Viper: The Official Remaster

Chapter 17: Echoes

Rock music boomed through the well-lit stadium from one end to the other, followed by songs designed to pump someone up, or at least increase the listener's heart rate. Ryker had arrived with twenty minutes to spare, with the drive from the Paladin consuming most of his morning. One hell of a debriefing followed his stunt in Chicago, with Grim thankfully running a watertight cover story about his disappearance.

However harsh and cold Grim was, those traits didn't deter Ryker from thinking he had the best boss currently inhabiting the planet. Today's event at the arena was nothing special, being some sparring across Rainbow operators. Ryker could spot fifteen or so others scattered across the arena seats with their own reasons for watching.

And speaking of, Ryker's reason had just entered his view, dressed in her signature dark green armor and veil masking her view. Ryker hadn't seen Nøkk in nearly two weeks. He knew she was getting anxious. Admittedly enough, so was he. He'd never really understand how quickly some people could accept and thrive in companionship despite it going against their social graces, both he and Nøkk included.

Ryker leaned back, throwing his feet over the seat in front of his then stretched. She hadn't seen him yet. Hopefully, it wouldn't throw her off her game, but even if it did, Ryker would've wagered a large sum of his salary she would've still appreciated it.

He'd seen her fight plenty of times, ironically from the cameras of the missions when she was trying to find and kill him back when he was a Mask.

There was humor in that irony somewhere.

The last match had been a nail-biter between ten operators with the Defenders ending up victorious, or rather, the five random operators taking turns attacking and defending. Nøkk sat on one of the benches patiently waiting to be summoned. The timer on the Jumbotron hanging from the ceiling read eight minutes or so before the next two teams took their positions.

A voice half-shouted from several rows of seats up, prompting Ryker to roll his eyes and look back with a smirk.

Mongoose: The last time you were here, you got four kills in a single round. Two Defenders, and two of your own team. I see some of NIGHTHAVEN down there now, actually.

Ryker smiled, giving a nod to Mongoose and responding as his friend walked down the to row of low seats Ryker was sitting in.

Viper: Yeah. I shot them because NIGHTHAVEN was cocky and annoying. Like you, Diego.

Silva laughed, crashing into the seat two down from Ryker and stretching his arm over the seat between them to bump their fists together.

Viper: What are you doing here? If you're up here with me, you aren't here to compete.

Silva smiled, watching the next two teams start their stretches and cocking his head.

Mongoose: Eh. I helped design some updated hit detection sensors for the competition. I wanna see how they perform.

He threw his leg over the seat in front of him like Ryker before finishing his statement.

Mongoose: And I saw you in the low seats. So.

Viper: Returning the question?

Silva gave a "tsk" in reply. What's fair is fair.

Viper: Watching someone. Thought I'd surprise them.

Looking down, Silva surveyed the arena floor, taking a mental tally of the operators jogging back and forth between teams. Ryker looked down at his phone, keeping a nonchalant posture solid while silently telling Silva his lips were sealed. Within a second, Silva grinned. Ryker was doing a fine job of not giving it away, but the other recipient, being the lone, masked woman sitting stiff as concrete on an empty, metal bleacher wasn't doing him any favors.