Kate rode in the backseat, barely listening to the idle chatter of the other Joes. Her gaze was fixated on the outside world as she watched buildings, cars, and people fly past her vision. She was vaguely aware of Scarlett sitting in the seat in front of her, discussing an escape and protection strategies at their next location. No chances were being taken. But all Midnight's Shadow could focus on was the meeting with the CEO of Moon Industries – Warren LeMonferet.
Her mind couldn't stop churning over the new information he had given her. Even his demeanor during the meeting was being examined with a fine-tooth comb, nothing not being analyzed. On one hand, this was a huge break through for her: giving her details about here parents, who they were, and what they were like. On the other hand, this could all be a ruse. That for some currently unknown reason, Warren lied to her: the accident, his explanation of her father's erratic behavior, and who currently owns Moon Industries. He could be telling the truth but they all seemed to be vague and easy answers to their questions, easily prepped ahead of time for such a meeting. Something deep in her gut told her to not trust this man, to not give him everything. An image of the other man conjured in her mind of him sitting slumped in his leather office chair, a glass of scotch in hand, looking defeated as his gaze looked out the window of his penthouse office.
Midnight's Shadow was snapped out of her reverie by the baritone voice of Heavy Duty announcing, "We're here."
The rental car slowed to a stop on the curb of a massive high rise building in downtown London. The young woman's head craned to see the upper reaches of the apartment building. A few balconies ringed the undoubtedly expensive high rise, decorated with lush greenery. Glass elevators moved through clear tubes, delivering their passengers from level to level with fast and efficient ease. The glass exterior of the building glinted in the sunlight, momentarily blinding her as it glared into her eyes.
Her observations were cut short as Kate received a light nudge at her ribs. Surprised by the sudden contact, the dark haired woman turned around to see Breaker looking at her, eyebrows raised. "Go on, go," he said, gesturing to the door.
She nodded stiffly and gingerly exited the rental car. Scarlett was already out of the car, her head on a constant swivel as she scrutinized every passerby for a possible threat. She noted that Scarlett had automatically placed herself between Kate and the rest of the crowd as the walked down the busy sidewalk, not paying these new arrivals any heed. That is until the gazes started lingering and a couple people started walking faster. It was at that moment that Midnight's Shadow knew Snake Eyes had exited the car as well.
There still hadn't been a moment for the two of them to try to talk since their brief interaction in the Moon Industries lobby. Kate felt a little better knowing she had put herself out there and stated some of her feelings to the ever silent ninja but she still felt on edge around him. And she probably would continue to feel this way until the issue was address and resolved.
The Alpha Team proceeded to weave through the crowds and enter through the grand doors of the apartment building. She lived here? Midnight's Shadow actually grew up in a swanky place like this? The young woman was incredulous as she surveyed her surroundings. From the exquisite marble flooring, to the crown molding and gigantic pillars, to the roaring fireplace next to the expensively furnished sitting area, to the bubbling fountain that tumbling water from the far reaches of the lofty ceiling.
Kate was snapped out of her distracted state by Scarlett swiftly striding over to a reception desk. The attendant was a woman wearing a finely press button down white shirt, black blazer and shirt. Her hair was pulled tightly back into a bun behind her head – so tightly in fact that it might was well have been part of her scalp. The other woman glanced up at Scarlett's approach. Kate couldn't hear the words that were exchanged but within a few moments, the receptionist handed the red haired woman what appeared to be a keycard. Scarlett turned around, card in hand, and beckoned for the rest of the team to follow her.
The group proceeded forward, following Scarlett down an adjoining hallway. Midnight's Shadow noticed how Heavy Duty and Breaker both took positions to either side of her, Scarlett walking in front, and Snake Eyes undoubtedly walking silently directly behind her. They were taking up defensive positions around her, guarding her from view and any possible attack. Midnight's Shadow felt close to the Alpha Team, even would go so far as to call them her friends. But it was in moments like this when she was reminded that she was also their objective – their job. They were required to be around her, learn what she knows, and make sure there is no threat, from enemies or even her. Kate reflexively wrapped her hand around one of the bandages on her forearm, like a reminder of where and who she was and why she needed to be present.
The Alpha Team rounded a corner and stepped into a waiting glass elevator. As everyone filed in, Kate was pushed to the back up against the clear glass exterior. Everyone else took up a clear position between her and the elevator door. Scarlett used the recently acquired keycard to scan at a pad on one side of the doors and the proceeded to push the button for the highest floor. After a moment, the doors shut and the elevator began to rise into the sky above. There was no music and no small talk – the elevator was completely silent except for the hum of the elevator as it ascended.
Midnight's Shadow's eyes flicked briefly over to Snake Eyes, who positioned himself to her far right, her eyes looking at his broad muscular back. She wanted to talk to him about Storm Shadow – to resolve everything so they could go back to the way they were before. Maybe she could pull him aside once they were inside the apartment and talk to him then…no that wouldn't work. What if the talk went poorly and Snake Eyes stormed off again? Not that Kate didn't think he took his job seriously and would but what if he did. She would be the reason he would get in trouble, all because she couldn't wait and poked him. It would just cause stress on them and the rest of the team at a time when it wasn't needed. So she resigned herself to wait.
Kate shifted so that she could look out the glass elevator behind her and admire the view but her eyes were automatically pulled downwards. She watched as the ground rapidly was pulling away from her, people on the sidewalk slowly becoming nothing more than specks. Kate suddenly became very aware of how high up they were as her mind began to picture falling from such a height. Her heart began to beat faster and faster, drumming in her ears, as her stomach dropped and her throat tightened. It felt like the elevator was going to fail at any moment and plunge towards the earth, that the floor would give way or the glass would shatter and she would fall out. Every muscle in Midnight's Shadow's body tensed as her palms began to sweat. Suddenly, the young woman felt light headed, like she was teetering over the edge and one nudge would push her over.
All of a sudden, a few hands clamped onto her shoulder. Kate's head snapped behind her as she noticed she had actually taken a few steps backwards without realizing it. Or maybe she had lost her balance and fallen backwards – she couldn't be sure. She felt so disoriented. It took her more than one moment to breathe again and realize that Breaker and Heavy Duty were practically holding her upright. Then, through the fog clouding her mind, Kate noticed for the first time that someone was saying her name and waving their hand in her face. Groggily, Midnight's Shadow turned her head to see Scarlett looking at her with a concerned face. She could see the other woman's lips move, could see them saying her name, but it didn't come out clearly. Like she was calling to her underwater. Kate used all the willpower she could muster to focus on Scarlett's voice. Slowly, she began to come out of the fog.
"Shadow? Shadow, can you hear me? Come on, say something to me," Scarlett repeatedly asked, her voice filled with concern.
Kate wet her lips, her throat suddenly feeling dry. She blinked her eyes a few times to focus more. "I'm…I'm fine," she said, shrugging out of the strong grips of Breaker and Heavy.
"What happened?" she could hear the Moroccan asked hurriedly from behind her.
Midnight's Shadow glanced between the worried faces of the Alpha Team. Her eyes rested momentarily on the masked face of Snake Eyes, his intense gaze piercing her over Scarlett's soldier, before she returned to Scarlett. She took a few more steadying breaths, feeling a bit better now as her heartbeat began to slowly turn back to normal. "I think I learned something new about myself," she said, bending over a bit to rest her hands on her legs and brace herself as she continued to focus on my breathing. After a few long seconds she straightened herself to her full height with one last large sigh. "I apparently don't do well with heights."
Kate could almost feel the relief flooding the elevator. Apparently they were worried it was something much worse. "How do you feel? Your eyes glazed over for a minute and you started to fall. Lucky for you these boys," Scarlett glanced at Heavy and Breaker, patting the Moroccan on the shoulder since he was the closest, "have good reflexes."
The young woman nodded to the other two men. "Thank you." She swallowed as her ears began to pop with the raising altitude. "I'm fine. I feel better than I was when I was near the edge." Kate risked a glance behind her but noticed for the first time that her view was now blocked by a large shadowy object: Snake Eyes. She hadn't even noticed him move to take up a place behind her. Either because she was too disoriented to pay attention or because the sly ninja was just that good. But either way, she was grateful to him for having the foresight to now place himself between her and the clear glass exterior of the steadily rising elevator. For a moment, Kate's eyes locked onto the dark visor of the black clad ninja. For that moment, any current tension left between the both of them and dissipated into the air. All that was left was the kinship they had felt for each other before the mention of a certain white ninja. And, Kate felt comforted by knowing Snake Eyes, the infallible ninja, was nearby looking out for her.
But then, as brief as it had been, the moment broke and Kate turned back around to face the rest of the team. "We could stop the elevator and take the stairs the rest of the way, if you want," Heavy Duty offered, his arms crossed over his heavily muscled chest as he regarded her with his usual stony gaze.
Midnight's Shadow shook her head. "There's no point. We're almost there. I'll tough it out." The other seemed to hesitate. Glancing at each other. The dark haired woman steeled herself. "I'm fine. Let's just keep going," she said firmly, no waver evident in her voice. The others still hesitated to turn around, exchanging glances between one another.
Scarlett was the first to speak. "Shadow…this is going to sound like an odd question but why were you snapping your fingers like that?"
Kate's brow furrowed and her head cocked slightly in confusion. "What are you talking about?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Your hands were at your sides but you kept snapping the fingers on your left hand. Like this," Breaker held up a hand, joined his middle finger and thumb, and snapped his fingers. "That's what let us know something was going on." His arm returned to his side.
"Yeah, and by the time we turned around you were already starting to fall," Heavy Duty finished.
Snapping her fingers? Why? She didn't remember doing that at all. "I…I don't know what to say," Kate began. "I don't remember doing that at all."
"Maybe its an old habit from your past life coming back? Used to distract you from your fear of heights?" Breaker offered.
"We're in what is possibly a familiar environment for you so it would make sense if it triggered something," Scarlett continued. She shrugged and smiled at Kate. "It seems harmless though so I wouldn't worry about it. Let's just focus on what's ahead, alright?"
Kate nodded her agreement. Satisfied, the rest of the group turned back around to face the elevator doors.
Despite herself, Kate flushed with embarrassment and inwardly kicked herself for looking so weak. She was in an elevator with some of the top soldiers in the entire world and she faints after looking out a window. So stupid.
But that was so odd about what Scarlett brought up. Why would she be snapping her fingers like that? It is so odd. And the fact that she's not even aware of it happening is even more strange. Was it really a coping mechanism like Breaker suggested? Or maybe it was something else, though Kate couldn't imagine what. Either way, she wasn't going to get any answers about it now. Just add it to the growing list of things she didn't understand about herself.
Midnight's Shadow closed her eyes and began to focus on something else. Something to distract her from being in a tiny glass box rising steadily higher in the air. Her hand gripped her arm, her thumb moving side to side as it stroked her pale skin in an almost soothing gesture. The young woman focused on keeping her breathing deep and even, keeping her heart beat calm. But still her mind drifted to the world plummeting away just a few feet below her. Despite herself, Kate couldn't feel herself growing faint again, teetering slightly back and forth. She did her best to adjust herself, not letting anyone else notice. But then she leaned back too far and her shoulder blades came in contact with something hard.
She inhaled slightly with surprise but dared not turn around because she knew she had unintentionally leaned into Snake Eyes. The ninja gave no indication that he noticed, which Kate was grateful for. She was embarrassed enough about this newly discovered weakness of hers. Her heart beat began rapidly increasing, but she wasn't sure it was because of the elevator anymore.
Doing her best, Kate leaned forward so she was no longer up against him. She didn't even look back or apologize, just wanting to ignore that it happened. But her balance still hadn't returned as her mind started to return to the increasing height. Why couldn't she get rid of these thoughts? This whole ride would be so much easier if she could just focus away from them!
Suddenly, her inner thoughts were cut short as something gentle yet firm gripped Kate's shoulder. She glanced to her left to see a black gloved placed on her arm, the fingers entwining around her pale skin. It was both strong enough to hold her upright yet tender enough to be taken as a soothing gesture. Midnight's Shadow cast a glance further over her shoulder to see Snake Eyes. The black ninja's visor was tipped downward, watching her carefully. Shadow stared right back, wishing not for the first time that she could see the expression on his face right now. Eyes was standing close enough to her that with each breath, the rise of his chest gently caressed her back, causing goosebumps to rise on her arms.
She wasn't sure how long that moment lasted between them but before Kate knew it the elevator dinging to signal the arrival at their destination and the doors opened. Shadow was the first to break the gaze and she turned away from Snake Eyes. She slowly let out the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding as Snake Eyes released his grip on her arm. As Kate took one last steadying breath to calm her rapidly beating heart, all she could wonder was "what was that?"
Midnight's Shadow followed the others off the elevator and emerged into a small yet grand foyer. The floor was a classic black and white checkered patterned marble. Crown molding ringed the ceiling at the top of the crisp white walls. A thick potted fern sat in one corner, clearly fake, while an intricately painted landscape of an expansive and lush landscape adorned the other. And then in front of them loomed a single wooden door: the entrance to Kate Moon's childhood home.
"Okay," Heavy began, gathering eveyone's attention. "Remember, someone was paying for this place to be upkept. We need to assume unfriendlys are keeping tabs on this place so keep your wits about you. They probably know that we're already here. Keep a sharp eye. First sign of trouble, we bug out and head back – whether we find anything or not. If we get split up, meet at the Westwick Hotel. Is that all clear?" Everyone nodded. "Alright, let's go then."
Snake Eyes was the first to head to the door. He was so silent in his approach that Kate didn't even hear his footsteps. He crept up to the door and pressed the side of his head against the wood, listening. After a moment he leaned away, looked at the others, and shook his head. No movement inside.
"After you," Heavy said, gesturing Kate to the door.
Shadow's eyes locked onto the door. Her entire childhood was behind that door. So many answers to questions she had been asking herself for what felt like an eternity. She was so close to even finding something that could lead to her regaining all of her memory. Whether that was something she knew she wanted yet, remained to be seen but she needed to continue. She had to.
Kate took a few steps forward until she stood before the large wooden front door, Snake Eyes moving out of her path. Her heart began to beat faster as her eyes drifted down to look at the door handle. For some unexplainable reason, she felt on edge but she forced the feeling away.
Extending her hand, Kate Moon gripped the cool metal door handle and swung the door open.
A/N: So sorry for another unintentional hiatus, right after I said I was coming back. Kinda had a traumatic event happen in my life that took away my willpower to write. But I'm overcoming and hopefully back to writing this story, which is by far my favorite one I've written. Its going to get so much better – especially since there will be a Snake Eyes movie coming out at some point! Yay!
Thank you to everyone that has stuck around to continue reading this story. It means a lot to me, you have absolutely no idea. So, as always, be sure to leave a review or send me a PM to let me know what you think! What do you think they'll find in Kate's childhood home? 😊