Adrenaline

⌊Chapter 26⌉

Rich straightened the sleeves of a white button-up, shifting it over his chest rather uncomfortably. It was the perfect fit, but Rich wasn't used to this type of apparel. Atlantis was on the couch and threw a black blazer at him. "This too?!" Rich caught it.

"Yes, that too," Atlantis nodded. "I know we're not going to the party to have fun, but we have to be presentable unless we want our cover blown. We have to blend in. All the men at the party will likely be wearing a suit just like this. We can throw in some colour, though, with the red tie."

Rich threw on the blazer, buttoning it up two buttons. He stretched out his arms and narrowed his eyes. "Jay, you did beautifully in making this, but must beauty be pain? The blazer's sleeves mess with the button-up's."

"Beauty is pain, but you already look good on your own even if you're wearing a tan trench coat dressed in rain and rocks from walls," Atlantis pointed out as Jayla smiled and moved around happily at Rich's compliment. She had been making clothing for a few years but she didn't get many chances to embrace it and give stuff away. She also refused to let Rich pay her for the suit just because it was enough for her to see him wear it. "Have you ever worn a suit before?"

"Hm," Rich mumbled, collapsing onto the couch next to Atlantis. She handed him the red tie. He had yet to explain the truths he learned from Matt and Dr. Andy, but figured they must know from him before they found out randomly. "Not that I can recall. But there's a lot of my past I don't remember. Andy has made sure of that."

"What do you mean?" Atlantis replied. She noticed as he held the tie that he had absolutely no idea what he was doing. She smiled softly and took the tie, showing him how to tie it with her own neck. Eventually Rich took it back and followed the same steps perfectly. He tended to pick things up quickly.

"He... Well, Matt - he told me some things about myself that I didn't know, practically disclosed my whole life to me and then I got mad at Andy for not telling me and everything just seems all jumbled up, because, honestly, I don't even know who I am now. I finally made myself comfortable not knowing where I came from, but the truth is just kind of worse. But all that information, I can't disclose. It's too dangerous."

Atlantis dipped her head to the side a bit, trying to read Rich's green eyes, serious only like she had seen a couple of times. He had a joking, smart-ass personality, so it was odd when he got serious about something whether it was sadness or anger or fear. The glimmer of determination in his eyes showed a large amount of confidence backed up by his anger at Blake for what he had done - and for what he did to his own father and brother.

"Well you seem to have caught on quick," Atlantis said with a soft smile, trying to change the clearly bothersome topic. "It looks great on you."

"I second that," Jayla added. She quickly got up and went towards her room. "I'm going to show off now. One moment."

Jayla shut her bedroom door, and Atlantis leaned back, crossing her legs. After a moment of silence, her eyes lead to the door. Almost on cue, there was a knock at it and she rose to go answer it to find Natasha on the other side, beckoning her in. Atlantis pursed her lips and looked down the hall both ways before shutting the door again. "I wonder where Anthony is..."

"I was at Black Tower today," Natasha answered. "I was hired as a co-decorator if that's even a thing. I think I saw him briefly in the back hallway but I don't know where he went from there. Other than that, I haven't seen him at all."

"Weird. But he's rich so I'm sure he'll have something nice to wear tomorrow night. Maybe he's busy," Atlantis shrugged, not wanting to worry too much. She returned to the couch with Rich and Natasha and pulled out her phone, finding Anthony's contact titled 'Goldie locks.'