She walks onto the subway car, automatic lights switch on. In the small space is a keyboard with three screens hovering above it. Vaega sits down and taps the spacebar. The screens turn on. Two of the screens show a list of cash in a series of accounts all counting up to the amount that Reed owed her. The other screen has a short list with two names.
Doctor Coffin. And Ash Carter.
Ashlynn or Ash Carter is the one who will lead me to Doctor Coffin. She’s connected…and a bit much.
Vaega looks to a funny long steel box with no lid and a mushy gel interior. She places her hand, palm down agains the squishy panel.
”Scanning.” A automated voice says,
Vaega looks at the screen and waits, “Scan complete. Transfer initiated, welcome Vaega. Transfer complete.
She watches the cash accounts then run down to zero. She removes her hand and taps her forearm, a holographic screen appears, she repeatedly taps it until her account pops up.
$3,452,000
”Thanks Reed.” She mumbles,
A small screen appears within her field of vision on the top right. She turns her palm faced up and touches the index finger.
”Hello?”
”Hey Vae, it’s Layla.”
”What happened?” She asks, slight panic in her voice,
”No, no relax. Rikki’s okay. In fact I’m calling you to tell ya she’s doing really good. She woke up but she was really weak. No one could figure out why. They scanned her for toxicology she got poisoned somehow that night. That’s why she didn’t wake up. But they’re flushing it out of her. She’ll be okay, just pretty weak for a few days.”
Vaega mumbles something under her breath. “Thanks Layla for watching over her.”
”No problem. There’s…something else. I got it covered, but an assassin tried to get in here.”
”What!?”
”It’s okay, I tagged him before he left the doorway.”
“I’m on my way.”
”…Alright.”
”Layla? I owe you seven times over.”
She heard Laylay snort. “Gah, shut up and get over here.”
Vaega smirks and hangs up. They tried to get Rikki again!? Who the heck is this!? If she had to guess, in this person’s mind, Reed was supposed to meet with Rikki she got hurt. Then they wanted to ward off her from learning to much about something. Alpha Project.
Okay. Doctor Coffin. If she wants to find him, she needs to find Ash Carter.
Vaega takes the elevator back up to the surface, she brings around her rifle. No mistakes, she can’t afford to take it easy. Someone has the balls to try and off a Noxi.
She walks out into the dark world. She starts to her bike, someone leans over it, admiring it. It might just be an admirer but she doesn’t take the chance, and she’s livid.
She shoulders her rifle and pulls her pistol, the young man looks up and smiles, she holds up the pistol and his expression just dies.
”Back the frick off. Now.”
He does as asked, raising his hands. “I-I don’t have a bounty! I’ve never done anything wrong! Please I was just looking at it! I swear!”
”Oh yeah? Give it to me.”
The man shakes. “Give you what?”
Vaega tilts her head. She then shoots him in the shoulder and he drops to the ground.
”What did you take off my bike?”
”Agh! My jacket pocket! My jacket pocket! The right side! He said he’d pay me $4,000!”
”Get it out of your pocket. Who is he?”
”I-I don’t know! I didn’t know you were a Noxi! I swear by my mom’s life!”
”Your name?”
The man finally pulls out the spark plug of his pocket and sets it in front of him slowly.
”K-Kindle! I’m sorry! Please let me go!”
”Yeah well Kindle, your mom’s dead from what I’ve been told.”
Vaega then fires four more rounds into his back. She knew she recognized him. He always hits on Noxi. Going to bars and hangouts trying to get with them. He’s not exactly unknown. She thought he was telling the truth though, didn’t know she was a Noxi. She just didn’t care.
She takes her spark plug, she saw him drop it in his pocket as she was opening her mouth.
Whoever this is, maybe they didn’t know what a Noxi was exactly. She replaces the spark plug and fires up her bike and rides it zigzagging across streets and backroads while running red lights to make sure she doesn’t have a tail.
She makes it to the hospital and starts up to the desired floor. The doors open, there’s a lot of noise, she panicked for half a second until she saw two gurneys rushing past, probably to an O.R.
She walks out onto the floor and down to Rikki’s room. She opens the door and sees Laylay aiming a pistol at her but immediately lowers her arm.
”Hey.”
They look at Rikki and walk over to her. “Rikki?”
The dark haired, bright blue eyed girl opens her eyes and looks at the two Noxi. Vaega sets her helmet on a cushioned chair against the wall.
”Hey. How are you feeling?”
Rikki nods, “I’m okay. Just a little tired. You up to speed?”
Vaega nods, “I’m close.” Vaega stops and looks at Laylay, then at Rikki,
”I’ll be in the hall.” Layla says,
”No, it’s okay, I want you to know so you understand.”
Laylay frowns and comes back beside Rikki. “Rikki did you ever meet or were you going to meet someone named Reed Riley?”
Her eyes widen a little, she looks at Layla and back and clears her throat. “I was going to. He had a fricken high paying contract he wanted to take care of. Guessing you met him?”
”Yeah, and he’s dead. Whoever attacked us on that bridge didn’t want us to know what that contract was or even fulfill it. There’s a company that may or may not be involved in some pretty shady crap. If he was right, they are working on something called The Alpha Project. I’m looking into it, but someone has tried to kill us both for it.”
”You taking the job then?”
”Reed paid me half a million dollars and with his life for me to take this job. There’s a Doctor Coffin that I’m going to set up a meeting with. He supposedly knows a lot.”
”Let me come with you, we can get two Noxi to be here.”
”I’ll be fine on my own. Trust me, besides, I trust you more than any other Noxi. Call up another Noxi and get her to watch the hall.”
Laylay nods, “Already done, Helena Averse is on her way, I’m taking care of her for coming up. We’ll move Rikki to another room and lock it down.”
”Helena’s cool.” Rikki smirks,
Vaega smiles and hugs Layla. “I’ll be back Rikki, Imma go find this Doctor and find out what Alpha Project is.”
”Okay. Be safe.”
Vaega pulls Layla to the side as Rikki closes her eyes. “Laylay, how much do you want?”
She frowns, “Rikki is my friend too Vae, not just yours.”
Vaega nods, “I didn’t mean it like that. I’m just, I’m really thankful Layla. She’s my best friend.”
Layla makes an awkward face and bites her lip, “Vaega? I mean…have you talked to her about this?”
Vaega frowns, “What?”
”I mean she loves you too. But I’m pretty sure she’s straight.”
Vaega gives a half disgusted, half smiling face. “Screw you.”
Layla smiles softly as she looks at Rikki. “Seriously though V8. I know what she means to you. You both mean a great deal to me too. You need me, I’m on your heels okay?”
Vaega grins, “Personal space is a factor for friendship Laylay.” She says walking to her helmet,
Layla rolls her eyes with a smile. “Yeah yeah. Get out of here.”
Vaega dons her helmet and opens the door to see a figure standing in the way. Vaega grabs her pistol but leaves it holstered.
Helena stands there with a raised fist. Her helmet is like Rikki’s but instead of tiny spikes, it’s one short, long ridge with wider, glowing green eyes.
”Hey Helena.” She says,
”Hey. Letting you know I’m here, you out?”
Vaega nods.
”Alright, well we got this.”
Vaega looks back at Laylay and salutes to her as she walks past Helena. Layla actually just redesigned her helmet while she was there, she’s been meaning to for a while and it’s…amazing. A small dragon’s head is painted on her right temple, she’s got two tiny horns on the forehead like Vaega’s. Then to finish purple flames engulf the right side of her helmet from the eye to the back of the head. She’s a Noxi you don’t mess with.
Vaega rides to a corner bar, Teddy’s. She walks in and up to the bar. The bartender walks over with a cautious look.
”I don’t want any trouble in here, can you take it outside?”
Vaega shakes her head. “Just need to talk to someone, Caleb Oscar. He here?”
The bartender nods off to the side, “The booth.”
Vaega looks over at him, the middle aged man with receding brown hair.
Vaega walks over and plops in the booth and pops her heels up onto the table and onto his documents and cash. Probably debts that people paid him considering he’s a bookie.
He looks at her aggravated and then afraid. “What do you want?”
”Hey champ. I got a name, any chance you know where I can go shouting it out?”
”…What name?”
”Ash. Carter.”
He shakes his head. “Doesn’t ring a bell. Now I’m trying to do business.”
Vaega smirks, she pulls a knife and drops her legs to the floor while stabbing a cash pile he was reaching for.
”Come on. You don’t know? Use that peanut of a brain of yours and think.”
He looks at her with wide eyes and hatred. “Fine. Lucky Lou’s. She usually hangs out there. From what I’ve heard.”
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Vaega smirks, “Thanks.”
She gets to her feet and grabs the back of his head and throws it forward, sending his head, face first into the table. Hard.
The bang stops every conversation in the bar. She looks up at everyone and shrugs.
”What? Respect is a big thing. Give it to me and I’ll give it back.”
She then walks out if the bar and rides into downtown and up to the club that owns the ghettos.
Vaega walks to the entrance, pushing away the first person waiting to get in.
”Vaega. I need an audience with the boss.”
The bouncer narrows his eyes at her but doesn’t move. Vaega lifts her sleeve and reveals a lightning shaped tattoo with the initials L.L. Inside of it.
”I’m not on duty. I need some information. Ive met your boss before.”
The bouncer nods to the right. She thanks him and starts around the corner. As per regulation, she had to have checked with the bouncer first. Of all places, whether in the ghetto or not. This is the one place you don’t enter if you don’t know what it is. It might as well be it’s own state or nation. It’s an impenetrable city, even Noxi don’t just wander in here for a contract fulfillment. In fact if they are on a kill or kidnap contract, Noxi tend to wait till their target comes out.
She walks up to another bouncer standing outside another door, but this is far more discreet and in an alleyway.
He sees her and picks his radio up off his hip and calls into it.
”Yeah I sent her over. She’s good.”
”Aight.”
He replaces the radio and watches her stop in front of him. “Show me.”
Vaega removes her glove again and pulls up the sleeve to reveal the tattoo.
The man then nods acceptingly and opens the door for her and she walks in.
****
Shadow sits across from Nylo, leaning against the tree. Amber stares at the makeshift bandage Greg and Nylo made her out of their sleeves.
Amber hugs her knees and rests her chin on her forearms. What is she doing here? Any of them? They don’t deserve this.
”Ah! Frick man! Don’t touch it.” Shadow spits at Greg,
”Sorry, it looked loose.”
”It’s fricken not! So back off now.”
He raises his hands and sits on his butt. They all knew she didn’t mean anything by that. She’s just stressed, probably more than anyone else.
She sighs and lays her head back against the trunk of the tree. “Gah…what the heck man? What the actual hell?”
Amber looks up at her from the ground and opens her mouth but Nylo taps her bent knee with his own. She looks at him, he glances at her and at the other two.
”We should get some sleep. It has been a stupid crazy day.”
”We should have a watch. No way we get away that easy.”
”I can stay up.” Amber mutters,
No way she’s getting a wink tonight. Seeing all that blood and gore, she is still concerned that she might puke. But at the same time, she is so exhausted, but it’s not the same thing. She’s wide awake. The moon covered by clouds seems to only make the night even more frigid. They are all on the verge of shaking. It’s freezing out here.
As if reading her mind, Shadow scoffs, “Balls man! It’s so cold!” She whispers angrily,
Nylo looks up at the branches, he raises a hand to the sky, his fingers twitch slightly. His shield appears above and severs a branch from the trunk. The branch plummets and hits the dirt floor with a thump.
”I’ve got another idea.”
He gets to his feet and wanders around them severing branches. Amber, who has guessed his plan, helps by dragging the branches back to Greg and Shadow.
”What are you doing?” She asks, now shaking,
”A blanket. Of leaves.” Amber says flashing a small smile,
Shadow raises her eyebrows slightly, clearly impressed and surprised. “Not bad Nylo.” She says,
He drops another branch next to Shadow and smiles. “Thanks. Now you guys might hate it, but we should sleep under the same pile of leaves, it’ll give us body heat.”
Shadow gives an annoyed look. “What?” As if her tone alone couldn’t carry her opinion of the idea.
Greg shrugs, “If we cut down too many branches, we might as well just be setting off a smoke signal. We’ll be spotted so fast.”
Shadow gives a disgusted look but rolls her eyes, “Fine. We need to switch out with Purple so she doesn’t freeze to death.”
“I got it. You first then just wake me in two hours?” Greg says?”
”Okay.”
They assemble the branches and crawl under them, laying their heads on the grass. Amber watches them till they close their eyes, Nylo’s dark skin, it practically makes him invisible in the night. She sits against a tree and watches the dark, at least there isn’t a breeze, geez that would just be murderously cold.
She carefully examines the night, jumping lightly at moving shadows of the swaying, hanging branches still attached like arms to a body. There’s too much to watch all at once.
But she does her best. “God? Where are you? Why the heck did you leave us? Let us go through that? What the heck man?…I’m talking to trees.” She mutters to herself, rolling her eyes,
She has a strange thought enter her mind, ‘Children are my saviors and teachers’
She frowns, um…what? Where did that even come from? She looks up at the night sky. Stars peaking through the trees as if all of them are trying to see her.
Did…was that…she shakes her head. Been a long day, she’s less than half sane right now like the others. Maybe Greg should have watched first. The cold starts to dull slightly, her goosebumps are less noticeable. The cold soft breeze seems nonexistent, more so than it already was. Well at last two hours pass…maybe it was three. She isn’t sure, she shakes him lightly.
He nods, “Mm. Alright. I’m up.” He whispers so softly she almost can’t tell what he’s saying,
She switches him spots and lays in the warm bed of grass with a blanket of green and brown. It’s actually nice and cozy. She actually shivers a little at the warmth. With Shadow in between them. Amber closes her eyes, but because of today. She can’t seem to fall asleep. But after lying motionless with eyes closed for so long, she does drift off.
The only thing she remembers is a voice. “You are placed here for a reason. A light for those in the dark.”
She inhales sharply through her nose, Greg kneels over her. She exhales with relief. "What time is it?"
"I don't know, early, but we got to start moving before the sun comes up."
"According to the GPS, we should be a little less than an hour away." Nylo says,
Amber looks over to Shadow who is helped to her feet by Nylo. “How are you holding up?”
She shrugs, “Eh, had worse I suppose. At least it’s not electric shock.”
Amber flicks her eyebrows in agreement. Greg snorts.
”Alright let’s get moving.”
Greg and Amber help Shadow walk while Nylo leads them. “I have an idea. Since we’re outside, and to distract from all this crap that happened and how we’re trying to just get away…20 questions?”
Even Amber raises an eyebrow at Greg. “Really?” Shadow scoffs,
”Just an idea.”
”Favorite color’s blue, like that frosty, whiteish blue color.” Nylo says,
There’s a moment of silence but Greg answers next. “Green, not specific.”
“You guys are idiots.”
Amber smiles at Shadow and looks at Nylo and Greg.
”Purple. I’ve always loved purple.”
”Really? Huh. Could you have ever guessed that Nylo?”
Nylo grins, Amber rolls her eyes a little irritated but forces a smile. Its hard to be happy right now given the situation.
”Black.” Shadow says, almost groans,
”Alright, next question?”
Greg hums to himself. “How old were you when you were taken?” Amber asks,
The others look at her, then at each other and back to her. “Uh…17.” Nylo says,
”Shadow?” Greg asks,
”14.”
There’s a moment of silence.
”Uh I was 15.”
”You guys were so young.”
”It’s alright. We’re out now right?”
Nylo smiles, “I haven't seen the sun in forever. I forgot what dawn looked like. I’m excited to see it.”
”Me too. Oh! I got one, any power besides your own?” Greg asks,
”Hmm. Bulletproof.”
Amber looks at Nylo then the ground, “That I could turn into any metal I want.” She says,
”Geez guys, well give us a second to think.”
Amber gives a tired smirk, a real one. Soft but it’s there.
”Shoot I don’t know.”
”The ability to travel dimensions.”
”That’s a good one.”
”Hmm…maybe flying? Stay in the clouds.” Greg finally says,
”Favorite food back home?”
”Besides the slop they served us?”
”Yugh!” Greg mutters,
She smiles, “Lemon chicken…man. I can’t remember it. But I know it was my favorite. I remember the flavor exploding in your mouth and ugh it was just so good.”
”I don’t even remember the taste of lemon! Shadow?”
”No.”
Amber frowns at her, “Why no?” Nylo asks,
”This is stupid. We are gonna get spotted from talking, or we are trying to get to know each other for no reason. As soon as I’m better I’m going my own way.”
”So? Even if you go your own way, you’ll have a place to come back to if you need help.”
”I won’t.”
”Well, like it or not. We are stuck together right now. I guess we are just trying to make the most of it.”
”Well leave me out of it.” She says,
”I actually need a break.” Amber says,
”Here, switch me.”
Nylo hands her the GPS and pushes himself under Shadow’s arm while Amber slides out. She rubs her shoulder.
”Thanks.”
”No problem. Pretty self explanatory, we’re the triangle, following the blue line…what about you two? Favorite food?”
”Chocolate pie.”
Amber smiles, “I miss chocolate, mine is pizza. Though I’ve had it more recently than you guys.”
“Yeah you can’t complain so shush up.” Nylo jokes,
She grins at him back and shakes her head. “Favorite animal?” She asks,
”Dogs. Man’s best friend.”
”I miss mine. He was a black lab and just loved people. A sucky guard dog because of it.” Greg chuckles,
”Slugs.” Amber says smiling,
The two boys look at each other and give disgusted looks. “Slugs?” Greg asks,
”Gross.” Nylo chirps,
”Oh shush up. They’re adorable.”
”No. They really aren’t.”
”That is your opinion Nylo.”
He snorts and shakes his head. “Freaking slugs.” He laughs,
“You just don’t know what awesome is.” Greg says,
”Possibly. But that aint it.”
”You’re not it.” Amber says,
They laugh and continue walking for the next three hours to New Deidric, just as the sun starts to come up.
“So…where do we go?” Amber asks,
“I mean we can’t go home right?” She asks,
”No. We can’t.”
”I might know someone.” Greg says,
”Who?”
”Her name’s Wheezy.”
”What?” Shadow scoffs,
”Relax, she’s legit. She’s connected, she’ll help us. Maybe.”
”Maybe?” Shadow asks,
Greg shrugs, “First we have to find her, but it’s been years since I’ve seen anyone in the outside world, remember?”
”Well New Deidric has always been the same, how do you know she’s even alive?” Amber asks,
”Because she’s Wheezy. She doesn’t die. And she wouldn’t leave either.”
”You seem pretty sure about someone you haven’t seen in more than a decade.” Shadow says,
”I know Wheezy. Besides, got a better idea?” Greg asks,
****
”There’s someone here to see you.”
The woman with short mostly dark blue hair turns and looks at Vaega, she raises an eyebrow. Her bright eyes glow at Vaega, but there is a fire in her eyes that suggest her playfully dangerous side. She smirks softly.
”A Noxi. This should be interesting.”
Three of her guests stand behind the bar in her private lounge. She comes out from behind it and tilts her head, saying, ‘I’m waiting.’
”Big fan Lucky Lou. No doubt you heard about the Noxi on the bridge?”
”I did. She was a friend of yours?”
”She still is. Someone tried to kill her. And me. Safe to say I’m gonna murder the piece of shit that tried it. I heard there’s someone who comes here frequently who can help me get to the bottom of it.”
Lucky Lou narrows her eyes, “Noxi have a notorious reputation for being violent and extreme to get whatever they want.”
”You have my word I will show respect and patience in your establishment.”
She snorts, “It’s a club. What’s your name?”
”Vaega. Please. I’m desperate.”
”Really? And if I say no?”
Vaega is practically exhaling smoke out her nose. “I know you’re testing me, I don’t know if you’re just bored or what. But I’m out of patience. I need this. But I won’t be owing you anything.”
Lucky Lou smirks, “There was a time I would have thrown you out and videoed it. Then I learned what it was like to be desperate and lose those close to you…name?”
”Ash Carter.”
Lucky Lou raises an eyebrow. “Slap happy Joy.” One of Lucky Lou’s guests laugh,
Vaega looks up at the girl, black hair hangs over her shoulder.
”Where is she?”
”Not here. Come back in two days.”
”Where did you send her?” Vaega asks with more poison spewing off her tongue,
”Down dog. We don’t know how to contact her, no one knows where she stays. She always comes on Fridays. It’s Free Tequila Friday. She never misses, I’ll point her out.”
Vaega narrows her eyes, she doubts she can get away with security camera footage. If people here heard a Noxi not only came into the club but was searching for someone on security cams, there would be chaos. Imagine an idiot pulling a gun in a texas bar…that person is gonna die with fifteen bullets to the chest.
She sighs, “Fine. I’ll be back in two days.”
She starts out of the club, when she reaches the “special guest” reception desk she retrieves her weapons and walks out.
Her heart is pounding hard, she’s furious but she can’t do anything! Not a fricken thing! Gosh dang it!!
”A Noxi?” Someone whispers,
”She on duty?”
”Are you kidding? She’d be insane to be.”
“She can’t hurt us right? Want to rob her?” Someone jokes,
”Dude.” Someone threatens,
Vaega stops and turns her head to look at the woman to her left. “What? She can’t do anything here.”
”The bouncer is here to keep unwanted people out, not protect you.” Vaega says,
”You want to risk that?” Another girl laughs,
Vaega snorts and hangs her head, playfully walking over. She rests her hands on the two girls shoulders.
”Yeah. I’ll bite.”
Vaega opens a tiny pouch on her hip and pulls a remote and pushes a switch. Two square devices the size of the nail on her pinky toe shoot out electricity into their bodies.
The two girls scream out and drop to the ground. The bouncer jolts and starts over. Vaega holds out her hand.
”$60. Sorry for the mess.”
He hesitates for a few moments looking at her hand then the eyes of her helmet and takes her hand accepting the money.
”What mess?”
The others stare wide eyed. Vaega bends down, “I’m the devil who haunts your nightmares. What? You didn’t know? I always come for my prey.” She says,
Vaega turns, speed walks to her bike and floors it into traffic.
”Sup.”
”I’ll meet that girl-“
”Hey-hey, one second Vae………...okay, okay! Just shut up! Thank you! Holy mother. Gonna get a bounty on my head for murdering a nurse.”
”What happened?”
”Sounds like we can check out Rikki. She wouldn’t shut up. What about the girl?”
”Ash Carter, I’ll meet with her in two days. They wouldn’t tell me anything else.”
She hears Layla scoff, and whisper, “Freakin jerks. Sorry Vae.”
”I’m on my way back.”
”Cool, want me to send Helena off?”
”No. I need a break.”
”Cool, we can hit the roof.”
”Okay.”
The cool night air swelling with a black backdrop amplifies the lights of the city. She finds her way to the roof of the hospital. Layla is waiting, sitting one leg extended, the other bent as she leans against an AC unit.
She looks back at Vaega, her helmet’s challenging eyes meeting Vaega’s. “Sup.”
”I’m tired.”
Laylay grins and laughs softly, “That bad huh?”
”I want to hit her. Knock her stupid teeth out the back of her head.”
Layla slowly looks at her. “She knew I was in her place and acted like it. I’ve never been so humiliated.”
Layla laughs harder. “What do you want to do? Threaten her?”
“Is that really a question?”
Vaega plops down next to Layla, they stare at the city all around them, fantastic colors fill the air and sky.
Layla looks up and sighs, Vaega looks up too and tries to imagine.
”What were they like?”
”The stars are amazing. Incomparable. You should come with me.”
”To Oregon?”
”That’s to keep people from knowing my plans. I want to move to Hawaii.”
Vaega raises her head upright and looks at Layla. “What would you do there? It’s evolved but not much.”
”Enjoy the sand. Come with me.”
“Why do you want me to come?”
”Well visit at least. I want to show you the observatory there. The stars are so visible from Hawaii.”
Vaega smiles, she lays her head on Layla’s shoulder. “It sounds…I don’t know. Strange, considering to leave this world behind.”
”Yeah a bit huh? Rikki would come too obviously.”
”You’ve always been simple, and country.”
Layla smiles, “I’d move to Tennessee or something. Wide open, empty.”
Vaega lifts her head and stares at her feet. “We’ve royally screwed up this world. Covered it with tech, weapons and chemicals.”
”It was pretty. Once.” Layla says,
”How is Helena?”
Layla laughs out. “Hah! She’s Helena! Light and kind but stonewall.”
Vaega rolls her eyes, “That girl has no emotions.”
”Yeah what she lacks there she makes up in skills. Nothing compared to us though.”
Vaega scoffs, “She’s nothing compared to you.”
”Shut up.”
”It’s somehow not that known Layla. You’re the best of us. Literally and figuratively.”
”That’s cause you are stubborn like a pig Vae. Open up, watch more often, take it in.”
Vaega grins, “Watch it, I’ll take you now.”
Layla hops to her feet. “Yeah right. Go follow your leads.”
”Where we taking Rikki?”
”Thinkin’ my place? I could take her to hers or yours though?”
”Yeah she’s under house arrest for a few days while she gets her strength back. Just to make sure….my place is fine, use yours as a safe house.”
”Cool. Let’s go Vaet ball.”
Vaega shakes her head with a smile as she follows Layla.
“Rikki is gonna hate it.”
”She’ll manage.”
”Want me to bring Helena?”
”Nah, you two could manage.”
Layla smiles, “Yeah we can. You need some rest Vaseline.”
Vaega chortles, “I understand your obsession with nicknames, but why Vaseline?”
She shrugs, “Started with V.”
”You’re crazy.”