Come Hell or High Water - Striker x Reader (18+)

2. The Deal

"Elevator 333 departing for Wrath in five minutes. All aboard."

The announcer's voice echoed through the terminal, and I hopped to my feet and approached the entrance to the elevator. I unconsciously slowed as I came closer to the entrance, my nerves getting to me. I had been told stories before of sinners being horribly vaporized by some kind of force field while attempting to travel outside of the Pride ring. Part of me was, admittedly, utterly terrified that Stolas was wrong about the crystal now in my possession — or worse, that he was lying.

But he and I had grown close over the past couple weeks. We had initially bonded over our mutual relationship with Charlie Morningstar and the royal family, but that quickly evolved as we each talked about our own lives more and more (for me, both my life on Earth and my afterlife). I had used the excuse of "continuity of care" when requesting him as my patient every time I worked, and fortunately, my wish was always granted. Although, I was pretty sure Stolas had also requested me as his nurse a time or two or six.

Even so, my trepidation halted me.

"Hey, if you're just gonna stand there and stare, you could at least get out of the way."

The deep, gravelly voice startled me, and I turned to see a halfling imp glaring at me. He had yellow reptilian eyes that looked down on me with an overt condescension. His long, spiked tail whipped slightly behind him and emitted a soft rattle I hadn't heard since I'd last encountered a timber rattlesnake back on Earth. He carried a solid black rectangular case that could have carried anything from luggage to a guitar to a rifle. When that particular thought reached my brain, I immediately brought my hands up in front of me and backed away. "S-Sorry, 'scuse me."

The man scowled as he walked past me to enter the elevator. Those glowing yellow eyes looked me up and down skeptically. "You tryin' to get vaporized or somethin'?" he remarked. "'Cause I'm pretty sure you'll just respawn — "

He stopped himself when his eyes fell on the pendant hanging from my neck, and he raised an eyebrow. "Tryin' out your new 'boarding pass', huh?"

My hand fell on the pendant and covered it protectively, concealing it with the collar of my flannel.

He rolled his eyes when I said nothing. "It'll work, little lady. If it's real, that is."

I pursed my lips and took a deep breath, then slowly continued toward the elevator. My stomach rolled as I stepped through the threshold.

Nothing. I was fine. I was still alive — well, still dead, but not vaporized.

Relief washed over me, and I let out a heavy sigh.

"See?" the stranger said smugly.

Briefly, I mentally chastised myself for letting my anxiety get the better of me. "Heh, yeah," I muttered before walking to the last open spot on one of the crowded benches and taking a seat, holding my backpack in my lap. Above the benches were long lengths of thick metal bars similar to a public bus in an urban city. A minute or two after I sat down, the halfling imp stood near me and the passengers beside me and raised his hand to grip the metal bar. A singsong-y chime played on the overhead speakers before the announcer spoke again:

"Elevator 333 now departing for Wrath. For your safety, please stand clear of the doors."

The large chamber jerked violently as it descended, and I nearly fell out of my seat. A leg stuck out in front of me, preventing me from hitting the floor, and a hand gripped my arm and gently pulled me back into my seat.

"Careful now, little lady," said the halfling imp, releasing my arm when I was safely planted on the bench.

"Thank you," I said quietly, adjusting my hold on my backpack. I shifted in my seat, creating a narrow gap between me and the passenger to my left. "Here. If you wanna sit. . ."