technically challenged

☤ chapter 11 ☤

"You know staring at it won't make it come to life right?" Alyx looked up from the file sitting in front of her.

"How the hell does Hicks think we can manage this?" Sitting in front of the woman was the plan for an obstacle course that Alyx and Justin were both tasked with creating. "Fake, real, strobe lights, tight crawl spaces...like where does he expect us to do this?"

"I don't know..." Justin's voice trailed off while he looked down at the file reading the very ominous statement about the budget the two were given. Rubbing her hands over her face, plopping down into her seat; Justin sitting next to her.

The two stared at the file lazily going through the various papers, each containing another aspect of the course with no mention of budget or location. Justin stood up when he noticed the entire 20 team enter the room, excluding Hondo and Deacon who was at home with his family.

"Hey guys, you need anything?"

"We missed you on comms." Justin chuckled shyly, his hand running through his soft brown hair and landing on the nape of his neck.

"Yeah, we've been coping since this morning. I think Miss Austen is stumped." Justin responded to Chris with a fake smile while pointing at his friend whose head was currently on the table.

Street and Tan were playing around with the new test dummy Alyx bought over the weekend, throwing punches and jabs. Luca was rummaging through the snack cabinet while Chris made her way towards the other woman in the room.

"Lynxy?" She responded with a short grunt before turning to look at Chris with a sleepy smile.

"Want to lend me like 5,000 dollars?" Luca choked on his soda at Alyx's words, Chris laughing at his state.

"5,000? What the hell did you do?" Rolling her eyes, she responded slowly.

"I didn't do anything, Hicks wants me to create the world's most difficult obstacle course. While also lighting it up like some hot shot Tom Cruise movie scene." The tall man in front of her urged her to continue. "And we have no set budget or location." Alyx pushed the file towards Luca, stealing his soda while he used both hands to hold the folder up to his face.

Justin laughed a bit, "And...." Alyx set a glare his way begging the man to be quiet. The entire room went silent and Alyx's ears burnt red. "Someone in linguistics—".

Alyx hopped up out of her chair and wrapped her hand around Justin's mouth before he could speak. The four looked towards the two engineers waiting for a response or explanation from either; letting go of Justin's head Alyx let her body fall into the bean bag on the floor.

"Someone in linguistics has a 'crush' on me." Chris immediately sat down with Alyx poking at her to continue, Alyx playfully pushing her arm away, "It's so childish—Stop. Chris".

Street was next to instigate, urging Alyx to tell him who the man was but she honestly didn't even know his name.

"Describe him." Alyx groaned, sending Justin an intense stare which he responded with a sickly sweet smile. "Come on Lynx, we want to know! Right Tan?" Tan shakes his head in agreement, Luca following suit.

"He's the Korean guy, we've been working with him because of this fent market crap."

"Do you think he's cute?"

"Seriously? Guys, we are grown adults, there is no need to entertain this." Alyx stood up and walked towards Luca and Justin who leaned against the counter.

"Weren't you just complaining about being single last night during Marg Monday?" Alyx gasped, punching him in the shoulder.

"I thought us three agreed what happens under the margs stays under the margs?" Chris laughed at the two, while the rest of the men in the room stayed confused. Every Monday, Justin and Alyx meet at Chris' apartment to participate in what Justin calls Marg Monday. The three of them make margaritas and talk about every topic under the sun with the expectation that none of that gets shared to others.