Deus Ex Human Revolution: Shadow's Showdown

Chapter 54: The days before the storm.

Berlin 2010 Lemon-Lime.

Laura felt the gentle pats of hands on her cheeks. Heard a voice calling her. Information, regarding the fact that both things were familiar, gradually came to her consciousness.

"At last," the man said with relief. "I was afraid something had happened to you."

The girl blinked her eyes slowly. Now everything was one coherent whole. It was Joe's robotic hand and his bass-baritone voice.

"Purple," she managed to squeeze the word through her throat with difficulty.

Joe furrowed his brow. "What's that?"

"A purple angel in a purple tuxedo," she managed to string the sentence together.

"I'm not..." He broke off not wanting to argue with her today.

"You are."

"Well, okay. Today exceptionally."

"Always," she insisted.

"Let it be. Always," he capitulated.

Navras was annoyed by her idealization of him, but since she needed it, he decided not to forcefully persuade her to change her mind.

Laura looked around the room, which combined a living room and dining room. She was lying on a soft sofa upholstered in dark purple velvet, set against the shorter wall of the rectangular room. The contours seen earlier were a table set for dinner and chairs standing by it. A spiral chandelier illuminated the room with a bright, golden light.

"I think I got the wrong room, sorry," she began explaining. "I have to go. If I don't take the order, you'll have to close Lemon-Lime!" she panicked.

Joe smiled warmly and gently grabbed her shoulders. "Calm down. Take a deep breath," he urged.

Laura took a few breaths, but thoughts of Joe losing everything because of her were still swirling around in her head.

"I asked Toby to send you here. It was part of a plan that didn't quite go as it should," the man sat down next to her on the sofa. "I wanted to surprise you," he said.

"So there are no special guests?"

"No." The man shook his head negatively. "It's just me. Everything is under control so don't worry anymore."

"Then why don't we start again?" she suggested, and before he had time to answer, she was already out the door.

"Crazy girl," he muttered laughing, but he let her repeat everything over again so he took his place.

"I'm going in, and then you..." he heard her voice.

The man slowly turned around, and the dim light gradually brightened, illuminating his face. "You can see that in this establishment they take care well of the guests."

"Joe? What are you doing here?" she asked, feigning surprise.

The man couldn't stand it and laugh. "It will be better if we skip the introduction. Aren't you curious about what's next?" he asked, walking up to the girl and embracing her around the waist.

"Not a bit," she muttered.

"As you wish," he replied, withdrawing his arms.

"Wait," she stopped him and placed the man's hands where they were. "However, I am curious."

Navras smiled, then walked over to the dresser. From one of its drawers, he took out two rectangular boxes wrapped in blue paper and tied with a purple ribbon. One of them was flatter and larger.