Rise from the Ashes

Chapter 18: Project Underground

"Or what?" Em questioned.

"They didn't say," Luke explained in a low voice.

"Are you two alright?" she wondered.

"Yeah, they just released Kida. Lena took her home. She'll be safe," he sighed.

"Thank God," she mumbled under her breath. "And you?"

"I'll be fine, how about you? How did the FBI thing go?"

"Cal, Winterskulls husband, the guy in the video, he found me," she revealed.

"Holy shit Em. How the fuck did he get past the background check?"

"I don't know," she muttered, as her brain slowed by all the theories popping up. "But he brought Repellant with him, a modified version."

"Modified?" Luke repeated. "Like stronger than the regular kind?"

"Like a kind that kills your abilities but keeps you alive. Only this time, I wouldn't have survived the injection."

"What happened to him?"

"FBI took him, but Weaver kind of handed them their asses as they left," she explained with a tiny smile creasing her lips.

"Good," Luke chuckled. "Somebody needs to. But your still-"

"I'm still good," she cut off. "What about tomorrow?"

"You're thinking about it?"

"You aren't?"

"They're a gang Em, who is in The Arena. How the hell can we trust anything they fucking say?" Luke rambled.

"We don't need to trust them. We just need them to show us where The Arena is," she justified, hoping Luke would follow her train of thought.

"Oh," he marveled. "Good thinking."

"I'll call Kida, make sure she's good with it," Em added.

"Alright, meet at The Apartment by 5 if we're all on board?"

"Yeah," she agreed before hanging up.

'They said they wouldn't come after us, so why try to persuade us before the meeting? And with no threat, just an updated time and place.'

Max popped his head up from his slumber, a globe of drool hanging from his lower lip.

"Ugh, Max," she mumbled with a smile.

He hopped off the bed, leaving a trail of miscellaneous black and brown fur behind him. A brighter smile tugged at the corner of her lips, following after Max as he nudged the door open. The living room sat empty, the kitchen was silent, and the sliding door that led outside was locked. Her gaze was dragged to the neon yellow sticky note taped to her doorway.

'This seems to be his signature move,' she noticed, taking the note.

Grabbing food, be back soon.

'If he grabs crappy pizza again, I'll feed it to Max,' she decided, opening up the back door.

Max shot out like a rocket, heading around the corner for some privacy while Em slumped down in her seat, with her notebook still lying on the table.

'Funny to think that this morning was actually kind of nice,' she reflected, dialing Kida's number.

"Hey," she answered.

"How are you feeling?" Em asked.

"I'm better after they pumped me full of fluids," Kida sighed. "I thought I was getting better."