Wahoo! =D I tried to make it longer. And there are prolly lots of typos so beware!
Replies:
Baggie - Thank you bunches!! I will hopefully keep yer attention! XD
proud shipper - I tried hard on Merc, so It was nice hearing that. And true, there should be more!! =D
Reflecting Reality Chapter Two
The skies were rotten. Burns and scars dotted the dull blues and whites; dripping, peeling, tearing the cobalt above. From everywhere came shattering voices and heated breath; the last of the city, the city with faults, the city with life, was fading.
Two sisters, swallowed by the crowd and the screams, stood hand in hand. Looks of worry, confusion, desperation pulled at their small faces; tugging at the their fair complexions. One of them was crying. The other stood to watch with wide eyes and a tempered brow. A woman rushed to their side. Noticeably silent in the midst screaming, she gave the disheartened girl a pat on her head, a kiss on the cheek, and hand motion to stay put. The angry one scowled but understood.
Then a man, tall enough to swat the dust from the skies away with his hand, appeared behind the woman. He snatched her by the collar of her blouse and readied his club, both sisters screeched, grabbing for their mother,
"Hey kid,"
Faith sprung off the rugged, red couch. Her breaths were short and harsh.
"You looked like you were gunna' strangle yerself," Merc said, nervously. "I knew you needed the sleep, but I wasn't gunna have a suicide on my conscience."
Faith looked up from his humorous attempts at calming her down, clutching at her throat where pain was blistering. Her breathing hadn't slowed down yet, the dream felt too real. She hadn't experienced one in months but it seemed like years.
Merc handed her a paper cup, "Drink up, bet yer thirsty. How's the arm feeling?"
She took the cup, "Better, hadn't felt a thing until you mentioned it just now. What's up?" Merc smiled and turned his attention to the large collation of computer screens taking up much more space than needed be. Every monitor's face was cluttered with maps and numbers, and could make an average person dizzy. But Runners aren't average. Faith sat up from the bulky couch, having found a new aspiration to see what Merc was tracking on the blue computer screens than resting and recovering from her bad sleep.
"I sent Jacknife on an errand," he declared, tapping feverishly on one of several keyboards. "I would have sent you but…well, you were in a coma. Didn't wanna' disturb yer slumber," Merc chuckled. "--Yes, Faith is okay, Jack," he answered into his headset. "She puts up a bigger fight asleep than with the Blues," Merc laughed loudly.
"What's the message?" Faith asked, brushing off his remark on her fighting skills.
"Another one to White from Vasilis," he sipped from a cup of his own. "Vasilis doesn't know when he's broke, probably end up being another free run. Not good on my books, " Merc sighed. "But he's a good friend."
Faith peered down at the paper cup. She thought for a moment, then moved her attention back to Merc, "How's Marie?"
"Go through that door, Jack. No, I said go through the door. Christ, yer as stubborn as her." He turned to look at Faith, "Marie? Haven't heard much. Jack said he saw her on his way to White--yeah you--said she was with Alec."
Faith stared blankly at Merc's expressions. She had stopped paying attention a few sentences ago and wasn't planning on chiming back in anytime soon. "I think I'll go for a walk," she concluded., snatching an ear piece from the cluttered computer table. Completely entwined with Jacknife's arguing, Merc didn't respond, but waved her off with a free hand.
The city at night was an absolute contrast to the day. Everything went into shadow, and the quiet starts to sink in. All of this monitoring, and inspection prevents anyone from coming out at night; strict curfews for even the old folk. Except for the runners, of course. They stay undetected.
The stars in the dark sky flickered faintly while Faith fiddled with her ear piece. Her first instinct was to leave without the small radio connecting her to Merc, but then thought better of it from past experiences with the tiny tool. It was much more of a help to a runner on a mission, even one who's mind was focused on taking a walk. It kept you in contact with a network of maps and passage ways so even the highest skilled runner could make some use of the instrument.
Faith began to pick up some speed, gliding over the rooftops with polished leaps and hurdles. While the wind pulled through the strands of her dark hair, she thought and contemplated where to go and what to do. She hadn't taken a stroll around the city for far too long and her legs were aching to run farther than she had ever gone before. She transferred her weight slightly, turning her movement a morsel to the left; her path wasn't planned, just an proposal that her mind could fiddle down.
The skies before her were darkly defined alongside the pallid buildings. Faith peddled to a stop near the edge of the New Eden District when her earpiece chimed in.
"Shit, Faith, Jacknife is in some heat. Head south towards White's place, seems like our friend was at the wrong place at the wrong time…" Merc wasn't sounding like his normal self. His voice was strained to the point of disbelief. Faith considered questioning him but then thought better of it. "Get on it. I'll put you on tracker." The seriousness of the night changed drastically. Faith leapt from the New Eden District, heading south to God knows what. Merc had a way of keeping himself cool, rarely has he shown stress, or even have it coating his voice. Something was up, and that something wasn't good. As the buildings blurred past her, Faith heard another chime from her earpiece,
"Roald White's dead," Merc said resentfully. "I know you were itching to know. Keep it south, Faith." The single fizzled out as Faith kept her eyes in front of her, not daring to look anywhere else; her breathing increased, not just with her augmented running. As the years passed by throughout her running career, not once had she slipped into a murder. A few bats and bruises here and there, but their job wasn't unlawful enough to attract serious Blue attention. Serious homicides.
The sweat bucketing from her forehead was beginning to sting now. She had to get past the fact that White was dead; he wasn't the only candidate to make this place better. We still have Robert Pope. Chances were that Pope was going to beat White anyways, there's no reason to worry. Faith cursed at herself for thinking that positively. Sure, the city might still be okay, but White was gone now. Faith thought harder, thinking of the many relations that were connected to White. Was he a loved man? Did he have a wife? She couldn't find an answer.
Her running grew more rapidly, the wind twisting through her hair increased sharply and her breathing was becoming dangerously close to hyperventilation. Soon, she was coming into contact with the red and blue lights flashing off the city's walls.
"Jack's in the Teris Center, Faith. Right next to White's Building. Get him the hell outta there."
"I don't see why it's so hard for him to find the way out." Faith mumbled, mainly to herself.
"Blues are thick, security is in the red and the ass thinks he's too good fer the help," Merc sighed rigidly. "Go inside and snatch him out, he's on the seventh floor." His directions were clear enough; Faith leapt from one roof to another until she reached the top of the Teris building. "There should be a way in. The print says there's an open air vent to yer left." Faith replied with a quick thanks after finding the vent and ripping the screen off the opening. "Watch it, Faith. This one is a biggie. Don't know how Jack got into all of this." Faith agreed with his statement, then leapt down the vent.
The Teris Center was the headquarters for Teris Security. Starting several years ago, the Teris corporation created many of the advanced monitoring systems set up in public places around the city. Once Callaghan won the election years back, the Teris Cooperation was his first installment into the city. You can imagine why this place could be a hassle to snoop around in; seems like Jacknife wasn't able to find his way out from White's building. Perfect.
Through the maze in the air vents, Faith finally spotted an opening to a rather large orange room. She spotted a reception counter and a few over stuffed chairs lining the wall. The waiting room for complaints. Just because the Teris Cooperation made superior monitoring devices, didn't mean it was free of the break downs and screw-ups.
Faith glanced around the room after she landed on the floor, noticing the large security cameras in every corner of the room. As she was waiting for Merc to give her a hint on the next incentive, the door behind the reception desk flew open,
"Faithy! Didn't expect to see you here," Jacknife declared as he hopped over the reception desk. "Did Merc forward you to me? He knows I don't need any help."
"I'm sure you don't," she countered, crossing her arms while staring at him with a straight face. "And how did you get into this mess?"
Jack cracked a smile, "You know I play fair. Wasn't going to run away so quickly, ya know? Make them want me."
"I do know. I also know that what you've done wasn't smart, Jack. This could expose all of us.--"
"Enjoying the fluorescent lights?" Merc's voice tapped in her ear. "Get going. Both of you. Mosey yer way to the vent before a Blue spots you or yer in for one hellava treat." Faith nodded, looking to Jacknife.
"Hey, whatever the boss says," Jack said, flinging his hands up in the air. He passed Faith, heading for the vent.
Before either of them could make it to the air vent, a faint voice was heard from beyond the door Jacknife had burst through. Faith glanced quickly to her accomplice, noticing that he was already looking towards the door.
"You go, Faithy. I can take him down," he leered as he pulled a handgun from his belt, not a common weapon for a runner. Faith shook her head and told him that he could take the vent instead.
"Yeah, right. As if I would make the girl fight the Blues," Jacknife smiled again as he headed for the door. Faith grabbed his shoulder. Jack peered back to see the stress of her face and then concluded quickly that it would be better for both of them to go though the vent.
Faith leaped forward, grabbing the edge of the opened escape securely with her fingertips, while Jacknife made a foot hold for her feet. As soon as Faith was guaranteed a safe hold in the vent, she turned around to give Jack a hand. He wasn't there.
"Damn," Faith muttered to herself while she leaped back down to the floor of the reception room.
"Taking yer sweet time?" Merc chimed in her ear. "Blues are coming, Faith--"
"Jack ran off."
"I realized, and it's his ass. We tried to help, now get your own butt out of there," Merc commanded into her ear.
"No…I can't just leave him," Faith strained. "Keep me tracked, I'm going after him." Faith dashed towards the door that Jack went back through.
"The hell you are! Faith, listen, Blues are up the wazoo in here. It's not worth the risk. Jack is smart enough to get himself out."
"If that were true, you wouldn't have sent me in the first place," Faith rebutted. "I'm in the mess now and so I have to go find him." Once past the door, she turned into a long hallway with doors filling each side.
"No, Faith--" At that moment, Faith had taken the radio from her ear, stuffed it into a pant's pocket, then headed down the long hallway searching for an opened door that Jacknife could have rushed through prior.
Every wall was orange-and-white, further and further down the hallway the orange-and-white color scheme continued. Faith checked the corners and again noticed smaller cameras monitoring her every move. Half way down the hall and still no sign of a suspicious door or even the Blue she and Jacknife heard earlier. Things were beginning to get suspicious. Just then, an elevator near the end of the hall opened. Faith peered into in curiously, still being cautious of the cameras surrounding her, and saw that it was unoccupied. Faith thought hastily, her mind thinking through the different outcomes that stepping into the elevator could bring. 'The Blues were thick,' Merc had said.
As she took another glance into the elevator, her eyes were pulled upwards towards the small ceiling. A small vent--big enough to fit Faith, if not Jack--had been hand-opened. This was her opportunity. Faith stepped inside the elevator and made a clean jump for the edge of the opening; this time without the help of her compadre, and scuttled into the elevator shaft.
It was dark, so much that even the small light peeping from the opened vent below gave little to no help. Then a small noise from above began ticking away at the few seconds Faith had to react. She skimmed her sight upwards and pinpointed the obnoxious resonance coming from a floor above--the next elevator door was closing, and it was closing quickly.
Faith shot up into the air, grabbing the closet pulley she could find. The door that Jacknife must have went through only seconds before was coming to a close, and much too fast. Another second, Faith jumped to another rope. Then another rope. Clinging to the pulleys like they were life preservers, keeping her awayfrom the long drop below, the door was only a foot open now.
Faith swung gingerly from a rope and pounced off the wall opposite of the door, slowly, gradually and frozen in the air, so close to the closing door. And then she hit it. With only seconds remaining, Faith had slid her hand right between the closing elevator door. It immediately sprung open from her pressure; Faith sighed.
Not her favorite thing to do--speed racing against elevator's doors. Like every other option…it was a challenge.
And then the click of a readied-gun was heard; lined against the pulse of her temple.
"Bang. Could'a blown yer brains out, Faithy." She turned slowly towards the voice. "Won't you be more careful?"
"Jack! We don't have time for this," Faith sputtered after she disarmed him with a single swipe. Jacknife smirked from the sudden agression. He snatched the gun from the girl and placed it back into his belt.
"And yer much different? You came flailing after me like you were some love-sick puppy!" Jack countered slyly as he walked slowly around her, towards a door on the right.
"Love sick?!" Faith laughed loudly to herself. "Riding high on that stallion aren't you?"
Jacknife shrugged off the remark and pointed with his thumb to the door behind him, "You know what this is, Faithy?" He asked, placing much more emphasis on the added syllable at the end of her name. "It's Vasislis's office. You know, the good friend of White's?" He walked casually back to Faith, prompting her with his hand gestures. "Broke as a stump, scrawny of a man? He had high bets that White was gunna win."
"Wait…Vasilis works for the Teris Corp?" Faith asked aloud, ignoring the storyline Jack was illustrating.
He wavered her question, "He had high hopes that White was gunna cream Pope. Now all his nonexistent money is gunna wash down the nonexistent tubes." Jack placed a hand close to his handgun. "Vasilis was once a rich man, ya' know. Marie and him had more money than White and Pope--combined--could ever get a hold of."
Faith watched Jacknife move from one side of the brightly furnished room to the other. Counting his steps, watching his expressions. Why would Vasilis be working for Teris? This wasn't adding up and he wasn't answering the right questions. "But Vasilis...he can't work for Teris, he's our client." Faith concluded, taking a step towards Jacknife's position.
"Aw, but that's were yer wrong," he strolled over to Faith, stopped and gazed at her confused face. "Vasilis has been keeping track of us. Ever sense the fall of the stocks half a year ago, he has been pinching everything he can for the extra money. Got a job here," Jack flipped his arms into the air, smiling at Faith. "they offered high pay and good hours. Vasilis needed the money. He took the job." His arms dropped back down to his sides, one of them hovered over his gun.
"But if Vasilis is so close to White, why has he been asking us to send messages for him?" Faith contradicted Jack's conclusions. "He could have done everything himself. Less money to give."
"Like I said, he's been monitoring us." Jack slid his unoccupied hand to Faith's ear. "Monitoring us through Merc-u-ry." He dropped his hand and took out his own earpiece. Faith thought about everything Jacknife had said so far. Things were starting to make sense now; slowly, but starting. "Vasilis needs the money. So he takes the money."
"The money from Teris."
"The money from Teris," Jack echoed.
Faith placed her hand on her ear, much like Jack had done, and thought curiously. "But why would Teris need to know about us?"
Jack smiled as he brushed his index finger under her chin, "I can't give you all the answers," Faith took in a sharp intake of air, shooting back from him. "Where's the fun in that? And I would check that earpiece. I bet Merc is in a tizzy about yer sudden rebellion." he smiled cynically and turned towards a window on the opposite side of the room while Faith fished out the earpiece from her pants pocket.
"Merc--"
"Shit, Faith. First you tell me yer worried about Jack and then you leave me hangin' in mid jump?! Yer butchering m--."
Faith cut him off, "I need to talk to you…without the earpiece. Something is up, not a good something either." Faith waited for a response when she noticed that Jacknife wasn't in the room anymore; a window hanging ajar from the other side of the room was the only evidence of his departure.
"Whatever sinks yer ship. Just get back to base, Jack can kick the bucket for all I care. I need you back here pronto, got that?" His voice was sharp and slick. Faith wasn't in a good mood to argue and knew that he was right.
"I'll be there quicker than you can say 'A Runner's best friend is her tracker'." Faith leaped out the window into the dark city's silence, buoyant as a Runner itching for the biggest challenge she can get.
OKaaaa!! Just so ya know....: "Jacknife; A former decent runner who Faith seems to not get along with. Faith sees him only for information regarding the Pope case. It is implied through out the game that he and Faith had some sort of relationship in the past; romantic or not, it is never elaborated upon." /wiki/Characters
Ima have some fun with that ;D And alsoooo, I am getting my wisedom teeth removed in the next few days, so chapter three might be some time =/ Thanks to any readers/reviews! =D
