Chapter 9

"May?"

"Mhm?"

She looks away from her tablet and frowns at him. "Atlas?"

He takes in a big breath, "I need to know what side I'm playing for."

She rolls her eyes, "I thought we settled this?"

"I want to believe you guys are in the right here, but I can't stop wond-"

"Don't! Don't finish that Atlas...im not a bad guy, you know that. Why would I keep you in the dark?"

He shrugs, "I feel like I am."

"You are...what?-you feel like I'm keeping you in the dark?"

"Or someone is. I get some stuff is above my clearance. But so far, all you've really told me is they are bad guys. I'd like some proof as to why."

She is trying hard not to look angry, "Atlas, I'm doing what I can, there isn't much proof at all, they are just as good at staying hidden as we are...people need leaders. If people don't keep themselves in check, they get careless, reckless, and violent."

"How do I know that's the truth though? For all I know you could be secretly wanting to kill innocent children."

She gives him a broken expression, but its full of disgust. Atlas holds his hands up, "N-not you per say, but you know what I mean."

She shakes her head, "Atlas, we want to lead people...we want to create a world of order, not chaos, not destructive freedom. One of hope, and order and peace. Please, figure out what side you're on."

She turns and speed walks away, down the sidewalk. Atlas watches as she goes. He wants to believe her, but he just, doesn't know.

****

"Ashe!"

Chills run down her spine. She jumps and looks over her shoulder at Toni hurrying over.

Ashe looks at her hand, then her meets Toni's gaze, both look at each other with relief and sympathy anc concern, however guilt is also present among Toni's emotions.

"I'm so sorry! Ashe it collapsed! I collapsed it above you!"

"Toni it's okay, are you alright?! Did it collapse on you?!"

Toni sniffles and wipes away tears with her good arm while holding her other tight against her chest.

"Ashe who did I kill? How bad did I hurt you?"

"No! Shut up, don't do that to yourself Toni that is so not fair!"

"I killed them..." Toni mutters,

"No, they killed themselves, two of them were engulfed in the flames of the grenade. Atla-the other guy, made it, we helped each other get out. As for the ceiling that collapsed after the grenade and the water, we-"

"Water?"

"Yeah we must've been under a lake or something. Don't worry we are fine, actually, you just helped me and the Syndicate. I'll explain after you explain your arm."

"Rocks fell, my hand shattered. I'm okay though. Now tell me what happened."

"I'll explain on the way to the medical lab."

Toni gets a cast on her arm until Erik can heal her that night. They sit in Ashe's room and talk.

"We got to figure out how to get him on our side." Toni says,

"What do ya think we should do?"

Toni shrugs, "I guess we can't just talk to him."

Ashe shakes her head, "No. Well...maybe, he didn't seem super sure about the agency either."

"We have got to stop calling them, the agency."

"Yeah, well better than whatever Tian can come up with."

Toni giggles, "The evil cowbows."

Ashe shakes her head, "That boy has an unhealthy obsession with cowboys."

"Agreed...but seriously, how would we even talk to him?"

"That...is a good question."

Ashe searches the floor for the answer and let's out a depressing sigh.

****

Atlas flips over the hologram enemy and grabs his shoulder. As he lands pulls the hologram over him and in the line of fire of another hologram.

The one that Atlas had used as a human shield bursts into tiny yellow dots and disappears, Atlas already has his pistol drawn, he fires at the last hologram as Atlas raises his arm to aim.

The hologram is shot multiple times and stumbles backward until it begins falling and bursts.

"Training complete, 87% efficiency, 2% efficiency increase." the computer says,

He looks at May as she leans against the wall, waiting for him to finish.

Atlas walks out of the arena and over to her, May smiles. "Alright, I need clearance first, I'm going to try and get it today, but I don't know if I can tell you everything, it's not my call."

Atlas nods, "For me to know who I'm facing, I need to know what side I'm on."

She nods slowly, "I understand that. I'm trying to do all I can, but like I said it's not my call, but I got a feeling ill be able to tell you. For now, there's a festival downtown tonight, they want you doing security."

Atlas shakes his head, "Wow I must have really dropped the ball."

She snorts, "No, they just thought after having a near death experience, you could use a break."

"I'm fine."

"I thought you would be. Most though would take a break, it's just this once, trust me, you want to go. It has a lot of rides and games and actually pretty great food. The kind where you don't feel sick after,and something cool and random always happens at those things."

Atlas raises an eyebrow, "Am I doing security? Or am I going to have fun?"

"Security...officially speaking anyway, but no one else has to know that."

He smiles and shakes his head. She pushes his shoulder, "Suck it up, you're going! Just keep your uniform on and go have fun, Travis's orders. It starts at six tonight so show up at seven, that's when everything's picking up."

"I think I'll shower and take a nap first."

"Alright, I'm with local authorities today, so bye, don't kill yourself."

"Wow you should charge for motivational speeches."

She grins and holds out her hand, "$5."

"Tch. You wish." Atlas says as they start their separate ways,

"Have fun!" She says,

"See ya."

He walks to his room, his suit shrinks into itself until it becomes a thin rubber like arm guard. He pulls it off and sets it on a rack in the bathroom, he takes his shower and stands there.

Again, he wonders. What is she not telling him? It's got to be important. They want him to relax before she tells him. He doesn't like this, at all.

He tries to forget about it, he dries off, he suit, now in the form of an arm guard releases pressurized steam through its material, cleaning the suit.

Atlas puts the suit on and lies on his bed, what if Ashe is right? What if they are the good guys in this fight?

He only manages to get about two hours of sleep, he didn't sleep much the night before either but he feels fine.

Atlas activates his suit, he then follows the directions that May sent to him in a message.

He walks down the concrete sidewalk lit by lampposts. He finds that wearing some form of a battle suit or something of the sort isn't uncommon, even at public events like this. He smiles at all the different lights and the crowds of people gathering inside.

There must be four thousand people here, and there are still more coming. This place is huge, like an amusement park, there's no way this is just some local event. He walks in with hood and mask down, he tries a churro there, like May said, it's amazing. There is no one here, that isn't smiling.

****

"Tell us when Shadow."

"Hold on, we are getting in position."

"I can't believe we let them talk us into this." Toni mutters,

Parker laughs, "It'll be fun. You got this."

She shakes and tries taking deep breathes, "Yeah, I just have never sung in front of people before. I don't sing actually."

"Shush, you'll be great."

"Alright-alright, you remember the songs right?"

"We are a rising band preforming songs by good old Alan Walker. The musical genius."

"Parker, genius? Don't feed her lies."

"Shut up Ashe, come on."

"Thanks Shadow, so you know, Alan Walker is actually awesome Ashe."

"Eh, I've heard better. I mean I haven't listened to him, but I mean it's old music, how good can it be?"

"Ashe. I'm going to hit you if you don't stop talking."

"Alright alright! Sorry."

Toni shakes her hands, shaking off her jitters, as if it were a physical thing. She takes her microphone from Parker and takes one last deep, slow breath.

"Singing? Really? Could've been anything."

"Relax Toni, it's the first thing we could think of to keep a steady noise flow and keep attention away while Clover and I destroy their storage files."

Toni whines, "Alright, fine. Waiting for you then."

"Alright, we're at the building, you got this Toni, breathe." Shadow says,