

Ultimately, she knew what the answer was. She just couldn't believe she was actually doing it.

"Fine."

She was going to regret this.

Blaire Wiggums squealed excitedly along with the other two women, all three giggling happily as they shout, "Girls night!" Blaire tapped Axelia's shoulder playfully, doing a little dance. "I'll pick you up at 7pm sharp! Get a cute little dress on, and show off those sexy legs we know you have, girl!" The women began to walk away, all of them dancing to silent club music as they finally departed, causing the now disheartened Axelia to drop her head into her hands, a long, tiring sigh leaving her. She hated this place, hated having to deal with people she didn't care much for. She knew she was doing a job, one that required her to fit in with these office types, but she still didn't like it. She wanted to go home and sleep, to enjoy her next two days away from this hellhole before returning to it on Monday. "It's just one night," she whispered to herself, sighing again. She had to remind herself that this is only temporary, that this would be the only night where she had to do what Blaire wanted to satisfy some unknown quota the woman had. That didn't mean she didn't regret her decision any more than she already did. It was moments like this where she wished she had her earpiece in, listening to the Hackernites talk to her about anything that'll take her mind off this. But the earpiece was drawing too much attention these last two months, and she had to abandon it to avoid suspicion. She knew that, through her glasses, they could see and hear her, possibly send her their sympathies in spirit. She just wished she could at least hear one of them tell her that it would be all right, even if it was just for a moment.

She took off her glasses and stood up, preparing to leave the office for home. She might as well make it back and get ready before it got any later, or Blaire will never let her hear the end of it. This was going to be one of the worse nights of her life.


The nightclub in Vespucci was certainly a hotspot. Within a year, the club had opened up to positive reception in the city, almost everyone from every neighborhood coming in to dance and drink the night away. Even Lazlow was known to come here, but that was just celebrity gossip. Axelia entered the club with the other three women from Augury, smoothing her little black skirt as her heels clicked with every step she took. She didn't like feeling so exposed, to have so much skin showing when she wasn't even trying to show off. But she knew Blaire wanted her to wear something revealing, and as expected, it made the woman happy. As they paid their entry fee into the club, Blaire was laughing at something one of the other women said before turning to see Axelia's outfit within the current lighting. She gasped loudly, tapping the women on their shoulders so they could see. "Girl, you look so cute! I told you guys she had killer legs!" One of the other women hummed heavily in agreement, nodding furiously. "She's got legs for days! You're totally walking outta here with a guy!" Axelia didn't like the sound of that. She just wanted to go home instead, curl up on her couch and watch movies all night long. Being in this club was making her uncomfortable, as many men — including those who were with a woman — were staring at her. She crossed her arms over her chest, not wanting these eyes on her as she followed the women further into the club. She had already decided in the car ride over here, one that she was going to clearly stick to: she was to stay for at least one drink, then make up some excuse about having to go somewhere tomorrow and needing sleep. She was not going to be here all night.
The dance floor was flooded with people, some electronica music she didn't recognize blaring heavily through the speakers on the DJ's stage. Everyone was dancing like mad, some simply loitering in the corners or around tables with drinks. The wave of lights overhead looked like an ocean of yellow and purple, flowing rhythmically to the beat of the music that played. There were two dancers on small, neon lit pedestals, the Augury women immediately congregating towards the male counterpart of these dancers. The man had taken his shirt off, his hips swaying to the music seductively as he flashed a charming smile at them. Axelia scoffed annoyingly as she was dragged along, watching these women fawning over this young man in his tight, leather-clad pants. "Oh my god, he is gorgeous!" one squealed, her flowing dress twisting as her hips swayed wildly. "Hey! Are you single?! I totes need a hottie like you in my life!" Axelia felt so uncomfortable to even be associated with these women, her immediately plan to have one drink needing to be put into action. She noticed a couple people climbing up a small set of stairs next to the dancer they were watching, a thought occurring to her. She assumed that it was quieter up there, and had a bar so she can get that one drink before the night was out. Sneaking away was going to be difficult, but with the women being distracted by the dancer, she knew she had to take this chance. She tried making her way to the stairs, halfway there until she heard Blaire call out to her. She wished she had missed it so she could blame the club's volume on her inability to hear her. "Where are you going, girl?" Blaire asked, having to shout over the music. "There is a cutie right here for you! Just waiting!" She turned to face the receptionist from Augury, dismissing her. "Looks like his hands are full." They both turn to see the other two women stuff cash into his pockets, both squealing with delight as he kneels to their level to wink and lick his lips seductively. Axelia shook her head, leaning into Blaire's ear so she could hear her over the music. "I'm going to get a drink! Just go dance and have fun! I'll be fine." She walked off, hearing Blaire call out "Okay!" to her as she began to ascend the stairs to the second floor.

Upon arriving, she immediately noticed the slight change in the scenery up here on this floor. The lights were not as flashy or as glaring as most of the lights downstairs were, and had a balcony with a magnificent view of the dance floor and DJ booth below. There were stragglers up here that looked out over the balcony, swaying their hips and bobbing themselves up and down to the music. The bar was in the far back up here, where at least two other patrons where sitting. One was a woman in a halter top and shorts, while the other was a man in a blue suit with his back turned to the crowd. Relief had washed over her at the sight, knowing that it was much calmer up here than it was down below. Axelia approached the bar counter, sighing heavily as she flopped down exhaustingly on one of the barstools, her face in her hand. In less than ten minutes since she had arrived to this club, Axelia could already feel the immense weight grow on her shoulders. She shouldn't be here. She didn't want to be here. Soon enough, though, she would be able to leave this nightclub and go home, just as she had planned. She thought about staying longer to avoid having to hear Blaire complain but at this point, she did not care anymore.

The bartender approached her as she sat there, their voice catching her off-guard. "Hi. What can I get you?" Axelia sat up off her elbow, clearing her throat as she looked at the card with the available drinks listed. "Do you know how to make blue lagoons?" she asked, tilting her head curiously. The blue lagoon cocktail was one of her favorite drinks she ever had, her favorite that reminded her so much of Vice City. It was one of her first drinks she had when she came of age to drink legally, remembering how the vodka in it burned her nose a little, but was dulled by the bitter taste of the lemonade. It was served in a large, elegantly-shaped glass, garnished with raspberries and blueberries that she would mix into the drink before taking a sip. She had hoped that the bartenders here knew how to make it, for it was the little slice of home she so desperately needed. "Is that what you want, sweetie?" the female bartender asked, grabbing a glass, and cleaning it. As Axelia was about to respond, she heard the voices of women laughing behind her, their heels clicking quickly toward her direction. "Oh my god, girl! This club is amaze-balls!" Axelia's head fell into her hand. "That dancer down there, Jacob?" one of the women asked, her hands flying to her heart. "Oh! He is a dreamboat! He said he was going to take me home, and give me the time of my life! I'm so excited, I could drink everything at this bar!" They clambered towards her, laughing as they finally made it to Axelia's side. The silence that she had hoped for was now gone, replaced by the obnoxious sounds of the Augury women as they talked about the male dancer downstairs.
She knew it was a suitable time to try and bail out of here. She had to find a way. "Hey!" Blaire called the other bartender, motioning towards the group of girls. "A round of fresh Malibu sunsets for me and my girls, handsome!" The male bartender smiled, getting to work on the cocktails as ordered. "Oh, uh... no thanks," Axelia shrugged, her voice soft. "I don't want that to dri—" "Don't be silly!" one of the women said, her arms around Axelia's shoulders. "Tonight, we drink! And then, we dance!" They hollered excitedly, each doing a little dance as the bartender came over. He handed each of the women their cocktails as ordered, with Blaire stuffing a one-hundred-dollar bill in his breast pocket with a wink. The hacker begrudgingly accepted her cocktail, holding it with a half-hearted smile. "To girls night!" They all cheered, each toasting their glasses together and drinking it right up. Axelia took a sip of hers, her eyes scrunching up as the taste hits her tongue. The fresh fruit cocktail was incredibly sweet, pleasantly so, but not at all what she wanted. She wanted that shot of vodka, that bitter taste from the lemonade, just the reminder of her hometown of Vice City in general. She wasn't happy with the way this night was turning out. But at least she had her one drink. Now she can make that excuse, and get out of here. Just trying to find the right time to tell these women that she had to bail was another. She knew that if she didn't tell them now, she was never going to get out of here at all. It was then the female bartender from before suddenly places a blue lagoon in front of her, causing her to perk up alarmingly. "Oo! I didn't realize you ordered before us!" Blaire chirped. Obviously, this was some sort of mistake. Even if it was what she wanted, why did this woman just give it to her? She couldn't have read her mind. That's impossible! As she remembered from before, she never even told the woman that she wanted it, only if they could make it. "Excuse me," Axelia called the bartender. "There must be a mistake. I didn't order this." The woman tending the bar gave her a cheeky grin, wiping a glass with a rag after gesturing over her shoulder. "Compliments from the older gentleman in the blue suit."

An older gentleman?

Axelia turned her gaze in the direction the bartender pointed to, noting that — indeed — there was an older man sitting there, gazing back at her from the far end of the bar. It took a moment to recognize that this was the same man she saw before, with his back turned to the crowd. She blinked as his features came into view, his long, slicked back hair complemented with the thick stubble created a rather rugged, but almost charming composition to the man's aged face. His nicely pressed blue suit looked deprived of any wrinkles, the black sports vest he wore buttoned up neatly, creating a snug fit against the man's figure. He smiled handsomely as he raised his shot glass full of whiskey, the simple gesture causing her heart to leap up in her throat. Here was a random stranger, someone she had no inkling of knowing, personally ordering and paying her a drink, and one that she wanted no less. She remembered that she was only going to get one drink, to get in and out of this club as soon as she could to avoid confrontation with people she was not in the mood to deal with. But she — for some unknown reason — did not feel compelled to leave when it came to this man. She could not take her eyes from him, a smile finally gracing her own glossed lips as she shyly shrugs a shoulder to try and hide it from him. His stern eyes continued to kindly gaze back at her, never breaking contact with her as he raised his whiskey glass to his lips. She couldn't remove her own eyes from the older man, which fluttered back up to continue holding that gaze as her finger delicately swirled around the rim of her newly acquired glass. Whoever this mysterious stranger was, Axelia had this distinct feeling that she was soon going to find out, as she could feel her body react before her mind could catch up to her.