Meeting Amber

Strobe lights beaming in white and black surround a massive club within a tattered building that could've been mistaken as abandoned. The life within is as fluent and vibrant as the underground home Ryker had known for so long. As Nero strides past half-shown faces from narrow neon lights and passes down the two women offering drinks at the entrance of the club, Ryker watches the lights ribboned all over the gray walls as they flow with the beat of captivating music.

Electronic sounds of metal clangs and heavy bass screech out through every skull in the room, vibrating the ground and the glass fences that keeps everyone from falling over the second floor balcony. Above it all stands dancers towering over a familiar crowd to help raise the hype through the steel structure and erase all sense of fear that lurks beyond the entrance doors.

"She goes by Thirteen, or 13013 to the public," Nero walks down the glass stairs toward the bar and the dancers on their platform, "She's a musician. Her moniker is White Noise, but I know her as Amber."

"So many names," Ryker follows, "Too many mistakes for one life?"

"Probably. She's the one who I was talking about earlier. The one with the eyes that'll tell us where the explosives are right now," Nero glances back. He tips his hat toward a girl sitting at the bar with a charming smile.

"All the Ikari are here. You relocated?" Ryker asks.

Nero chuckles. "I thought I told you. I trusted her enough to send our people here after an airstrike had been soaring to the old Council debris. You thought you saw flying debris before."

"At least you're safe," Ryker whispers under his breath, likely unheard to Nero as the faint words are sliced by the light of the dancers in front of them. The neo-cowboy watches as the dancers spin and a trail of light follows their movements. The silk of the black fabric they wear flows around to match the purpose of the club: freedom in solace.

"We'll be safe when you get that orb to the top," Nero responds. He keeps close to Ryker, taps the small pouch hanging from his belt, and drifts his fingers along the metal explosive safely resting within. "Glad to see you got it through all the fighting."

"Well, it wasn't exactly my first thought," Ryker narrows his eyes. They dart over to the woman at the front as she dances with the performers on either side of her. They overtake the platform with ease and catch their viewers' attention the moment they're found.

The lead dancer spins with the same timing as the performers following with her dark, thin outfit matching those behind her. Her hair bounces in buns and pigtails with her body, with white strands to wrap over black to refuse a lack of detail.

The performers finish their song and wave to the crowd, cheering back at the roars that push them back from the platform into the rooms hiding behind the walls of the lobby.

The strips of light dim as an artificial mist spreads throughout the lobby, sending everyone below into a constant daze of peace and weightless desire.

"Where's this Amber chick?" Ryker checks his surroundings.

Nero smiles. "You just saw her."

He strides past the platform that boomed with synchronized steps for freedom, and Ryker follows him into the backrooms to find the mastermind of the visual treat for updates on a sight for the world to see.