Game of Ash and Bone

Chapter 9 - Be queer do crime

I'm returned to the safe room just as I entered, repelling from a helicopter which is exactly as fun as it sounds. Now my injuries are padded, and I have decent fitting clothes, so, it's a much better experience than going up.
I no sooner hit the ground than my loving teammate has me in a headlock, hand over my face, putting me in crippling pain as he scans through my memories of kissing my boyfriend.
"Feel better?" Nemo drops me, stalking away.
"Yeah, actually," I say, sitting up. He knows damn well Lex is the one who bought me, and there's no surprise. So he knew who Lex was? I guess so. He's a famous family that tracks. He just rolls his eyes, so he doesn't care we're somehow committing a crime doing this.
"What happened?" Arthur asks.
"He wanted to hear about the game, bored rich boy," I say, dismissively, nodding to Tove that I'm actually all right, "Here, I got weapons, and snacks."
Lyra is naturally enthused about that, but she hugs me first before getting the gummy candies my friends packed.
Nemo refuses the offer of food.
"Come on in case we're separated," I hold out an MRE, "You saw."
"I'm fine," Nemo says, flatly.
I give up. I'd tell Tove more a bit but honestly we are committing a crime I don't want to implicate her in that part. Inside the bag I find along with the new books for the kids, someone I blame Joyce, also packed a little soft doll, for Lyra. The little girl clutches it so happily, beaming.
"Is it new? I've never had a new doll," she rocks it.
"Yeah, yeah, they thought you'd like it," I say.
"They were really nice," Tove says, frowning.
"He knows them," Nemo sighs, "He was a slave in that—I guess you could call it a household."
"I don't completely remember, they were familiar, yeah they just wanted to talk," I over simplify.
"Just talk?" Nemo had to watch me kiss my boyfriend. A lot.
"Yes," I smile, "And help us get through the maze."
I fill the others in on the plan to get through, explaining I do trust them.
"Alexander Terik has money riding on it. He's helping us cheat so can win, he knew I'd be cool because I'm in his household," I oversimplify without lying, mostly.
Tove takes that, so does Arthur. Nemo might not like it but he has to take it. He saw my memories himself. I show them the hidden maps and explain our strategy, they're skeptical but after brief deliberation agree it's our best shot.
"If they're lying—," I fully believe Lex would lie if it was part of the plan, "Then we're not worse than when we started. Walking into monsters every two minutes."
"It's all we've got," Tove agrees.
Nemo shrugs, he's gotten through before on his own.
The safe room unlocks and we agree to go on as per the plan. I glance up at the cameras more, well aware my friends are all watching. Lex's kiss is still warm in my mouth and my two worlds are strangely close. I'm trying to get my head back into it, but memories of home keep seeping back in. I'd really like to curl back up on a silk pillow and sleep for a year.
We make decent time through the maze before the kids are too tired to go on. It's a few hours before dawn, and they need a rest. We can sleep a few hours, then go on. Naturally I'm the most rested, weirdly clean now from the ashes, and wearing all black like Nemo, I feel like I don't fit in at all. Fit in here in hell that is.
I speak to Tove alone, while the kids are trying to get comfortable and Nemo is patrolling the next turn.
"I asked them to look into where you came from. They looked you up briefly, seems like an institution, as we thought, and you escaped. You may have had a child they were going to look," I explain, simply.
"Thank you," Tove says.
"They were running me through a lot and quizzing me, they'll be able to tell you everything if we can get you out. I don't know if—we can," I say.
"We're gonna die so—thank you for asking, but not likely is it?" She asks.
"You never know," I have more faith now. Faith in Lex at least, no matter how dangerous this is. He will have a plan. He's him. He always has a plan.
But it had better be good.
I can't sleep, after spending the last twenty four hours just so insanely comfortable with my boyfriend as a pillow, the hard ground is far from appealing. I offer to keep watch and the others gratefully sleep.
When we wake again the kids fill me in a bit more as to what they were doing while I was gone, which is mostly taking turns sleeping, bathing the best they could in the fountain, and enjoying the rest. The presents from Lex are much appreciated. Nemo is quiet if annoyed. It takes me a minute to realize why, then I remember he just saw all my memories. If I found out that my partner in death is there as a direct result of his own actions, by his own decision, in order to pull off a heist, and then when home to get kissed by his boyfriend a hundred times, I too would be pissed. He doesn't bring up, though, and I just keep the story over simplified. I have nothing against telling them the truth, but for now they really don't need every detail.
Going through the maze is, just so much easier when we have an actual map. Lex is directing the drones such that the enemy forces in the labyrinth are scared away. He uses supply drones for that. Sadly that means we don't get supplies but we don't need them per se.
"We're still stuck in here. When we get to level 5, then the only way to get out is to fight. You might be able to do that, we can't," Arthur points out.
"I don't know what the full plan is—," I admit.
"Because he didn't tell you," Nemo snarls, well aware it was to exclude him.
"It's a need to know basis. They assured me there was a plan, maybe to rig it so we fight weak opponents and then he buys us for time? I don't know," I admit. I do not know what the plan is. I know somehow he's making money at this but I don't know how we're making enough to offset the cost of buying me out, and the drones, plus the entire penthouse set up. I mean yeah Lex's dad owns the penthouse above the arena but it's not like anyone usually used it.
"Oh very comforting," Nemo says, poisonously.
"Look do we have a better option?" Tove asks, "No, we don't. Even if Cosmo's people are lying and setting him up—how does that make us worse off than set up in game to fight to the death, to begin with?"
She's right so Nemo actually shuts up. As do I. I don't technically have proof they are helping us. And my personal proof is the vague memory that this is neither the first, nor third, time I've been in a life or death situation of my own design in order to pull of a con. Lex's family is old money, old bloodlines, but in reality rather poor. If it weren't for our schemes they'd have lost everything, and with his father aging he's the only surviving child to care for him and their network of staff. That's where I came in, his childhood friend turned partner in crime, turned whatever the hell codependent homosexual shit we have going on. Lex's father isn't against the criminal activity, so he tolerates Lex's playboy, non-functional alcoholic, Academy drop out image. I have core memories of all that, which means that yes there is ABSOLUTELY a plan. I just don't get it. The prize money? Yeah total discloser we're probably stealing the prize money.
"Teriks are old money, senior war profiteered back—probably a hundred years ago by allying with the Empire among other crimes. Shit psychics the latest didn't even make it through the academy, but they stay afloat mostly through semi legal to outright illegal cons, betting schemes, and just plain theft. As in we weren't supposed to let them in the door at parties," Nemo elaborates.
"I'm offended," I say, despite having memories of personally helping Lex do all of those things.
"Isn't that like—a good thing because we're here legally and we're gonna die?" Arthur asks.
"See?" I point at the kid.
"No. It's not. You should never trust a thief," Nemo says, exasperated.
"I'm kind of with Arthur—because law and order got all of us here—? I'm not saying it's a great option I'm saying, we, trapped in a gladiatorial arena, don't have a hell of a lot to lose," Tove says.
That pretty much finishes the argument. Lyra is happy because she got a doll and a bunch of snacks. When Nemo's not listening I'll have to find a way to tell her she's got about ten queer twenty something year old mums and dads fully ready to adopt her into our found family of criminals. I'm sketchy on the details but I'm pretty sure I'm the only one Lex acquired halfway legally and that's just because I and my family were run away slaves who his father took in because they helped him with a con. Plenty of us are slave-class obviously but it's kind of more of a queer syndicate affect. Also that means Lex can just sell us to people to go spy and then we run back and pretend to be different people. As I think, it's a terrible way to live our lives but we're having fun and we're attached to it now.
We make decent progress, ending in actually finding the doorway to level two. Based off the videos and my vivid imagination, I was assuming it was some sort of checkpoint or big deal or something where we got I don't know, something meaningless like a sticker.
"That's—a hole in a wall. With 'level 2' written over it," Arthur very accurately describes it, gesturing.
"Yeah," Nemo says.
"It's not like, an actual door?" Tove asks.
"It—kind of is a door," Nemo shrugs, "I mean what would you call it?"
"A hole in the wall? Which it is?" I ask, gesturing to the obviously jagged hole in the wall. Someone clearly knocked it there. Like with hammers. "This wasn't even a plan! Someone jsut drove through a wall!"
"Yeah okay, all of you should have designed the maze come on," Nemo says, walking on, "Is the path to the south still good?"
"No they put up a barrier we turn right—no your other right—do not look at me like that, I think it's a condition," I say, holding up my hands.
Nemo mutters 'being stupid is a condition?' But I ignore him.
Level two the walls are closer together than level one, but it's noticeably warmer. The ground is covered in a thick layer of ashes. Soon I'm as filthy as my friends. Nemo looks amazing honestly but this isn't about him.
Tove and I take turns carrying Lyra, who immediately informs us her feet are tired. Upon inspection she has terrible blisters. New socks that I brought will help but first those have to heal. Arthur's probably not a lot better but he's more stubborn.
I wish they would believe me that we have a way out of here. But, my faith in the powers of Lex's evil little mind are based mostly in the fact that we've done stupider stuff before this. And I know that's not actually super comforting.
Now Nemo knows I'm here semi by choice, or stupid design, and he's even more hostile. I get the sense the queer criminal genius nineteen year olds aren't that much of a threat to him, however he doesn't want any involvement in our dangerous game. Which I get. However. He saw me ask Lex to get him out too. And he's as trapped as we are so why the attitude? He doesn't have to like us but damn if we aren't a better shot at escape.
Nothing is adding up. I have a headache from straining at my own memories. I put down most of my disquiet to not knowing my and Lex's full plan. It's not a lack of trust. I'd just really like to. What con was big enough I was happy to stab myself in the heart with the hope of resurrection? And not to be sentimental or anything I did cut my life easily in half. I'm pretty impulsive but. Something is going on here. And Lex immediately agreed that Nemo shouldn'T find out, ergo no one should so how dangerous is it?
And I'm getting zero answers. I know that's also by design but in a game where I could get killed any minute? It's less that I don't see the full board. It's that I'm getting worried Lex doesn't either. And I don't know why I feel like that.
I decide to try to talk to Nemo. I've been honest with him I let him (basically) willingly scan my mind.
"I think I might have a way of getting us out of here. My old crew isn't bad," I open our conversation.
Nemo shrugs, "You have to take your chances."
"I know you might as well have 'trust no one' tattooed on your forehead, but come on. I don't think you're a bad guy. I think you had some shit luck and probably a bad start in life. But I can maybe get you out of this too. Isn't that worth a shot?" I ask.
"We all accept our own fates, it's fine you trust the Terick's but I don't," Nemo says, flatly.
"Why? Have you even met them?" I ask.
"I wish you the best of luck. But when time comes, count me out of whatever scheme you plan on getting killed in. And don't take them down with you. We both know you chose to come here for whatever half baked greed driven reason. Excuse me for not trusting a man who took his own life just to steal the years from a child," he says, then he walks on ahead of me.
I sigh. My actions haven't been great I admit. But. I'm committed to getting my friends out of here. Whatever that takes. If Lex weren't smart then I wouldn't be alive, and I do trust him fully with my life. But unfortunately I get that we're not exactly inspiring.
I don't have much more time for ruminations. Lex deploys two drones south of us, which is our signal that there's danger around. I inform the others who concur, Nemo if only because he usually assumes there's danger. We agree to keep moving through the night to hopefully make it near the end of the level. With fresh food and after a day of rest we're all in better shape, even taking turns carrying Lyra. Nemo has caved and does this now too, switching his stuffed backpack to the front.
To make travel easier, we switch to walking on the tops of the walls, which is easier to do than before, because the walls are closer together. And someone smart handsome and Scottish brought us rope this time. Lex thought of it at the same time, and Bran who was dispatched to acquire it also got grappling hooks and caribeniers, so we can clip ourselves together if need be. This way with a simple pulley we can get the kids up the walls without actually tossing them into the air.
"Rope. Clever," Nemo actually admits, as I tie it around my waist. I'll serve as a counter weight to secure the rope and haul the kids up.
"Yeah not just a pretty face. Can't believe you don't have that by now?" I frown. Admittedly I didn't think of it till now but he's been through here three times already. Rope was genuinely my first major request to the supply bag, and the only thing my friends hadn't already thought of.
"That bag is stuffed seriously how do you NOT have climbing rope?" I ask Nemo.
"I usually travel alone. And I'm short on sponsors being psychic, I die without food or water," he says, patting the bag. That does make sense. And he is super paranoid for good reason obviously but. All I've ever seen him pull out of the pockets is meal bars, which he generously shares with the kids and Tove and I. I guess if you didn't know your criminal genius boyfriend had control of drones you would opt to just stuff the thing with food and water purifiers.
We get to the top of the wall with minimal trouble, the rope is honestly my favorite thing in my life right now. Seriously. Catching a happy six year old who is being tossed in the air, or trying to drag the foul mouthed twitching fourteen year old up by one hand, was not a great situation child endangerment occurred like five times a day doing that. The rope secured around their waists, when Nemo gets involved in a rudimentary but practical harness, is way better. And I'm strong enough to drag them all the way up without help, as is Tove. For safety I toss her the rope back down so she can do the jumps with some protection, rather than how Nemo and I get up which is jumping between the walls.
"Now that you remember more, where did you learn to leap up like that?" Arthur asks me.
"Too much time alone as a child, seriously, he can tell you I'm mostly blank, with brief flashes of mortal peril," I say, tapping my head. I would go train with the Terik guards and so did Lex, his fathers insisted for educational reasons. So I went too of course Lex would have some sort of mental health event if he didn't have someone to make sarcastic remarks under his breath to. Nemo basically got that Lex is Alexander Terick, but I'm still being scant on information. Not because of lack of trust totally, but until the job is over, this is a need to know basis, for everyone's safety.
We fall into formation walking the top of the wall. Lyra's feet hurt, so we swathed them in socks, with ointment, then put on the shoes, then lifted her onto Nemo's back because it's his turn. Now we all have backpacks. I let her sit on mine, but he switches his bag to his front and puts her on his back. Tove takes the lead, and I take the up the rear. The kids/kid carrier is always in the middle.
Arthur falls back to walk beside me, his hair is limp and oily. They tried to wash it I assume. Lex about sent purple shampoo but ten people threw food at him. Apparently my overpriviledged boyfriend thinks purple shampoo is necessary for survival if you have light hair.
"Do you really think we're getting out of here?" Arthur asks me, quietly.
"I think we have a decent shot. No promises but," I shrug, "We're trying. I'll know more next safe room we get to—or should."
"But they let you die," he frowns.
"Yeah. I admit I don't know how it works we had limited time but, there is a plan," I say.
"That's for you. Not for the rest of us," he says.
"No, but it's a shot. I promise you we are going to do our best," I say.
He sighs, looking forward. His face twitches. Tourette's they said? I have some vague idea of what it is, involuntary tics but in the really quick rundown Joyce gave me it's as irrelevant as a lazy eye. He's fine it's a bit stress induced but nothing that really affects his functioning. A bit annoying perhaps to him, but after the past week or so I've completely learned to ignore it.
"All my life, my mum said, that my dad was coming back for us. She was convinced—whatever fucking john he was—that he was going to come back and save us. He never did. On the contrary, when they sent me here, they had to have contacted next of kin, so he signed off on it," Arthur says, disgusted.
"But if she didn't know who he was—?" I ask.
"They did a DNA test, just in case someone wanted me before they threw me away," he says.
"Ah," I wince, "I'm sorry. My father is—trash."
"You know him?" He asks.
"He sold me to the Teriks. Came back a few times, never liked what he saw," I say. Brief painful memories. Lex's hand gently wiping my tears, insisting he loved me enough to make up for it. He does. By the time my father showed back up it was obvious what I was to the princeling. He didn't want this for his son. Oh my god he's seen me flipping off the drones and nearly getting set on fire. Oh my god he's going to be even more disappointed now. That's hilarious.
"For the rest of our life. However short that's gonna be considering," he gestures vaguely. Of course his lifespan was used to ressurect me. That feels careless. Lex isn't careless. Did he use someone else or something?
"Yeah?" I ask.
"I'd like to get out of here, and I want to—show them," he says.
"We're probably the right people to help you with that. I asked —my friends to see if they could find out what happened to your mother. I don't know —but at least we can find out if she's still there, or whatever," I say.
"Can you ask them, when or if they pull you back—to tell her I'm okay. I mean it's not true but. I want her to think I was okay," he says, quietly.
"Of course," I say, "And I think we will have a way of getting out of here."
"Just don't let me down, all right?" Arthur asks, "I'm fucking used to it but—,"
"I can promise you this. You're not alone. And even if we fail. We fail together this time, all right? You're not going to be alone again," I say.
He hugs me impulsively. Nemo glances back at us, hating happiness I guess? I hug Arthur back, giving the slight boy a good squeeze. When he leans away, I think there are tears in his eyes. Lex giving me shit about wanting to adopt them like he's not going to bond to this foul mouthed little psychic in under a minute and immediately start trying to teach him creepy psychic tricks. He's definitely going to do that I have known him his whole life he cannot resist someone else's money or a new chaotic ally those are his two main qualities.
We make progress through much of the night, and decide to stop just before we reach level three. We've lost whatever we thought was following us. Nemo predicts there will be some traps and/or monsters as soon as we clear this level, so we agree to face that in the morning.
Lyra is simply enchanted that she not only got a toy but also new books. I sit down to read to her, while Tove helps Arthur wrap up his blisters.
" 'Of course I'll hurt you. Of course you'll hurt me. Of course we will hurt each other. But this is the very condition of existence. To become spring, means accepting the risk of winter. To become presence, means accepting the risk of absence'," I read, softly. Lyra is already nodding off on my shoulder.
"What book is that?" Nemo asks, not looking up. He's fixing a stay on his bag.
" 'The Little Prince'," I say, carefully putting it back in my bag. Lex had a well loved copy when we were little boys. I wasn't taught to read I had no lessons. He insisted on them, but until I could read he swore he'd read me aloud anything I liked. This one was a favorite, I'm sure it's why he sent it.
"I did like Pooh, not gonna lie," Arthur smiles.
"Yeah you don't get that sort of stuff on TV," Tove smiles.
Nemo shrugs, smiling a little, then he leans his head down onto his knees.
"True though, they both are," I say, touching the book's cover one more time.
"Yeah it is," Tove says, looking at the sleepy children. Of course she lost her baby. Now she has these kids and she cares for them anyway, knowing we could lose one or the other. I'm determined not to. No. We're going to win it this time.