A/N: my attempt to clean some shit up
Chapter 4: House of Memories
When he/she spoke, it was in a threatening, and electronically modified voice. Dressed in black, with nothing but a small badge with the initials 'KT' printed on the chest, he/she looked menacing, with a terrible intention.
"well, well, well, you're already here huh? I thought you weren't due for another two days. Good that I checked!" the person said, in a sort of falsely cheerful voice.
"who are you?" Z asked bluntly, as they stood in front of the large screen of the command centre, with the looming figure showing.
"oh how rude of me to not introduce myself" he said, in mockery, "I am, let's say, Xyz as we write in the sample letters in school? Oh and so you can identify me, I'm the one who crafted this beautiful plan to take down this planet"
"Xyz?" Sky asked, in disbelief, finally someone who could actually give them answers, and here he was toying with them.
"well, I can't risk an SPD officer to know my real name can I? Even if they have less than 48 hours to live…"
Xyz had dropped the bombshell like it was nothing, Z's eyes grew wide, Sky's brain went limp. What were they talking about?
"shocked? I know. Well, it would've been lesser, considering that we're just about twenty miles from New Tech City, but we decided to give you some time to crack the case because otherwise, it's just too cruel" they said, sadistically.
"and this? THIS WASN'T CRUEL?" Z burst out, just plain mad.
"we gave you way too many warnings SPD, we didn't just decide one random day that we'd kill you all. It took a lot of planning, we left quite a few deliberate clues. How can you blame us like that? it's not our fault that you've not noticed the clues we left…." He/she said, smiling. YES, smiling.
"they're all dead?"
Xyz looked hesitant, "uuhhh… not really, I mean we wanted to save the trophies, for Birdie, you know? But we landed up killing one."
"just one?" this was Z, and this wasn't mere curiosity, it was relief, because according to what they knew,
"we're sympathetic people. We wouldn't mind letting all of them go if they admit to our demands. We do not wish to kill out own kind, really!" they sounded earnest.
"what is this façade you're putting up? We know what you're like!" Sky exclaimed.
"well, think whatever you want to, we're giving you a head-start, and IFF you're able to make out who we are, which is improbable, if you're able to figure out anything, we'd give you a tradeoff, a sort of bargain, and if not, then obviously, you're our captives, and so is earth" he paused, "it's like a game-challenge. Do you accept?"
Sky and Z looked at each other, a million words passed in their eyes, "alright…" he spoke, and Z added, "we concur."
"very well, your time starts now… 48 hours… or you're gone too!" he said, and a red glint shone in his/her eyes, and then the screen went black.
"so that just happened" Sky said, dazed.
"was that some sort of psycho?"
"or a genius?" Sky added, "whatever they were, we need to be careful. We need to start out hunt, and work hard at it. if that was true, we don't have much time!"
"how were they planning to take over earth?" Z asked, that was one thing she hadn't understood.
"the shields won't come down unless someone does it manually through the controls, and it is deadly to do so BEFORE the solar spots are over. Fatal for the whole planet, which is why they chose this timing. We cannot call for reinforcements, we can't get any help, and if we had decided to go off the planet, we would've been stuck outside as well. We're the last line of defense, and they want to take us out before they begin the planetary assault or whatever they are planning. Once they have us out of the way, firstly, they'll make sure the shields stay up, secondly, they will be able to do whatever they want to with us, SPD and anybody left." Too many realizations were hitting Sky at the same time.
"why the 48 hour deadline?"
"it's Monday right?" Sky asked, Z nodded, then he began, "the shields will be up for THREE more days, because of the solar spots, they have wayy too much time to play with us, AND stay out of the risk zone."
"you're right!" Z said, looking up, shocked, as all the realizations dawned on them, "we don't have anything to work on!" Z said, pushing her hair back, nervously, and crossing her arms, "they're actually playing with us!"
They stood there staring at each other, both realizing that they had doubted each other for absolutely no reason. Both of them were equally victims as the other. It was idiotic for them t doubt each other in the first place. Z admitted it first, before Sky did, after all, she had been the one with the most suspicion, and she was also the one who had taken the knife, for 'self defense' she didn't need it now. Z had been mistaken about Sky.
"I'm sorry, Sky, for doubting you…" and I handed him the knife, which he had returned to me during lunch, like a gentleman… as gentle as he could be in this situation.
"mm-hmm" he nodded, but didn't say anything else, though he was thinking the exact same thing.
Z's POV
He was a good guy. I was an idiot. I'm really sorry that I ruined my friendship with him. Now, as well as the Boston case that literally split us. We had become such great friends, but then I Had to screw it up! I think I'm going into a flashback… well, what's wrong with that?
Oof! I remember it crystal clear… we were assigned the case together, we were supposed to stakeout on a case together. We were supposed to keep our head in the game. I didn't. It was my fault. We were following the drug dealer a from a distance, and he had come into a bar. We decided, to maintain cover, to have a couple drinks. Tequila. Bad choice.
We drank, and chatting, and almost lost focus of our target. At the last minute realizing we might screw up the case, we chased after him, which drew attention to us, obviously, and so the moment he turned around, he grabbed me, and kissed me, obviously, to pretend as if we were busy with each other and not after him. Oh the touch of his lips on mine. It's one thing I can never forget. Yes I had had a crush on Sky ever since I arrived at the academy. Who wouldn't? After a point, it had kinda become obvious that he also had feelings for me. He'd flirt with me at times, and we'd talk. It actually felt like it struck a chord; and that kiss? It felt like the kingdom come. I felt like this was it, like he'd confess his feelings for me, and we'd date.
But then, after we got the drug dealer, (no with didn't botch the case) we were back in the SPD jeep, I asked him, what the kiss meant to him, and I confessed my feelings for him…
He looked at me confused, and told me that he was just maintaining cover, and that the kiss meant nothing else to him. He also told me to 'not take it the wrong way' and made me ask if there was really a 'right way' to take it? He never replied.
In my opinion, this killed out friendship, and anything we ever had. He had insulted me, I felt, and well, after that, he seemed to pretend like nothing ever happened. I in return, turned myself completely cold to him. Sarcasm, taunts, coldest opens, everything I had was just directed to him. But I had started to cut him some slack in the past month, because for some reason, Sky seemed perpetually weary, and in angst.
And then this happened.
To be simple enough, this was quite a shock, for both of us, and well, neither of us knew what to do. I think that statement more or less explains all our behaviors. We looked for comfort in each other, but I, remembering the last time I had done that, accused him, disbelieved him, it must've felt terrible for him. I'll try to make up for it if I can.
And what the hell was up with the flirting? Well I just saw him naked and all my past 'crush' memories came surging back. It's not like he wasn't doing it either… BUT I gotta keep that in check as well… it's NOT THE TIME for it.
We just arrive at Bridge's door. The room he shares with Sky, and we simply stare at it, wondering if we should go in.
X-X-X
Sky's POV
Walking silently from the Command centre to the room I share with Bridge, in a sort of unspoken agreement, it feels strange.
But stranger things have happened here.
Why am I tempted to sing The Hanging Tree?
I stare coldly at the passage ahead of me, though my mind ignores the bloodstains, and the rugged scratches here and there. The thoughts reel to the person walking by my side. I've done her many wrongs, and still, her only reply to all of it is some sarcastic jabs and carrying a knife 'just in case'. I mean wow! She even trusted me enough to share a room with me at night.
I wonder if I had not made the choice I did, where we'd have ended right now. Maybe both of us would be dead as well, or maybe we'd be alive, and perhaps a little more secure?
Just suppose that when she asked me if I had feelings for her, as I really did, and I would've replied honestly, that I did, and broken up with Bella subsequently, for I didn't loved her anyway at the time, then how this would've turned out.
But what did I do instead? I coldly brushed off Z, which obviously winded her up, but what else could I do? I was already in a committed relationship with Bella, but now, with what she did? What she and mother, and that other son of a bitch, saying whose name hurts me, did, HOW could Sky Tate ever recover? I really regret breaking Z's heart the way I did, and don't blame her for anything she did. After all, I never explained her WHY I had hurt her. I never even told anyone about my girlfriend. Nobody knows anything about my life. Now I wish someone did. Someone I could tell about Bella's bitchery, and someone who could console me. I am also a human after all.
He made a mental note to apologize to Z, and tell her everything later, because at this very moment he swiped the keys and entered the room. His room… Bridge's room.
What would we find here?
X-X-X
Sky looks at Z, she looks back at him with a pensive look, "So we go through his stuff for some clues?" she asked, softly.
"guess so… what else can we do?"
"it's strange no? Brige would kill us for touching any of his stuff, any day, and yet, here we are, without any restriction, doing it, and I feel no excitement whatsoever"
"yeah, excitement, that's what we're missing" He replied dryly.
And so, without much ado, they started going through Bridge's belongings, which though was an invasion of his privacy, there was no one to stop them.
"Memories bring back, memories bring back you" Z murmured, as she flipped through an album and placed her fingers on a picture of her and Bridge on a ski-trip, they had taken six months ago. He had taught her how to ski, and as Z being Z, when lost her balance, gripped onto Bridge, and as a result, both of them went toppling down the slopes in the snow, laughing as they did. It was the picture Jack had clicked of them by the fire, after they were back at the lodge, and warming up after the snowy tumble.
"ah, the ski trip" Sky smiled, looking at the picture, "all you guys ditched me, just to spite me later for being hard on you for training"
"and that had been Bridge's idea too!" she chuckled, "and take a look at this!"
It was a picture of them, all five of them, on Christmas, last to last year, I think 2025 only, and we all had their snouts buried in Christmas stockings of their own Ranger colors.
"heyy! I remember that! We played secret Santa that year! I got you a Black Parade Jacket!"
"yeah my best Christmas present ever!" she said, remembering.
"and Bridge got me boxing gloves, idk why" they chuckled together, and then they caught each other's eyes, and saw just how much sadness there lay, and quietened.
"Sky why did this happen?" She asked, sorrowfully, and rested her head against his shoulder, tired of everything, even being mad at him, and being the solo act, the girl who didn't need love; she wanted it all to just end. She wanted a person right now, who could carry the burden for her, and make her feel safe. It wasn't like her, not at all, but this trying time could do this to anybody.
Even Sky didn't remove her head from her shoulder; rather, he adjusted it a little so she was resting against his chest, and wrapped an arm around her, holding her close; they stayed that way for a few moments, before parting, sadly, and getting back to work. They went through all of the stuff of their friend again, and found many, many things that stirred up memories, and each memory became more painful than the last, with the feeling that their friend might be a possible traitor, or he might not be alive at all.
"what else can we do? We just have 48 hours." Sky finally asked, tired, because they found absolutely nothing incriminating in any of Bridge's belongings, and a new idea had already begun taking shape in his mind.
"and a 'he' in the Deltabase is a traitor, and his room has a potential clue to everything that happened" Z explained, and for some reason, she felt sad.
"but we know that because Syd said that" another idea struck him, "what if she was…" he trailed off, because it was evident what he was pointing at.
Z looked appalled, "Sky, that woman was a bloody lump on the floor, barely holding up to tell us whatever she did; are you really saying she might've been lying?"
"well, she didn't give us any information that might've been of use to us. She could've simply said that… you know? It was Bridge, or Wally, or whoever 'he' was. Or otherwise, she could've been the person, and set us up with the videotape, throwing every suspicion off of 'her'."
"Sky do you even hear yourself talking? Or does your force field create some sort of sound vacuum?" Z asked, and Sky scoffed, and then got serious again, "yeah Z, I know what I am speaking. And seriously, it is possible! I mean if I was in her place, finding out someone had betrayed us, and had to make a message for us, I'd say that maybe 'it was 'So n So' who did it, and they're planning on doing this' and I'd tell you every piece of information that I ever had." He explained.
"cut her some slack Sky, she was so f—ing severely wounded, and she was almost dead. Why would she lie? Why? It's possible that she just didn't have any time to 'draft a message'!" Z defended her dead friend.
"alright. I may be wrong." Sky nodded, respecting Sydney's honesty, after all, they might've been her last words.
"So what next?" Z asked, it was about five in the evening, and time seemed to crawl at an excruciatingly slow pace.
"Wally's room" he replied without much thought.
A/N: so what did Bella do?