Elliot just stood there, trying to register everything that has been said to him. "I-I... well..." "Listen, kid. Go back from where you came from. You're wasting not only my time but yours too. But mostly mine," the man says while pointing at the exit door. Elliot sat perplexed besides the man. "Now just wait a sec. I can't just tell my guys I can't get us in, I mean I'm trying to help them out, and the only way is with the games. I also, kind of, need a new job... And hey, I'm pretty good at these things, used to be in the war with the Frontier Militia, you know?" The man suddenly expressed sudden interest, and for the first time he looked at him. He stared at him for a while, and went back looking at his drink. Took a sip of the rest that was left in his cup and asked, "Names, you got any?" Elliot was a bit confused but answered, "Well, like I said my name's Elliot. And the others-" "Not your real names you bloody idiot." The man began to check something on his phone. "Legend names, names that represent you, your team or whatever you are. Unless you wanna be boring and go with your real name..." Elliot backed off, 'man, this guy's a sour one,' he thought. "Ah... gotcha... Yeah umm well. I got, Pathfinder... and then I got, Wraith." The man began typing something in his phone, probably rotating the names for recruitment. "And you?" Elliot sat there, looking at the table. It was completely glossed as he was looking at a faded reflection of himself.
'His mother placed her hands on his cheeks. "Go. Follow, your dreams. This is your moment. My mirage...'
"Thanks mom..."
"Mirage..." Elliot said. He stood there, with a smile on his face. "It's Mirage." The man grabbed something from his pocket. It was a really small red card with white and a symbol in the middle. "Take it. You better not lose it. Give me your number and I'll keep you posted." Elliot gave him his number, ordered a drink, stayed for a while, and left the bar through the way he came in. Outside, on the outside mall Pathfinder and Wraith were walking in the middle of the crowd. The place was huge, with no roof and a huge empty view of the sky above. The air and environment was all natural, but some kiosks provided air conditioning in case of the hot days. The day was simple, as Wraith was walking down the different stores, and looking at the people around her. Pathfinder was able to encounter another one of his kind, as a salesperson. He tried to ask about his creator, and if he could help him, but with no resolve. While they walk, they meet a familiar face waiting for them in a corner. "Hey guys!"
"Hello again, friend! So? How was it?," asked Pathfinder excitedly. "We're in! We just wait for the call and they'll take us to the games." "Wonderful!" said Pathfinder, while Wraith was very relieved as well. "Alright, so this is what happened..." Elliot explained his story while making their way to the car back in the hotel. Both of them could not believe he actually made it out unharmed. "But seriously, guys. You gotta have more faith in me... I mean, you guys we're, believing in me... right?" "Friend, of course I would believe in you...
...but-" "But?!" Elliot quickly responded. "What do you mean 'but'?!" Watching their interaction was a bit amusing for Wraith as she was sitting in the back. "You know," the voice said. "In another reality... he, doesn't makes it...". "Not surprised," she said as the car made a stop at the parking lot. They made their way to the front doors, without the knowledge that someone else beat them to their rooms. They went in, stepped in the elevator and the doors closed. That's when the voice spoke.
"Wraith! It's them. They're on the lookout for you, at our floor waiting for our elevator." Wraith's eyes widened and she quickly said, "Guys they're here. At our rooms." Elliot and Pathfinder turned and looked at each other. "Don't tell me... the I.M.C.?! But how, h-how do you Oh! Right rightright, your, voice." "What should we do, friends?" Elliot went for the button panel of the elevator, "We'll just take the stairs. I won't leave without my gear." Wraith was baffled by what he just said. "Wh-are you crazy? We have to leave-" "Fine. Leave. Go. Wait for me outside or just leave whenever you want I'm not, leaving my gear." Wraith was going to say something back. But, even though he wasn't the type to be like such, he was serious. And he meant every single word he said. The door opened in a few floors below theirs. He stood in between the elevator and the floor they were in, staring at each other. She fully understood why it was so important to him, so she moved out of the elevator with Pathfinder as well.
"...thank you..." Elliot said. "We should get going." They started making their way through the emergency stairs as the elevator arrived at their floor before they did. They opened the door leading to their hallway just when the elevator doors closed. "I think we are fine friends." They started to move to Elliot's room when he was pulled by Wraith. "Wait!... it's a trap," the voice said to Wraith. "It's a trap. One of them is waiting for us to go in. I can't use my powers without my uniform. I'll go get it." She went for her door and slowly closed it. "Alright Path, you ready?" "Always friend!" responded Pathfinder.
Inside, an armed soldier was hidding in the balcony out of sight from the door. The door could be heard slowly opening and closing again. He waited a moment, prepared his weapon, turned and realized he was aiming at no one. No one entered, and no one left either. In confusion, the soldier quickly went for the door, but his feet got pulled as he fell hard to the floor head first.
Trying to fight out whatever he was being pulled by, he slid all the way towards the kitchen while his silenced rifle went off shooting at all directions. He stopped moving once he detached a grapple from his leg, but could not notice the menacing robot ready to strike.
Wraith, quickly finishing her suit up, was warned by the voice to get down as the bullets went through from the other room. She ran towards the balcony to see if she could jump to the next. "Wraith there's someon-" someone came bargin in her room aiming at her. Wraith just stood there, attempting to slowly turn around for a chance to fight back. "Ah ah," her sharp voice responded to Wraith's attempt. "I told you... no one leaves my sight..." said the officer as she slowly moved towards Wraith who was standing still in the balcony. Gritting her teeth, she asks "What do you want from me?" "Well," the officer begins to explain, "I'm bringing you back. Of course, if you resist, which I highly recommend, you'll just be another in my kill record."
Pathfinder and Elliot came running towards the hallway when they saw that Wraith's door was wide open. The officer noticed the footsteps, and smirked. "Damn. Looks like my time's up." It all happened in fraction of seconds. Wraith didn't heard a shot, but did hear something cracking. Pathfinder was the first to enter, as he began running towards the officer. Wraith didn't feel any pain, yet she felt as if the floor was sinking. Looking down, she realized the glass floor was no more, as she began dropping down. The officer turned around and took a knee to fire bursts at Pathfinder. Through the sparks and with a broken monitor, Pathfinder went straight through, pushing away the officer towards a wall and launching himself towards the floor, and his grapple towards the falling Wraith. The officer quickly regained herself, and made her way towards the door, were Elliot was waiting for her. Elliot sent a punch straight in, as she was pushed back. Elliot tried to send another one, yet she saw it coming.
She pulled his arm towards herself in an awkward position with one hand, and punched Elliot with her other. She quickly twisted his arm and pulled him over to the middle of the room as he fell down. She took aim with her sidearm while one of her soldiers came rushing in. "Ma'am... we have to go. Now! The authorities..." He stood there for one second, then made his way to the elevator. She stared at Elliot for a second. Then said, "...man, you're one lucky bastard. But you better not forget, I'm not done with you... here... this will help you remember..." She aimed at Elliot for a moment, then changed her mind and aimed towards Pathfinder, "N-noo!" One shot is all it took. The grappling canister in his back came lose and snapped, flying towards the outside abyss. Elliot just looked, with a surge of emotion deep down. He turned around, but she was gone. "Path Path hey hey, hey... no, don't you dare-"
"W...wwr...Wraith...g...oo...go.."
Elliot looked at him, and stayed besides him and the broken balcony. He knew he could repair him, yet Elliot was still hurt by this. Watching him like this was too much for him. All ruined and chipped away. But both understood what Elliot had to do. He ran floors below throughout the stairs. In one of the hallways there was a lady with her husband in front of their opened door who were utterly shocked at what has fell in their room. Elliot pushed them aside and quickly went inside to find Wraith on the floor. Out of all the calls of her names, she didn't respond to any