Blacklight S2 (R)

[Ange Keating]

{name:Elijah #|#picture:17}

“Sorry about that,” Elijah murmured with a shrug, instantly closing the gap between them as he rested a hand on the small of her back, “she means nothing to me.” His cheek was still raw and reddened from the harsh impact of the woman’s hand but he forced the slight sting away. Elijah didn’t want to fight with Emma; he just wanted things to be carefree again, when they used to pretend-hate each other purely for the fun of it.

"Is that true?" Emma asked. "What she said, I mean."

He paused for several excruciating seconds before murmuring, “Yeah. I…couldn’t stop thinking about you that night, Em. I thought I’d gotten over what we had, and I tried to fight it, but it was just a failed attempt.” Elijah had fallen hopelessly in love with her, no matter how much he wanted to try and hold onto a semblance of his old lifestyle, his safety net. But his life had changed in wonderful ways after she had entered it and there was no escaping the fact.

"I can't believe you did that," She tried in vain to fight off her laugh. "That was why you were so shady about the whole thing. What did she do when you... said it?"
Was she…actually laughing? Elijah couldn’t help but follow suit with a low snicker. “Wasn’t too far off from tonight. Stormed out pissed as hell calling me a lunatic. I regret nothing though.” Honestly, he couldn’t have possibly cared less about the girl. She had been a piece of ass that looked good at the time; nothing more, nothing less.

He rested his chin on top of her soft bed of curls, light green eyes gazing out at the dispersing floor. Elijah just wanted to get the hell out of there, preferably with Emma. It wasn’t crazy to believe the last thing he wanted to do was work overtime on a shit guarding job that did nothing to exercise his natural abilities. Besides, ninety-five percent of the things he wanted to do to Emma at that very second were one-hundred percent inappropriate.

A mischievous grin spread across his lips instantly, eyebrow perking upwards. “This party’s getting lamer by the second. Wanna cut out?”
“I thought you’d never ask.”

~~~

“Look who’s back!” Sol exclaimed, pressing a cool beer to her lips as she took a large swallow. “And…together? Am I missing something?”
"Wow, nothing gets past you, does it?"
Elijah draped an arm around Emma’s shoulder, pressing a firm kiss to her cheek, the flesh burning red against his touch. “I fucked up and she, being the most amazing person I know, gave me another chance.”
“Isn’t that cute?” Sol responded with a grin. “Can’t say Ryan will feel the same way, though. He went to bed, but there’ll be hell to pay in the morning.”
Elijah shrugged. “Who honestly gives a damn? He could curl away in a little depressing ball in his room and throw an adolescent temper tantrum for all I care.” Elijah had done literally nothing other than breathe in his presence so the guy’s random hatred towards him was nothing short of idiotic. Ryan was the one that decided to treat him like he was the fucking Devil’s long lost son before allowing him the opportunity to open his mouth so he had every right not to enjoy his presence in return.
"It has nothing to do with Ryan, or anyone else for that matter, what Elijah and I do," Emma growled. "He'll just have to deal with it."
Sol shrugged, muttering something that sounded like, “Well, I told him that…”
Elijah had already tuned out of the conversation, the only woman at the forefront of his thoughts being the one that had her fingers curled around his bicep securely. He had no idea how much he had missed that until her familiar scent was infiltrating his nostrils, her slender form melding perfectly with his.

[/blockquote][/size]

[laura]

{name:Emma#|#picture:18}

Emma yawned and stretched out, the movement jostling the sleeping form beside her. Elijah groaned lightly and buried his face deeper into the pillow, obviously clinging onto the last shreds of sleep for a long as he possibly could. Emma rolled over, half lying on his back as she slowly ran her fingers through his hair. “Time to wake up, big guy.”
“No…” He muffled, not so much as bothering to raise his head.
Reaching above their heads, Emma pressed the one of three buttons, launching up the blinds. “It’s nearly ten. I’ve never ever slept this late before.”
Light gradually seeped into the room, the grim grey hologram clouds overhead signalling the bleak weather to come.
“Come on,” She said, pressing her mouth briefly to the back of his head before pushing up from the bed, the sheets falling away as she padded across the bedroom floor to the bathroom, her fingers combing through her wayward hair as she went.

The auto-light flickered on, illuminating the white tiled bathroom. Emma stepped up to the long mirror hanging off the far wall and closely inspected her reflection, the prominent scar on her shoulder never failing to catch her attention.
How would she look without it? Emma couldn’t help but let the thought drift idly through her mind. There were ways to surgically remove it, but the prices were far out of Emma’s reach, stretching off into the thousands.
Why had it never bothered her as much as it did now? The ugly mark on her right shoulder, dark against her pale skin… it wasn’t like Elijah had ever pointed it out, even though he was all too aware it was there.

Movement in the mirror caught her eye, only to find Elijah stood (gloriously naked) in the doorway, all traces of sleep now vanished from his face, his gaze now permanently fixed on her.
Emma caught his eye in the mirror. “I thought you were sleeping.”
“I’m not now.”
“I can see that.”

Elijah moved up behind her, his body heat instantly sending a shiver up her spine. No matter how many times he touched her, she always had the same reaction; the shiver, the goosebumps, it made her feel like a silly, adolescent teenage girl, not a woman nearing thirty.

Her skin burned under his fingers when he brushed her hair off her shoulder, gathering it instead on to her left side, What he did next had her breath catching in her throat.
Starting at the spot behind her ear, Elijah attentively left a trail of kisses across her neck and shoulder, lingering over her scar as his hands moved to wrap around her stomach, hugging her to him.

No, Emma thought to herself happily, the scar doesn’t bother him.
Her hands covered his, “I need a shower, Elijah…” Not that she wanted him to let go of her, but she knew if she didn’t make him now she never would.
“What a coincidence,” he murmured against her skin. “I do, too.”
“I was in here first.”
His eyes caught hers once more in their reflection. “It’s a big shower, Em. Real big.”
She cocked a brow at him, his suggestion making yet another wave of shivers ride through her. Oh, how she’d missed him, missed this.

***

By the time they’d finished in the shower and gotten dressed for the day, Sol and Ryan were working on lunch, in a deep discussion about something.
“You’re being ridiculous,” Sol groaned, dropping her head back in frustration. “You knew as well as I did that it wouldn’t last. He was mopping around the place like a puppy in a puddle and as for her… well, she was taking her stress out on everyone.”
“She’s the one being ridiculous. What is she, a masochist?”
“Wow,” Elijah said as they strolled into the room. “Who are you two talking about? They sound insane, whoever it is.”
Emma pushed up onto one of the kitchen stools. “A masochist? That’s a new name for me, Ryan.”

Ryan swallowed but stood his ground firmly. “I think you’re an idiot, Emma.”
Elijah took the stool beside her, “And I think you’re a prick.”
“I wasn’t talking to you,” He growled, shooting Elijah a deathly glare. “You must be loving this – knowing that no matter how many times you fuck up and hurt her, she’ll always take you back, because her love for you blinds her.”

[/blockquote][/font]

[Ange Keating]

{name:Elijah #|#picture:17}

Elijah rolled his eyes. “As much as I’d love to entertain the outstanding amount of BS that comes out of your mouth on a daily basis, I have a job to fulfill.”

After the ball Landry had informed the pair of a brand new assignment involving one of D-79’s most infamous law offices. Due to the ordainment of the latest mayor, the building had recently been buzzing with a plethora of new cases. They were going there solely to arrest Sawyer Boudret, one of the largest lawyers in all of the Northern side. His success rate was at a shocking 98%, raking in millions of dollars a year off of clients that pined for his services. But as of recent, news had slipped through the grapevine that he had tampered with evidence on numerous occasions to turn the trial in his favor, not like it had been any true surprise to Elijah. How the hell had this guy stayed in business with such crazy statistics?

“I learned from the best,” he hissed.
Sol pinched the bridge of her nose. “Can we get past all the petty drama, please?”
Emma crossed her arms, "I hate to say it, but Sol's right. It needs to stop."
“Anyways,” he reached to snatch a piece of toast from Sol’s plate, taking a monster bite of the crispy bread, “Ready, Em? Sooner we can accomplish this, the better.” Quite frankly, Elijah had better things to exert his energy on.
“As ready as I’ll ever be,” she responded.

***

Altimus Law was a large, glass structure that consumed most of Griar road, numerous bodies clad in expensive suits and dresses rushing up and down the stairs. A large bridge connected the two dome-shaped buildings, flying cars shooting out of the car garage and into the gloomy, hologram sky. Emma stood close to his side, her bright red tendrils pulled tightly back into a ponytail, heels clicking against the cement.

“Remind me why I have to wear heels again?” she groaned. “I feel like if the devil made an ultimate torture device, this would be it.”
“Well you wouldn’t let me carry you here,” Elijah replied with a tiny grin, "so I guess you're fucked."
She rolled her eyes before climbing the silver steps leading to the grand doors. “Okay, so we’re graduates fresh out of Law School seeking an internship. You remember, right?”
Elijah let an obnoxious amount of air flit past his lips. “Of course I remember. It’s not like I’m going to screw this up, sweetheart.”
“Ah yes, because you’re Elijah Walker, right? And it’s impossible for him to ever make a mistake.”
He snickered, “Look who’s finally understanding?”

The pair entered into the crisp, modern lobby, rich black marble shrouding the room. A receptionist typed away at a virtual keyboard, a headset residing firmly on her short, blonde curls as her wide eyes blinked up at them expectantly.
“Hello,” Emma greeted, mustering as much politeness as physically possible, “We’re recent graduates of Optimus University and looking for an internship?”
“Oh! Well you’ll have to schedule an appointment. Applicants typically have to wait four to six weeks before a call back but I could most certainly give you an app—“
“We’re not looking for an application,” Elijah sternly intervened. “We were actually hoping to speak with Sawyer Boudret?”
Her muscles tensed slightly. “I can’t simply allow you to waltz into his office unexpected. Now, once again, I apologize but you’ll either have to take an application or leave.”
“Well—“
“Thank you for your time,” Emma responded suddenly, her fingers curling around his wrist as she dragged him off towards the bathrooms. The receptionist still gazed at the pair, hints of suspicion welling in her hazel orbs.

“What the hell? We have to get up there!” Elijah exclaimed.
Emma didn’t answer him though, only balling his fresh, wing-tipped blouse in a fist and dragging him inconspicuously into the woman’s restroom.
A lady had just finished applying her lipstick, mouth gaping open at the presence of a male before Emma was instantly closing the gap between them, her voice sharp and harsh, “You will not say a word.”
She nodded nervously, fingers trembling with the golden tube before scuttling out of the bathroom.

Elijah turned towards her. “Please indulge me on why we’re in here when we should be finding a way into Boudret’s office.”
Emma quickly dashed over to a stall, pushing open the door and climbing onto the lid of the toilet. “If we can’t get in the formal way, we’ll have to take the informal route.
“The vents,” Elijah mused, eyebrows shooting upwards. Why hadn’t he thought of that?
“Yes, the vents. Hope you aren’t claustrophobic, big guy, because we’re going up. Now lift.”

[/blockquote][/size]

[laura]

{name:Emma#|#picture:18}

Well maintained, modern style buildings –like the one they were currently in – were always trusted to have wide airy ventilation systems, big enough to fit a six-foot-something, muscled man through. Being small(er) Emma had little trouble crawling on her hands and knees through the metal tunnels, her head a good inch away from touching the top and the sides equally as spacious. Elijah on the other hand…
“Fuck!” He hissed, as yet another ‘clang’ sounded out. “By the time we get out of here, I’m going to have a fucking concussion.”
“Would you shut up?” Emma breathed, shooting him a glare over her shoulder. He was grimacing and rubbing at his forehead with the palm of his hand. Even in a situation like this, with his own stupidity threatening to drive her insane, Emma found herself wanting to reach out and comfort him. “If you keep hitting things you’re going to give us away.”
“I can’t help it!” Elijah protested, dropping his hand away. “I’m too big for this damn vent, not to mention I can’t help but look up – and when I do, bam, hello head ache.”

She moved on, but not without rolling her eyes first. “Why do you have to look up? Just follow my feet.”
“No offense, Em, sweetheart, but the view when I look a little higher is much better.”
Emma gave a quick wiggle of her hips, a grin splitting her lips when she imagined the look on his face.
A low drawn-out breath sounded behind her. “You’re gunna be the goddamn death of m – OW! Jesus Christ!”
Yet another clang sounded, this one having the opposite effect to the last, and making her chuckle beneath her breath.

They crawled for another minute or two in silence, with not another word spoken or another part of Elijah’s body attacking the insides of the vent (self-control must have won out after the hip wiggle), until they came across an open hatch into a room below.
She approached it with caution, peering down into what appeared to be an office with no-one inside.
That was…odd. Either someone had wanted in to the room too, or someone had needed to leave.
Emma looked back, exchanging a brief and hushed look. Despite the reasons for why the vent door was open, they needed to go in, and without another moment of hesitation that’s just what they did. Swinging her legs down through the hole, Emma gripped the edges and elegantly dropped down into the room, landing in a crouch.

One thing was for sure; it was definitely an office. There was a large, dark mahogany desk near the window, with a plush black leather chair facing outward, certificates and books lined the walls, resting on crystal clear shelving’s.
Mr Sawyer Boudret was inscribed on to the plaque resting on the desk.
“Bingo.” Emma breathed, just as Elijah dropped down next to her. “This is the place.”
He dusted himself off. “And the guys not here.”
“He’ll come back and then we –“
The creak of a door echoed into the empty room, a millisecond before Emma felt the cold steal of a blade against her neck, a body pressed tightly against her back.
“Who the hell are you?” A female voice asked angrily. “Make one step, pretty boy, and Red is going to get it.”
The cupboard door resting against her arm told Emma everything. “And why were you hiding in there?” She asked calmly, unfazed by the knife at her throat.
“You don’t need to worry about that.”
Emma caught sight of the vent above them. “So, you’re the one that opened that.”

The blade pressed in closer, “I could ask you what the hell you were doing in there too.”
“You could.”
“We’re here for Sawyer Boudret,” Elijah told her, his gaze fixed onto the knife. “Have you seen him?”
A laugh breathed out against Emma’s cheek. “Oh, I’ve seen him. He’s here, actually.”
Without moving a muscle, Elijah glanced around the wide office. “Is he…invisible?”
“He’s checking out the view that his blood money paid for.” She said, angling Emma toward the window and the chair facing outwards. “Well, he was checking out the view. It was the last thing he got to see.”

[/blockquote][/font]

[Ange Keating]

{name:Elijah #|#picture:17}

Elijah felt like he was missing a large portion of the big picture, blinking at the slender woman clad in a business skirt and chiffon blouse, her brunette waves loose around her shoulders. A flood of realization suddenly shook his being when the large glass window was propped slightly open, the treacherous streets several stories down buzzing below them. His fingers toyed with the hem of his shirt, feeling the outline of his tranquilizer as he watched her closely.

She killed Sawyer Boudret. Holy hell. Who was this chick?

“Why’d you kill him?” Elijah asked, hand resting casually on his hip as he calculated his next movement. Emma remained perfectly calm against the knife, fingers resting on her thigh as she counted down slowly. Three.
“He was robbing the middle class; framing innocent people for things they didn’t do just so his wealthy cliental could escape jail with a simple slap on the wrist.”
“But do you have the right to play God?” Elijah continued, eyes locking with hers as Emma’s fingers flickered at the edge of his periphery. Two.
She shrugged, “Does he have the right to pick and choose who’s lives to ruin? In a world like D-79, no one follows the rights of a human being anymore.”

Abruptly, Emma lifted only one finger, the events to follow transpiring incredibly fast. Elijah flew across the rich, hardwood table, his partner instantly elbowing the woman in her gut as she let out a strangled cry.
“Holding a knife to a member of the FBI wasn’t exactly your brightest move, darling,” he murmured before pressing a button on his belt, the transparent handcuffs materializing before them.
“Don’t you see?” she exclaimed, “In a few months even you’ll be a prisoner to the government. They’re killing children! Arresting innocent people! Death reeks the streets each and every day. You’re making a mistake!”
"Children?" Emma grimaced before turning to him. "They're not, are they...?"

Coming from a family that made a comfortable six-figure salary, Elijah had no experience with pure struggle. When if someone didn’t pull in enough money for the month, the electricity or water went out. He could sympathize though, images of children being slaughtered because of their economical standing instigating his thoughts. Inequality was terrible, no matter who it was happening to. It caused an uncomfortable stone to settle in his stomach, his grip around her wrists loosening.

“Yes,” the woman sighed, dark eyes settling on the pair with all the genuineness she could possibly muster. Elijah found himself believing her. “I’m trying to make a difference and the route may not be saintly, but at least I’m doing something. Unlike the government, who just lets this…monster terrorize other people!”

“Let her go,” Emma murmured, causing him to release his grip on her.
“Thank you.” She pressed her hands together in gratitude, already stooping down to pick up the black backpack she had been carrying. Then, starting towards the couch that offered perfect elevation into the air vent, she paused, glancing over her shoulder once more. “If you—If you ever want to join this cause and stop the monstrosities that plague the streets daily, shoot me a call.”

She reached into the backpack, removing a small hologram with her digits etched on the back. Elijah took it, jaw tightening as he looked over the information.
The smallest twitch of a sheepish grin pulled at her lips before she was hoisting herself into the vent, leaving the two of them in the unbearable silence of the office.

[/blockquote][/size]

[laura]

{name:Emma#|#picture:18}

When they finally exited the bathroom, the receptionist they’d spoken to earlier was leaning on her desk, talking frantically with one of the buildings security guards. They barely blinked when Emma and Elijah walked past them and exited the building, too busy caught up in the fact that their best lawyer was now decorating the curb with his guts.
The street was in chaos, with people running to the scene and women screaming, claiming they’d seen him fall, others sure they’d watched him jump.
They didn’t intend to stick around longer than they had to and were quickly back in the car, heading toward the agency, the mysterious woman’s words still lingering in the air between them.

Emma inspected the card she’d given to Elijah, reading and rereading the number until she practically knew them off by heart.
Join the cause. Stop it all. Fight back.
She looked out the window, fighting off a frown as she glanced down at the streets below. How many times had she watched the news over the last month and wished she could do more? Too many times to count. Mothers had been beaten by police officers for crimes their children had committed, trivial crimes like talking back, dropping litter, and riding their boards and bikes where they shouldn’t have been. Young women had been raped, but the men accused had been allowed to walk away, the girl pinned with the blame and a label of Whore. Children had gone missing, vanishing into thin air with no leads or answers as to where they’d gone.

The city was full of wrong doings, with the lists growing by the day.
“What if we’re fighting on the wrong side?” She murmured. “That woman, she said she was fighting against that fuckwit mayor, so what does that mean we’re doing?”
“We’re doing our job, Em.”
“Even if it’s wrong?” Emma asked. “I know Laundry is keeping us away from certain assignments, that’s why we’re hardly getting any work these days, because he’s giving other agents the jobs he knows we won’t do. Bad jobs, Elijah.”
He looked down at the wheel for a brief moment, contemplating his next words carefully. “I know. Sol was given one to do… but she refused.”
Emma turned to him. “When?”
“When we were visiting my parents.”
“And what was it?”
He shrugged, “I don’t know, she wouldn’t tell me.”
Which only told her that it was bad, since Sol was hardly the person to keep her mouth shut, no matter what it was.

Turning away once more, Emma’s thoughts once more shifted to the woman’s intense style of dealing with Boudret. Holy hell, she’d pushed him out a window, killing the bastard out right and punishing him for all his wrongs. Emma couldn’t say he hadn’t deserved it, because he had.

Growing up with the life she’d had and the district she’d lived in, Emma had grown all too accustomed to a hard life, with evil around every corner, crushing the little guy – but that had been when she was too young and too weak to fight back or even defend herself, let alone anyone else.
She wouldn’t and couldn’t go back to that.

Flicking the card through her fingers, Emma straightened, rock-hard determination solidifying in her chest.
“This isn’t us, Elijah. Sitting back and pretending that nothing is happening outside of our apartment.”
"What can we do, Em? Go against the government? Place our jobs on the line?"
“Our jobs are about helping people; what people are we helping right now? The mayor and his following of goons?”
Elijah's eyes fell to the floor before snapping up at hers, "So you're saying we should quit?"
She reached over and rested her hand on to his leg. “I’m not saying that. I’m saying we maybe take a leave of absence for a little while, give this woman a call and see where it takes us.”

[/blockquote][/font]

[Ange Keating]

{name:Elijah #|#picture:17}

Sure, what was going on in not only D-79, but the whole north, was nothing short of terrible, but were they in the position to kill people? Or lead protests? Or make choices that could potentially hurt other people? Their job was to follow the law, no matter what side it was on, and now they were going against that? Would they be pushing people out of windows or shoving a gun down their throat because they didn’t believe what they were doing was right? Elijah was all for fighting back but with situations in D-79 so intense, there was a ridiculously large chance they’d be causing more harm than good.

“What if we get arrested?” Elijah questioned, eyebrow perking up. It would be the case of the year; two of D-79’s most prized agents incarcerated for breaking the law (s). His mother would flip shit.
Emma shrugged, "We don't get caught?”
In spite of the situation, a tiny grin tugged at the corner of his lips at her comment. Nope, they couldn’t get caught. They wouldn’t. They were too good and it wouldn’t happen. Elijah Walker would never end up behind bars.

The roads were clogged with traffic, dozens of fire trucks, ambulances, and news vehicles fighting their way towards the scene. “And what about Landry? You know he’ll ask.” The older man couldn’t keep to himself for the life of him and surely he’d have a mouthful of questions on why his two highly-acclaimed workers were taking a leave of absence practically out of nowhere. They needed an alibi. Something believable.
"We can't put him in a position that could compromise us later on," She answered thoughtfully. "The less details he knows, the better."

Elijah nodded. There was no way in hell Landry would ever contribute to getting them arrested, but for their own safety, a bullshit excuse would have to suffice. Maybe they would decide to get hitched. The thought was enough to send a shiver through his spine, but it posed as the easiest way to get out without having to come up with some elaborate story. It’s not like Landry could tell them not to focus on their personal lives for awhile.

"What about Sol, Ryan, Rylee? Are we telling them about this?" Rylee was annoying and Ryan was a prick so he could most definitely do without them.
"I don't know... we should, I guess. Do you want to?"
It came down to trust; Elijah, even though he wouldn’t ever admit it, had come to trust Sol. Hell, he even trusted Rylee. But Ryan? Would the agent willingly take the opportunity to throw him under the bus even if it involved hurting Emma in the process?

“Do you trust Ryan?” Elijah figured was the better question. “We both know Sol and Rylee wouldn’t say a word.”
Her brows furrowed together thoughtfully, before she said, "Yes, I do. At the end of the day, all he really wants to do is help, too."
Elijah could have battled with her for hours about why including Ryan was a terrible idea but he thought better of it realizing that she probably knew him better than he did.

“Well,” he squeezed her hand firmly before lifting it to his lips, “I’ll stand by your decisions no matter what. And I…suppose we should get back to her as quickly as possible.”

They’d have to disclose the news with the rest tonight.

[/blockquote][/size]

[laura]

{name:Emma#|#picture:18}

Emma used the car phone, knowing for certain that it had a secure connection. After all, they always used the same car.
She dialled the number on the card, exchanging an uneasy look with Elijah just as someone picked up the line.
“Well, you didn’t waste any time, did you?” The female voice greeted.
“We want to know more about this cause,” Emma began. “For starters, who are you?”
“First things first, do I take this call as I sign that you’re interested?”
“Take it in anyway you like. I’m calling and unless you give me answers I’m hanging up.”

Elijah signalled with his hand toward the dashboard, signalling her to use the speaker system. She clicked it in to place for him to hear as well.
The woman spoke up, her voice echoing throughout the car. “Aren’t you the friendly one, Emma?”
“I don’t – “ She stopped abruptly, the woman’s words sinking in. “ – Wait, how do you know my name?”
“The same reason I know your boyfriends name, too. Elijah Walker, am I right? I didn’t know it but I’ve just been informed that I met D-79 royalty earlier this evening. I should have guessed. The signature red head and her smart-mouthed, good looking partner… I missed it completely.”

Elijah shot her a quick, perturbed glance, clearly thinking along the same lines as she was. D-79 royalty? First Ethan Lowe and now a government-hating stranger. What the hell was that all about? Sure, they were known by a select number of groups around the city - Emma for her work at the agency for the last ten years and Elijah for taking out the Blacklight killer – but that was hardly considered famous by anyone.
“Who are you?” Emma asked again impatiently. “And like I said before, you either tell us or I hang up.”
“My name is Beth and I’m a member of the small, but growing, rebellion group of D-79. Our aim is to put an end to that fuckwit mayor and his rein of terror. We have a base on Upper Level and it’s been our home for nearly a month now.”
“And taking out a lawyer helps the cause?” Elijah asked.
“Sawyer Boudret deserved to die. His actions caused so much pain, heart ache and death. I don’t regret what I did. Not to mention, he enjoyed his weekly poker game nights with said mayor.”
Emma spoke up, “So he liked to gamble?”
Beth’s tone was sharp when she answered. “It wasn’t for money.” Then, she sighed deeply. “Listen, we’re careful and smart with our actions, no-one knows who we are or what we do – we’re like shadows, but our numbers are too small to do any real good right now.”
“How many of you are there?” Emma asked.
“Four, but –“
“Four?!” Elijah blurted out, nearly choking on his own tongue. “Four people does not make up a rebellion group.”
“It only takes one person to make a different, Elijah,” Beth replied calmly. “And we each have something that we bring to the table. The two of you would make excellent additions to the team.”

Emma sat back in her seat, her arms cross tightly across her chest. “Would you be open to more members? Apart from Elijah and I, I mean.”
Pause. “I don’t see why not. Who did you have in mind?”
“We have roommates back at the agency, Ryan Gillbert and Sol Villanueva. Then there’s Elijah’s cousin –“
“Step-cousin.” Elijah corrected.
She rolled her eyes at him. “Rylee Holt. He’s a computer genius.”
Elijah shot her a look, but she held up her hand to silence him before he could utter a word.

“We’ll need to meet you all. How about tomorrow at noon? We’re three miles east, after the tunnel, head toward route 104 and break off down past Hickory Bridge. You’ll have to call me when you get close, since we’ll have to disable the alarms.”

[/blockquote][/font]

[Ange Keating]

{name:Elijah #|#picture:17}

~ ~ ~

“Road trip!” Rylee exclaimed, shoving a twizzler in his mouth. “Man, I love riding around. The wind through your hair, music on high, friends---“
“Someone shut this kid up, please, before I do,” Sol groaned before taking a long chug from her bottle of water.

Surprisingly their reaction to the news hadn’t been anything too spectacular. Sol had been excited for the change in scenery and the chance to fix the corrupt government and hopefully locate the president, Rylee had reacted in his usual annoying-overjoyed way describing it as 'an adventure!' while Ryan had been indifferent. Elijah was convinced the man didn’t care much about anything.

“Feel free to strangle him to death,” Elijah responded, maneuvering through the thickets of trees. They had been traveling for the last thirty minutes and Rylee’s mouth had been the only thing consistent.
“I will in a second,” she grumbled.
“I think I smell a—“ he paused to obnoxiously sniff the air “—Debbie Downer! Cheer up, guys! Life’s sweet.”
"Oh yea," Emma drawled, “It’s a bed of roses.”

He had followed Beth’s instructions, crossing the bridge and eventually traveling through a dirt road that led away from the bustle of the Underground. Pine and dirt instigated his nostrils, the windows of the car rolled down. In five minutes time they approached a decent-sized building, the walls thick and metallic in stark contrast against the heart of the woodland. A special keypad was embedded next to the door, a few motorcycles parked out front.

Emma had dialed in the number, talking quietly as she consulted with the woman, the doors sliding open a few moments later.

“Look who showed! Come on in, guys. I won’t try and hold you for long.”
“Thank you,” Emma responded, quickly leading the way as Elijah and the rest trailed.

The inside of the building was surprisingly cozy-looking, thick rugs adorning the foyer as a living room instantly came into view. A fireplace resided in front of the mint-colored couches, a bunch of folders and magazines piled on a glass coffee table.

“Everyone’s in the meeting room,” Beth commented, brown curls whipped in a lazy high bun, a tank top and jeans adorning her form.

She led them down a narrow corridor until they reached the end of the hall, two jet black slabs pushed together until it slowly opened before them. A high-tech room filled his vision, a dozen televisions hung along the walls with different images splayed across the front while a long round table stood in center. Three other bodies were sat at the table – Elijah’s eyes widening at a familiar one.

Lowe. Ethan Lowe. What the hell was he doing there?

“Alright. Introductions! This is Ethan Lowe, I’m sure you’ve heard of him, and the twins Lucas and Logan Fletcher.”
They all waved simultaneously before introducing themselves.
“What a treat,” Ethan responded with a grin.

Beth smirked. “Anyways, on to business. We’re a small Rebel group hoping to shut down the mayor and locate the president to restore peace.”
Elijah plopped down onto the spiral chair, leaning forward on the glossy table. “Thing is, we don’t know if the president is dead. If he is, we’re left with the vice president who is just as shitty as the mayor," he countered.
“The president’s not dead,” Ethan replied, “my father received the inside on his status and apparently there’s a good chance he’s being held hostage to make the entire northern side believe he’s passed. Basically the vice president wants full power and as soon as he signs that slip of paper in six months time, we’re stuck with him for four years and we all know he’ll place the mayor as vice.”
“So we have approximately twenty four weeks to find him,” Elijah murmured.

“Precisely,” Beth replied. “Which means mostly every second of every day needs to be spent finding this man, or keeping the city stable until we do. So far we’ve tried to divide ourselves into two sectors; the research sector and the attack sector. If you all agree to join us, our research sector would comprise of Lucas, Ethan and Rylee. For the actual attack sector, AKA the ones who go out and actively fight and/or do missions would involve me, Elijah, Emma, Sol, Ryan and Logan.”

Everyone nodded in response.

“But I guess, first things first, are you guys in?”

[/blockquote][/size]

[laura]

{name:Emma#|#picture:18}

Emma moved to Elijah’s side, not feeling quite comfortable enough to take a seat yet.
”I’m in,” Sol answered first, with a casual shrug of her slim shoulders.
Rylee was buzzing around the room, his blue eyes wide and alive with excitement. “The technology in here – it’s outstanding! Our these the new H4000’s? Holy shit! They aren’t even out yet! Will I get to work with these if I say yes?”
Ethan smiled, “But of course.”
“Then yes, baby, yes! I’m so in.”
Ryan nodded indifferently.

Elijah and Emma looked to one another, a silent conversation going on that no-one else could hear.
“We’re putting a lot of shit on the line for this,” Elijah said. “We have jobs to do, jobs within the law and you’re asking us to start breaking them. Sorry if we don’t jump at the opportunity.”
Emma turned away from him, but not without slipping her hand over his shoulder first. “Elijah’s having a hard time adjusting to the thought of working against the government. As federal agents, it won’t look good if we get caught.”
“You won’t get caught,” Ethan said, leaning back in his chair. “We have ways to avoid such situations. Lucas here -” He waved a hand at one of the twins, the one wearing thick rimmed glasses. “- is our resident genius. He’s come on leaps and bounds in the inventions department.”
“Plus,” Beth smiled from Emma’s other side. “We’re not working against the government, so to say, we’re working to bring the old one back.”

Elijah was tense beneath her hold, making her give him a reassuring squeeze before she asked her next question. “Where will we live?”
“Here, of course,” Ethan answered, pushing up from his seat. “We have five rooms upstairs.”
“Five?” Sol blinked. “I can’t count worth shit, but I do know that there are nine of us…”
“Three of the rooms are big enough for two people.”
“One for Logan and Lucas, then I have one and Ethan has to the other. Two of you can bunk with us.”
Sol looked up from inspecting her nails. “Dibs on that, darling.”

The impatient drumming of fingers on the table top sounded, getting louder and louder by the second. All eyes turned on Elijah, his long fingers stilling their rhythmic dance.
“Emma and I stay together and that includes where we sleep.”
Ethan narrowed his eyes, but nodded his head anyway. “That’s understandable. How about this – you and Emma can have my room, then the twins have the other, girls have the last and Ryan and I take the two singles.”
Emma found herself frowning. “What about Rylee?”
Everyone looked at him like he was nothing more than an annoyance, but Emma had taken a small (and unexpected) liking to the young man.
An odd rarity for her.

Ethan began to walk slowly around the table, his expression shadowed by the darkness of the room. “Ahh, Rylee, yes… Lucas had been using it, but something tells me that you’ll be needing it more now. If you could all roll back from the table please…”
Finally looking away from the computer monitors, his eyes resembling that of an Owl’s, Rylee watched as Ethan flicked a switch on the wall, the table gradually disappearing into the parting floor and being replaced by a flat panelled, single bed.
“No freaking way…” Rylee breathed. “I get to sleep with these babies too? Sweet!”
Sol shook her head, “If he has sex with the computers, I’m locking him up myself.”
“He didn’t mean it that way.” Emma growled.

“Is everyone happy now?” Ethan asked, his hands raised.
Rylee was already dropping down onto the bed. “Hell yeaaaa!”

[/blockquote][/font]

[Ange Keating]

{name:Elijah#|#picture:17}

A lot had happened in the capacity of forty eight hours. The entire group had made it back to the agency to pack their things, managing to come up with a completely ridiculous idea for why four people would want to have a leave of absence all at once. Elijah and Emma had claimed they were getting ‘hitched’, although Landry had hardly been surprised by the prospect, while Sol and Ryan had claimed they had slowly fallen in love over the past few weeks and wanted to take a break to explore their feelings. Elijah had nearly broken down into laughter at the straight face Sol maintained, pressing a disgustingly sweet kiss to Ryan’s cheek as he fought, with every fiber of his being, not to wince.

Elijah was surprised Landry had thoroughly believed the bullshit that spewed from their lips (either that, or he chose to ignore it, which was unlikely for him), and after stumbling out of the office, he allowed the wild hysterics to escape his throat as they descended down to the car garage. Of course they had picked up Rylee from the hotel he was still residing in, his chatter, as always, filling the vehicle. They had arrived at the hidden warehouse at around approximately eight o’clock at night, the entire crew welcoming them with open arms once again.

Beth showed them their rooms, Elijah and Emma’s a quaint space with a comforter-clad king-sized bed, an armoire, television (compliments of Ethan Lowe) and a decent-sized walk-in closet. Emma had been changing into a regular t-shirt and boy shorts by the time Elijah snaked up behind her, pressing a tender kiss to the nape of her neck.

“If we got hitched, technically this would be our honeymoon,” he murmured with a devilish grin.
"That's true... but what do people do on their honeymoon?" Emma asked, a smirk toying at her lips.
Elijah spun her around with a snicker, gently backing her into the dresser as the tips of their noses brushed softly against the other's. “It would probably start like this…” He had only gotten his hand halfway underneath her shirt before the door banged open, the little devil beaming in the doorway.

“Dinner’s ready!” Rylee exclaimed, causing them to groan in unison.

***

“Feel free to murder me if I ever turn straight,” Sol advised, directing her fork at Beth before swirling it back in her mound of spaghetti. She had colorfully retold the faux love story Ryan and her had pulled out of their asses last minute.
"Guess my chances are in the shitter,” Ethan replied, sucking his teeth obnoxiously. “Damn.”
She perked a dark eyebrow upwards. “Even if I was, in an alternate galaxy, heterosexual, I don’t typically enjoy the pretty boy, ‘I’m better than you’, types.”
“Why does everyone assume I’m like that?” he questioned.
Elijah shrugged nonchalantly, taking a swig from his beer. “Maybe because you are. That could be it.”

“In Ethan’s defense,” Logan piped up, “I’m convinced his television persona is complete and utter bullshit.” Lucas sat by him, nose buried in a book as he occasionally cracked a smile here and there.
He nodded, “Besides, you should know all about the media skewing your image, right, Elijah Arrogant Walker?”

[/blockquote][/size]

[laura]

{name:Emma#|#picture:18}

While the men (and Sol) bickered pointlessly, Emma found herself turning to the quiet woman on her left, who was fiercely typing away at her handheld computer.
“What are you doing?”
Beth looked up in surprise. “We’ve hacked into the CCTV cameras of the city – thanks to Rylee…” At his name, they waved at each other from across the table. “…and I’m keeping tracks on the mayor’s whereabouts. He’s currently in a meeting with the police commissioner, plotting something or other.”
“Have you met him personally?”
“Not yet. Have you?”
She grimaced at the thought. “Yes. He groped my butt the first time we met.”
Beth mirrored her look. “With those big, fat greasy hands of his? Gross. I hope you punched him in the face for it.”
“I wouldn’t be here if I had,” Emma smirked, twirling her foot around her fork idly. “Doesn’t mean I didn’t want to, though.”

Beth laughed and placed the flat clear glass monitor on to the table. “I’m glad you joined us, Emma. I could do with another girl around here.”
“Living with three men couldn’t have been easy,” Emma mused, only to pause mid-thought. “Though, I suppose I’ve been doing the same thing for months now.”
That only made Beth laugh more. “And sleeping with one of them didn’t make it awkward?”
It was Emma’s turn to chuckle now. She lent back in her chair and rested her hands on her lap. “I was with Elijah before the other two came into the picture, so no, no awkwardness with us. Well, sometimes with Sol – she has this way of entering a room at exactly the wrong time.”
“That’s not awkward at all,” Beth nodded in agreement, fighting off a smirk. “You’re lucky. I made one tiny, itty-bitty mistake with Logan and no-one would talk to me for three days. I felt like the evil seductress.”

Looking across the table to where the twin was sat, his shaggy hair longer than his brothers, his form slightly bulkier; he was attractive, she supposed, for a baby-faced twenty-one year old.
“You slept with him?”
“Just once and I was lonely and depressed… and oh god, everything was a mess. I thought it was a good idea at the time but it really, really wasn’t. I didn’t even see stars for fuck sake.”
Emma smiled to herself. Talking to Beth was as easy as breathing, with her care-free demeanour and contagious smile, Emma quickly found that she liked talking to the small brunette, especially about men. It was a subject she’d never been able to talk to anyone about until now.

“No, he doesn’t look like the ‘show me stars’ type of guy. Maybe his brother?”
“The closest thing Lucas has ever come to a woman is in his books. That’s a no go. He’d be ten times worse than his brother.” Releasing a deep sigh, Beth nodded toward Elijah. “How about yours?
Sparing a quick glance in his direction (only to find him still prattling on about arrogance and reputations with Ethan), she said. “Forget stars, think beyond that.”
Beth sighed wistfully. “Lucky. I’ve decided to put men to the back of my mind for the time being… well, for now. Watching you and Elijah together will soon change that.”

“Yes,” Emma forged seriousness. “We shouldn’t be talking about men, we should be discussing more important matters, like the mayor… right?”
“Right!” She announced, picking up her fork. “We can always pick this up another time.”
“Of course. After all, my room is only next door.”
“And Elijah won’t mind me popping in from time to time?”
“No… not as long as you knock first.” Emma said, offering her a grin.
Content with that answer, Beth circled the spaghetti around her fork. “Did I already tell you how glad I am that you’re here?”
“You may have mentioned it.”
A mischievously glint shone in the woman’s deep brown eyes. “This is going to be the start of a beautiful friendship, Emma. I just know it.”

[/blockquote][/font]

[Ange Keating]

{name:Elijah #|#picture:17}

~~~

The Radius Towers were one of the largest buildings to ever grace the Northern border. Stories reached up into the dozens, glass windows, freshly polished, cut into each floor. It was seven o’ three at night to be exact, the obsidian sky stretching across D-79 as Sol tapped on the wheel of the car idly, parking at a comfortable distance from the entrance of the building. Only ten guards stood before the entrance, their large guns cocked at an angle, dark shades covering their eyes. Beth gripped the door handle, glancing at the back seat in which Elijah, Emma and Logan resided.

She had spent twelve hours describing the mission in its entirety – go in, listen in on the private meeting between the VP and president to retrieve any details that might hint to the whereabouts of the president. It was a shot in the dark considering the likelihood of the two men openly discussing the kidnapping in a highly-monitored building wasn’t very high but he had obliged nonetheless. It was better than sitting around and hoping for a miracle, anyways.

“Logan, ready?”
He had the most compromising position, having to purposely throw himself into the eyes of the guards and risk getting arrested. Beth seemed fearless and had confidently proclaimed that he was one of the slyest people she had ever met and would get away safely although she had included Sol as a safety net for if things took an unexpected route and artillery was needed.

“As ready as I’ll ever be. Let’s get this shit over with.” Beth pressed the timer on her watch, setting it to two minutes as Logan quickly exited into the night, starting towards the entrance. From their position, it was nearly impossible to witness whether or not the first procedure would go successfully, but the criticalness of precision and time was the driving force behind the operation tonight.

“We’ll have to be quick,” Beth murmured. “As soon as the time’s up, we’ll be sprinting towards the entrance and praying like hell Logan did a good job. Rylee will be cutting off all the cameras and lights just as we hit the steps, which will make it easier for us to navigate through the building.”

“Guess the emergency stairs are our only option of getting to the top floor. With the electricity out and all, the elevators are a no-go.”

Beth glanced down at her watch. “Forty five seconds. And yeah – ascending at least fifteen stories in the capacity of eight minutes? Hope you guys are fit.”
Elijah shrugged, “I’d hardly consider that a challenge.” After the brutal drills that came with being in the military combined with his own federal agent training, his stamina was in pretty good standing.
"I thought you did your research on us?" Emma questioned, cocking an accusing brow. "There's a hell of a lot we can do in eight minutes."
“Just informing,” Beth responded, eyes shooting back to her watch before adding, “Fifteen seconds.”

She pushed open the door, a splash of chilling cold air washing over their skin. The Underground knew no seasons, and in spite of it nearing summer, it still got ridiculously cold at night when the heating was shut off to conserve energy.

In a few seconds she was darting into the night, Elijah and Emma followed suit. Hundreds of cars were packed into small parking spaces, the lot taking approximately three minutes to cross. Beth’s features had turned a near sheet white as they placed all their trust in the efficiency of Logan, bursting towards the front of the building to see that not a single guard was there.

Elijah’s lips parted in mild surprise – looks like the kid was effective after all!

“Thank fucking god,” he heard Beth murmur before the electricity was cutting off simultaneously. She glanced over at the two agents, a graveness to her features. “Here we go. No turning back.”

Then, she rushed for the first set of doors, carefully slinking inside.

[/blockquote][/size]

[laura]

{name:Emma#|#picture:18}

The moment they entered the wide lobby, Lucas’s voice sounded clear through their ear pieces, directing them toward the right emergency staircase, claiming the left one was currently holding at least half a dozen guards heading back to their posts from dinner.
The tall, metallic stairway was narrow, just big enough for one person to climb at a time, which meant on their dash up to the fifteenth floor Emma, Beth and Elijah had to stick to single file.
Keeping her mind focused, Emma glued her eyes onto the back of Beth’s head, the swish of her ponytail a distraction from the never ending stairwell.

When they finally reached the doorway labelled ‘15’ Beth gripped the door handle, ready to burst into the hallway on the other side, when Lucas’ voice erupted in their ears.
“No! Wait!”
“Jesus, Luc,” Beth hissed. “Blow out my fucking ear, why don’t you!?”
“Enter that door and you’re going to come face to face with Niko Armstrong. He’s one nasty son of a bitch, works for the police force, Logan and I have had run-ins with him in the past – beat Logan to a pulp, too.”
“Then what do you suggest we do?” Beth snapped, her hand at her ear. “We can’t stand out here all night.”
“Just…wait.”

Time ticked by painfully slow, Emma’s heartbeat growing louder the second. They’d made it up the stairwell with minutes to spare (just as she’d suspected they would) but those crucial moments were now being wasted, hiding from one measly cop. The fact that he’d beaten Lucas up meant next to nothing. Anyone could do that – even Rylee.

Lucas let out a deep breath. “Okay, now!”
Without wanting to waste another second, Beth slinked through the doorway, Emma and Elijah close behind.
The hallways of the fifteenth floor resembled that of a maze, rights here and lefts there, scooping out into doorways to hide from passing workers and security guards and thanks to their eyes and ears, aka Lucas, they made it to their destination with one minute and thirty-two seconds to spare.

Beth hurried across the office, to where a large metallic table was situated. She dug into her backpack, pulling out a small square box, while Elijah kept watch at the door and Emma paced the room, searching for any hidden recording devices; she found one, but thanks to the power outage, it was no longer filming. The wires were still pulled out, if only for good measure.

“Quick guys! Logan has lost track of the guards and Rylee has hackers on his trail – they’re seconds away from turning everything back on!” Lucas’ voice was close to frantic in their ears, desperation laced within it.
“Calm down, Lucas,” Emma whispered, watching as Beth ducked beneath the table and stuck the tiny microphone into place. “It’s done. We’re heading back out now.”
“It took you over three minutes to get to the office, and people are panicking from the power outage. Plus, Niko is-“
“Oh fuck Niko.” Elijah growled impatiently. “You think I’m afraid of some punk ass cop. Uh, no.”
Beth was out from under the table then, tugging her bag back onto her back. “Completed. Let’s get out of here.”

They didn’t wait for Lucas to confirm the hallway was clear, there wasn’t the time to waste, and headed back in the same direction they came from, only coming across one hapless worker (who Elijah was all too happy to knock out.)
Thankfully, they made it back into the staircase before the power came back on.

Lights lit up around them as they began their descent.
“Shit!” Beth hissed, her feet moving faster. “How the hell are we going to get through the –“
For Emma, who was at the back of the line, the next ten seconds passed in slow motion. A bullet slammed into the wall above her head, bouncing off and hitting the step in front of Beth, making her trip and stumble in shock.
“What the hell was that?!”

Emma didn’t need to look back.
She pulled her gun out from the inside her jacket and pushed at Elijah, urging him to move faster. “Go, go! We’ve got company!”

[/blockquote][/font]

[Ange Keating]

{name:Elijah #|#picture:17}

Christ! The lights suddenly showered the staircase meaning every camera, recording device, monitoring system, and all the like had powered back on. Elijah couldn’t have possibly been any more thankful for the masks that shrouded their features, although that still did shit to prevent them from exiting the building in handcuffs, or alive.

“Shit!” Beth cursed, her feet stomping against the metal stairs.
Elijah removed his gun, barely glancing over his shoulder as he took a shot at the guard that stood at the top of the shaft, his body slumping against the railing before careening into the dark pit below.
“Are you guys there?” Lucas’ voice blasted into his ear. “Damn, damn, damn!”

As if things had already reached its peak of terror, the red bells that lined the walls shrilled, an emergency signal sounding throughout the building. Shouts surrounded them, and it suddenly occurred to Elijah that they were coming in both directions. Lovely.

Emma had blasted a bullet through another man’s temple, his knees falling to the floor before he was rolling forward, causing them to push their bodies briefly against the wall so they wouldn’t get knocked over. Beth’s breathing increased as her head snapped in every direction; dread welled in her dark eyes yet she fought the anxiety that overwhelmed her being.

More footsteps sounded, several dozen men’s voices filling the air. They probably had ten seconds, no less, to get themselves out of this situation before their blood painted the walls. Elijah felt himself slowing, just to hear Emma’s frantic screams of anger in his ear. “What the hell are you doing?! Do you want to die?”

He came to a full halt; there was no way in hell they’d get through fifty-something guards on their own. Even he had the sense to realize he wasn’t god and was far from having the ability to work miracles. Nah, there was only one clear option and it required an entirely different route.

“We have to go back,” Elijah advised, his voice hushed.
“W-What?!” Beth stammered. “There’s no way out from the top floor!”
“Up,” Emma sighed, blinking at him as she shared the same realization. “Up and out.”
“You mean – we’re going to jump?”
Elijah had already started sprint back up the series of stairs, heart beating in his rib cage as he forced his legs to pump harder.

“Stop them!” A man screamed from below and Emma took another shot from behind her, the sound of strangled cry sending the rest of the hoard into bewilderment.

The familiar labyrinth-like hallway greeted them once more, Elijah using his body to bust back into the office they had came from, quickly shutting the door behind him as Beth and Emma followed behind. A large glass window stood adjacent from the table, the entire urban metropolis buzzing outside the barrier, a busy street below. Bingo.

“I don’t see how we can scale this!” Beth exclaimed, although she pushed, with all the strength she could muster, a thick chair in front of the door, continuing to pile things against it. The shouts increased, their time ticking down to the wire.

“Fuck!” Emma shouted, slamming her first against the glass. “They locked all the exits, windows included!”
Elijah forced his apprehension away, only trailing over towards the pane, fingers instantly searching the perimeters around it.
“Uh, I don’t think now’s the right time to admire a damn piece of glass!” Beth exclaimed, the door momentarily shaking against the weight of the furniture. Their breathing simultaneously picked up at the same time.

“Every window should have…” he trailed, before feeling a small protrusion in the wallpaper that covered the steel. “A pass box.”
“Earth to Elijah, we don’t have a goddamn pass code!” Her wild red locks flew about her face in tufts as she attempted to break the glass.
“Lucas,” he murmured into the ear piece, “Is Rylee present?”
“Y-Yes! You guys need to get out of there!”
“Hence Rylee,” Elijah replied, his voice sharp. “Put him on.”

Rylee’s voice instantly filtered through the piece. “Eli! What—“
“Hack the system—“ the bangs increased, the once-durable hinges of the door loosening “—fuck, I need you to get the code for the window on floor fifteen, room 73A!”
“Hurry!” Beth cried, forcing her weight against the chair as Emma quickly ran over to help her. The door shook again, the chair vibrating with it.

“Men, get ready for open fire!” A gruff voice commanded, the sounds of more than fifty guns reloading at once.

“Rylee!” The agent shouted, “I need the fucking—“
“39220!” he returned with equal urgency.

Elijah flew towards the box, his fingers stumbling over the numbers as he frantically typed it in. Then, seconds later, a shock of cold air was entering the office as the window slid upwards, the smells and sounds of the city below filling the small space. Concurrently, the door burst open, Emma and Beth falling backwards in the process.

They instantly scrambled to their feet, Elijah removing the grapple from his belt and rapidly scanning the area for a place to latch onto. An open window swiftly caught his eye from the building across, their only shot at getting out in one piece.

“Fire!”

In five seconds no less, both Beth and Emma were clinging to his body for dear life as they leapt out of the window, a storm of bullets following them, soon trailed by shrieks of anger. Their surroundings mixed into a flurry of colors, their bodies soaring through the air and into that open window, the harshness of the floor colliding with them instantly.

Elijah clutched his chest as he rolled over, eyes blinking up at the ceiling in a mixture of surprise and relief.

“Who the hell are you?” A female voice questioned, causing him to crane his neck up at an old woman who had just prepared herself a fresh glass of scotch, the office disheveled with files.

“Holy...hell. Think you could p-prepare another cup?"

He dropped his head to the shag carpet in exhaustion.

[/blockquote][/size]