Alright, so here is another chapter for the Connexion. I was going to post it as a stand alone type thing but decided against it.

Two of my own original creations appear: Aleks (Real name is Alexandra) and Pixel (not her real name). I know Aleks and Aiden might interact a lot in this particular chapter but mostly because I want to get how their interact with each other out there. (nods) So, deal with it. I'm not editing this again. I refuse! (flips a table)

Without further ado... Enjoy!

"Looks like it's going to rain."

"Doesn't look like it's going to be a fun storm."

"Probably lose power or something."

"I was going to go to Dot ConneXion but I think I'll pass tonight."

Aleks was standing in her spot in an alleyway when she heard those all those words muttered by citizens that were passing by the little coffee shop she was leaning against. The warm beverage that was cradled in her hands was briefly forgotten as her attention was turned to the sky. The already black sky was becoming darker, if that was even possible. The stars were slowly fading and the silver orb was being swallowed by dark clouds rolling in from the distance. They did not promise good things.

"Fuck," She said softly as she quickly turned down and started started making her way down the alley. While one hand continued to hold the coffee the other reached into the messenger bag hanging off her shoulder. Her slim fingers wrapped around a phone and she pulled it out to read the time. It was only 12:54 in the morning. She was on her break doing a quick coffee run while another bartender at Dot ConneXion covered her. Now she wished she hadn't.

"I need to get back to work and shut the damn party down."

Aleks power walked down the alleyway until she reached the very end and looked both ways. When she was sure that there were no vehicles coming she quickly made her way across the street and ducked into another alley. As she made her way through a streak of lightning appeared across the sky. It lit up the alley and made her curse some more. She started to run as rain suddenly poured from the sky. It was like someone broke open a dam.

"I hope he has the fucking music cranked," She said to herself as she turned down another alleyway. A loud boom of thunder and a louder crack of lightning stopped her in her tracks. Her eyes were glue to the sky as the loud noises became more frequent and the winds started to blow harshly. She shuddered a bit. Chicago had seem some pretty nasty weather but it never escalated so quickly before. She looked down at her phone again and saw a text message from the other bartender.

From: Pixel
Hey, I hear things outside that shouldn't be heard. It's only a matter of time before the rat hears them too. Come quick and help me shut down the party.
(Sent at 1:03 am)

To: Pixel
I'm trying to get there as fast as I can but this storm is causing chaos in the streets. Make sure the music is cranked and the drinks are still flowing until I get there. I don't want him to panic with all those people there.
(Sent at 1:05 am)

From: Pixel
Can do, Alek5.
(Sent at 1:06 am)

Aleks tucked her phone back into her bag and stepped out of the alley. A sudden gust of wind and a crack lightning deafened her for a moment. She dropped her coffee to cover her ears, her eyes were shut tight. When she uncovered and cracked open an eye the the expensive latte that was splashed across the pavement wasn't her concern. It was the sound of sirens and people screaming. It was the fact that suddenly the area was plunged into darkness. A blackout.

"Please just let there be a wire down somewhere. Anywhere but near the club," She whispered as she composed herself and bolted across the street with reckless abandon. Car horns honked as people slammed on their breaks or swerved so they wouldn't hit her but she didn't care. She just knew she had to get back to work right away.

Defalt's hands were frozen as they hovered over the records and the controls on his equipment. He didn't hear that terrifyingly familiar sound outside the club, right? It was just a figment of his imagination. The tips of his fingers brushed against the records and it made a sick beat that he loved hearing. His body was still moving a bit to the sound as he watched his audience dance to his music but he noticed a few were standing in a dark corner. They were talking and pointing at the door for a moment before heading towards it. As they walked out of the club he felt a cold chill brush against his skin and along with it came wetness. He reached up and touched his cheek.

"Rain," He whispered as he stared outside. He saw a flash of light that didn't come from a car or even a flashlight. No, this definitely came from the sky and so didn't the sound that followed it. Defalt tried to focus on his set but found it difficult due to the small nagging feeling in the back of his head. It was slowly growing. "It's alright, JB. Nothing bad can happen to you while-" The lights started to flicker and the whispers became louder.

He whispered 'no' continuously to himself as he started to back away from his set. A loud of crack lightning managed to break through the barrier that his music was making. The flickering became more frequent until finally everything shut down. People started to panic, even him. JB turned and started to run. He bumped into someone and the mask fell off but he didn't care. He continued running deeper into the club, pushing past people until he ducked into one of the side rooms.

"This isn't happening," He whispered as he covered his ears, trying to block out the sounds. "Why the hell am I hiding? I need to get the hell out of here! I need to find Aiden!"

JB quickly got to his feet and tried to push the door open but it wouldn't budge. His eyes widened with fear and he started to slam his whole body against it but nothing changed. He whimpered and banged upon it with his fists,

"Someone help me! Please!"

Nobody heard the DJ's cries for help. Nobody cared about the heavy equipment that had been knocked over during the chaos. Nobody cared that it was in front of the door, blocking the poor man's way out. Nobody could hear him because the room was soundproof and when he finally realized it he broke down.

As Aleks drew closer to the area where Dot ConneXion was located she started seeing red and blue lights. She pressed her body against a building and peered around the corner. She was across from the club. It gave her the perfect view of what was going on at the moment.

There were cruisers blocking off the roads. Cops were re-directing traffic and guarding the alleyways, preventing anyone from getting close. People were standing around, snapping pictures and recording videos. Her eyes widened when she saw that the power lines were down and they were awfully close to the club entrance. Aleks could hear screaming coming from beyond the doors. Were they all stuck inside? She scanned around and saw one cop on his phone. In an instant she grabbed her phone and hacked the conversation.

"...This one gods awful storm. We just had that blackout at the stadium and now this one too."

"Jeez, what the fuck is happening to this city? Well, what's the status over there? I need to start the report."

"The source of the blackout is at the Ambrose Theater. A lines are down and a couple transformers exploded, looks like they got struck by lightning. But we've the got roads and alleys closed off. The club is obviously shut down but there are people inside. We can't get them out until this power line issue is dealt with. We don't want- Oh shit!"

"What? What's going on over there?"

"Keep those doors closed! Don't let anyone! Fuck!"

The conversation was cut short and Aleks was witnessing why. People were starting to force their way out of the club but there were consequences. The ground was soaked and there were live lines dangling all around. She looked away when she heard a screech of pain and started texting Pixel again.

To: Pixel
Please tell me that you two are alright. Please...
(Sent 1:24 am)

From: Pixel
Well, I'm alright. I had the patrons that aren't storming the doors hide under the tables. But I can't find Jay. All I found was his mask near his equipment.
(Sent 1:25 am)

To: Pixel
Just help the patrons get out. Use the backdoor and direct them towards the cops then get the hell out of there. We'll talk more later.
(Sent 1:25 am)

From: Pixel
What about Jay?
(Sent 1:25 am)

To: Pixel
Let me worry about him. So get moving before we lose more people. NOW!
(Sent 1:26 am)

Aleks waited a few moments, though she knew it was risky. She wanted the building to be cleared out so that the cops would leave. Or at least start clearing the area. If their priority was the patrons then she would help move things along a little more quickly. There was a backdoor the club that only employees were allowed to use but it was a great escape for their patrons. Her eyes were trained on a particular alleyway. It only took another few minutes before she started seeing bodies rushing out. Cops were on them immediately. A little flash of light caught her attention and saw that Pixel was running away from the chaos.

Alright, good. Now to call in a professional rat finder. Aleks clicked a button on her phone and dialed a number. After a few rings,

"Hello?"

Aiden was hiding behind a rock formation with his phone pressed against his ear. His phone had started ringing during a little side assignment of his own. He was about to ignore it when he saw the face of Aleks on his phone, letting him know that it was her trying to reach him. He chuckled at the picture. She was sitting on his couch with Defalt's rat mask sitting on top her head and she was making a face at the camera. He sighed as he weighed his options. It could have been nothing or it could have been something. He wouldn't know until he answered. The vigilante surrendered and hit the green button,

"Hello?"

"Aiden? Where are you?" He was a but surprised. Aleks sounded almost... the term would be scared. But that was off for her. She wasn't scared of anything, not even him.

"I'm in Pawnee taking care of something, why? What's going on?"

"Well, no wonder you haven't noticed. You're out west in the middle of fucking nowhere." He could hear the fake laughter. She was trying to comfort herself.

"Aleks!" He snapped softly. "What's going on?"

"The city is suffering from a blackout. We have an awful storm going on over here."

"Aleks, that's normal. Chicago is a windy city and we're known for our storms, just relax, alright? The power will-"

"Aiden, shut up and listen to me!" The vigilante fell silent. She sounded frantic now. "The club's been shut down because it was the source of the blackout. The power lines are dangling in front of the doors, transformers blew up and people have already gotten hurt! Pixel got everyone out of the club but she couldn't find Jay. I don't know where he is. I can't get inside because the cops have the place surrounded."

"How'd you even get everyone out?" Concern for his partner started to fill him.

"The back entrance, but the cops probably have that blocked off by now too."

"Alright, I'm on my way. Just stay in the area, keep out of sight and keep an eye out for him." She softly whispered 'alright'. The call was cut. He put his phone away and glanced over at his current assignment, a bunch gang members that were causing trouble. "I'll be back for you later. I've got more important shit to deal with it."

Aiden ran over to the car he had gotten fro Jordi, nothing special, just a stealth edition of the Papavero. It was a beautiful car and he tried not to treat it like he treated the other vehicles he had gotten in the past. He quickly got into the driver's seat, got the engine going and sped off towards the city. All red lights and signs were ignored.

JB felt weak and helpless for the first time in a long time. The last time he had this feeling was when he was getting chased by a certain vigilante and he thought his life would end. But right now there was no Aiden. It was just him, the silence and the darkness. He couldn't hear the storm outside anymore but he was locked in a soundproof room. No one could hear him. No one could save him.

"I'm going to die here," He whispered softly as he curled up into a ball on the couch. "I don't want to fucking die here but it's going to happen!" The DJ didn't seem to care that his little whimpers and sobs were steadily turning into a full blown temper tantrum.

"I just want to go home and go to bed and forget about this! I want this to be a fucking nightmare!" He hugged onto a throw pillow tightly. "I wish this never happened. I wish this stupid storm never fucking started! I wish Aiden just-" What did he wish the vigilante did? Maybe for the man to have killed him that night? Put an end to his life?

No, no... no, no, no. I wouldn't wish for that! JB throught frantically. If, if he killed me then I wouldn't be with him! Aleks wouldn't have any friends! I... I'm happy he didn't kill me. I'm just, I'm just upset that... I'm stuck here and-

"There's nothing I can do about it." He buried his face into the pillow and though he tried to fight back the tears, there was no stopping them. Not this time.

As Aiden entered Parker Square he saw what Aleks meant by awful storm. He drifted around corners with caution, not wanting to get into a crash and making himself useless to JB. The car was great but it didn't handle slick roads too well. When he a stretch of road he accelerated like it was no one's business, ignoring the horns and angry pedestrians that were still walking around.

"I don't have time to deal with this," He muttered angrily as he clicked a button on his phone. The bridge that separated him from the Loop started to rise and cars that were preparing to cross it backed off. He pressed down on the gas pedal and went soaring into the air. For just a few brief seconds the car flew through the sky and then gravity grabbed onto it, bringing it back down to the streets. He felt a slight pain when his car collided with the asphalt but he kept his foot on the gas. He had finally reached the Loop.

"Now I just need to find Aleks and Jay." He started tapping away on his phone until he was finally able to trace the female hacker's last call. She was hiding in some alleyway near the club. How the cops hadn't found her yet was no surprise to him. Aleks was small and easily missed in a crowd unless you were really looking for her. He silently pulled into an alleyway that was connected to the one she was in, killed the engine and made his way to her. He peered around the corner and saw a small figure huddled down, staring at something, most likely a phone.

"Aleks." She didn't hear him and for a moment he thought it was someone else but as he edged closer he saw that it was her. She probably just didn't hear him over the sirens, thunder and wind. He crouched down and put a hand on her shoulder. Aleks jumped a few feet in the air and stared at him with uncertainty until she realized it was him.

"You're finally here!" She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. Now he knew that worry for JB was taking over her because this was unusual behavior. He sighed and patted her back. "You need to find Jay! I've tried to call him and text him and everything but there's no response. Aiden, what if he's hurt? What if he's dead? What if he-" The vigilante put a hand over her mouth.

"Enough with the what if's, alright?" She nodded her head and he withdrew his hand. "Alright, now relax. I'm going to go in there and find him. I want you to stay here and help me. I only need to distract the cops in any way you can. You think you can do that for me?" It was like speaking with a frightened child but he couldn't blame her. JB was her only friend aside from Pixel, but the latter was more of a work friend than anything else.

"Yeah, I can do that." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a few tiny devices. "What are those?"

"These are lures. They make different sounds that will attract their attention. They'll investigate it and it'll give me some time to get through. Only use them if you have no other options. Jam communications, distract them, use whatever you can besides those. You can only activate them one at a time so use them wisely." Aleks nodded her head again. "You going to be alright by yourself?" He saw a flash of the feisty hacker he knew.

"I can take care of myself," She huffed out. He chuckled and pulled up his mask before slowly walking out into the street, ducking behind a car. Aleks worked her magic and brought up her profile app. She scanned the cops for any signs of weak points and surprisingly found quite a few.

"Let's get to work," She whispered as she disabled any reinforcement calls. Then the real fun started when she clicked a button that jammed another cop's communication bud. He doubled over in pain as he clenched his head. She watched Aiden zip across the street and duck down behind another car. The next cop had no weak spot to manipulate so she grabbed a lure and tossed it away. With a click of a button the sound of a barking dog echoed through the rain. The cop was startled and started edging towards the source. Aiden took this opportunity and ducked into an alleyway. She would have been helpless if not for the camera. With a grin she hacked it and got a good view of the back. There was indeed a cop guarding the back entrance into the club. But he had a weak point: an active grenade.

"Oh please, oh please throw it away," She mumbled as she activated it. The cop started freaking out and patting himself down. She was filled with relief when he found the grenade and tossed it away. His post was abandoned to see what could have caused it to go off. Aiden slipped by him no problem and went into the club. Now all she could do was wait.

The inside of the club was wrecked for the most part. Tables and chairs were flipped over, glass and splashes of liquid were scattered all across the floor, there was even glowing jewelry that had been abandoned. He sighed and looked around. There was no sign of the DJ so far and he knew it wouldn't be easy to find him. With a storm raging outside there was no doubt in the vigilante's mind that his partner would find the best to spot to hide in until it died down.

"Just like a rat," Aiden whispered with a soft small. Like Aleks, JB was pretty small. Not as small as the female hacker but definitely small when compared to other males, so hiding wasn't a problem for him. "Now I just need to think like him. Where would I go if I were scared of thunderstorms?"

Somewhere quiet came to mind but then he was reminded that this was a club. Aiden suddenly grinned. That's right. This was a club and no doubt if you wanted to have a little privacy then you go to a soundproof room. He knew there were a few upstairs of them because he had been dragged into one by his eager lover to have a little private conversation. He made his way up to the second floor of the club and passed by Defalt's set. Under it was a familiar rat mask and beneath that was a cell phone with a few missed calls and texts. Aiden picked them up and continued onward down a hallway.

"This place is even more wrecked than the floor," He said as he looked around at all the fallen equipment that would probably cost a pretty penny to replace. More glass and alcohol was splashed across the floor. As he walked deeper in he started to wonder if JB was really down here.

"Not like I'll know since all these rooms are sound proof." Aiden sighed and made his way down the hall. He opened random doors but they were empty. He was about ready to give up until he found a particular door that was being blocked by equipment. He started to push it out of the way and reached for the handle. Slowly he opened it and peered inside. The room was dark but there was sound coming from inside. Someone was crying.

"Jay? Is that you?" Aiden asked hesitantly. The sobs suddenly stopped. The vigilante smiled and walked into the room, closing the door behind him. "Jay, it's me. It's Aiden."

There was no speaking, not even his name. The only warning he got before a pair of arms were wrapped around his waist tightly was the sound of foot steps and heavy breathing. The kid was shaking violently and whimpering. Aiden could feel the fabric of his jacket soaking up the tears but he didn't care. Defalt was safe. That was all that mattered.

"Hey, it's alright. There's no reason for you to be scared of thunderstorms, Jay. They can't hurt you," He whispered soothingly as he rested his hands on the DJ's lower back. "We'll stay here until it blows over." The Fox started pulling his young partner over to the couch until the back of his legs hit it. He sat down and pulled Defalt down into his lap.

"Where's Aleks?" He muttered. "And Pixel?"

"Both safe." Aiden pulled out his phone. He tapped an app and located both of the bartenders. "Pixel is at home right now and Aleks is in the car I parked in the alley. Nothing bad will happen to her. Just like nothing bad will happen to you. Not while I'm around."

"Do you promise?" JB looked up at his partner. Aiden smiled and pressed a kiss to those pouting lips, happy that the DJ responded by kissing back, even if was only slightly. When they pulled away Aiden just stared into those piercing blue eyes and asked,

"Do you trust me?"

"Yes!" He always trusted his partner, no matter what.

"Alright then." That was the answer to JB's question and he was satisfied with it. Aiden's fingers carded through the dark hair, gently tugging on the strands that were colored blue. It made the kid squeak and the vigilante chuckled. "My little mouse."

"Don't call me that," JB muttered into the older man's chest. Another moment of silence passed. "When do you think the storm will end?"

"Not sure. But don't worry it, alright?" JB nodded and closed his eyes, content with the fact that he wasn't alone anymore. If being stuck in a club because of a Gods awful storm that caused a horrible blackout meant that he got to be with Aiden then he certainly wasn't going to complain.

"I love you, Aiden." He blushed as he uttered those words. The deep rumble that vibrated in his lover's chest just made it worse.

"Love you too, Jay."