THE KEY (book one)

|twenty|

Slowly opening my eyes I can feel the warmth of the sun sitting on my face. My injuries still a little numb from the ice Levi placed on them last night.
"No bad dream?"
I jump a little startled. He's standing by the dresser picking out a shirt. I can't help but notice dozens of old and new scares on his chest and back. Along with new bruises from the night before.
"No...not this time." I say sitting up slowly removing the covers.
"How you feeling?" We blurt out at the same time, making eye contact but I quickly look away.
"I'm... I'm fine." I say scratching the back of my neck. He shakes his head and sits on the edge of the bed to put on his shoes.
"What?" I ask annoyed. Does he not believe me. He chuckles and stops what he's doing.
"Last night, where'd you sneak off to?" He doesn't look at me.
"I needed some fresh air." I say defensively, I know exactly where this is going.
"Fresh air? I don't think so."
"What exactly do you think then?" I argue back, I can feel myself getting anxious. He shrugs his shoulders and sighs.
"I... I don't know. Figured you bailed or something." He says his voice cold. I frown in confusion. He's joking right?
It hasn't come across my mind to bail once, and even if it has I've never committed.
"Didn't think you'd be one to care." I sigh crossing my legs.
"I went to a friend. Thought he would have some intel on The Vipers, which he did." I pick at my figures and wait for a reaction.
"Oh yea well?" I can hear the attitude growing in his voice, I ignore it though.
"Tonight the leader of the gang is throwing a party on uhh." I stop to try and remember what Eli told me.
Levi stands up and looks at me.
"Having trouble?" He says crossing his arms.
"Danforth street an abandoned club next to Blaze it, leaders name's Ramon Claw."
"Like-" I cut him off.
"Yes like Edith Claw."
"Why'd you go to your friend? We could've figured it out here. Did you tell him about the Keys?" His voice rises with every question and it boils my blood.
"But we didn't Levi, we didn't. I didn't tell him about The Keys we've been trying to track down The Vipers for a while now...before all this. And it wouldn't kill just to see a familiar face." I blurt out all at once. My heart is beating fast and I close my eyes and sigh.
"He doesn't even know where I've been. He doesn't even...I had to lie to him." I look down at my hands and pick at my fingers.
"I want to show you something." Levi blurts out walking to the dresser. I can look over to see him opening a black safe. He pulls out what I'm guessing are The Keys and walks over and sits next to me.
"Look." He says holding up The Keys but they're stuck together like magnets. The form is like a cube but missing two parts.
"What the hell." I say frowning.
"I was going to say something earlier but never saw the chance." He says examining it.
"Why are they stuck together?"
"I don't know I just  found it weird because when Edith showed the ignitions..."
"They were separate." I finish.
"Exactly." He says handing it to me.
I take it and try to pull a piece away. I can feel the force pulling it back.
For some reason the robots I saw come into mind. I quickly give Levi The Keys and look on my com for the picture I took, but it's not there.
"What? What is it?" He asks worried.
Activating my memo chip I look back at my past events to try find it but it's gone, that one part just erased.
"What?" Levi questions again and I shake my head.
"Nothing." I lie knowing that there's something. Somethings off way off but I just don't know what it is.
I chose not to tell Levi about the robots.
"Keep it safe." I say pointing at The Keys.
"That's the plan." He gets up placing it back in the safe and securing it.
"So are you gonna tell me what's wrong?" I look and him and think about it. The robots probably for protection over the cities.
"I think I'm gonna go after the leader alone." I say running away from what I should tell him. He just stares at me then frowns.
"Alone?" He asks and I nod.
"Yes. It's personal but I need to do this alone."
"Because you just have to huh." He teases but I can tell he's still serious.
"You're really trying to get yourself killed huh?" His voice raises.
"Not if I do it right." I say looking away.
"Do what right exactly? Kill this Ramon guy? See that's the funny thing he's not just some guy Errana he's the leader of a gang that have no mercy for anyone. One wrong move and that's it. So I don't care how personal this shit is to you you're not going alone." He gets up and looks out the window.
"Jumping into death, risking your life doesn't make you a hero. It- it doesn't fill that hole in your heart...It doesn't. You just end up dying a fool and hurting the ones around you." He says coldly. I can feel my heart sink to my stomach and my eyes begin to water but I hold it all in. I need to get out of here.
"I should go." I mumble fighting with my tears. Getting up slowly I make my way to the door.
"At one ten we all meet and discuss a plan." He says but I don't reply or turn to look at him. Opening the door I walk out and close it behind me. Gathering my thoughts I walk into my room and take a seat on my bed. He's right but I don't want him to be. This has been something I've been waiting to do for a long time all in my own. It's weird now to have more people in my life that care. Things change and I'm going to have to live with that. I lay on my back and stare up at the ceiling. It's something I'm willing to live with.
                       XXX
I'm the last to shower. Throwing on a black tank, army green cargos and my boots I make my way to the living room. Luke is tying his shoes, Phoebe is laying down and Levi is no where to be seen.
"Where is he?" I ask.
"Still in his room." Phoebe answers with her eyes still closed.
"I'm guessing you slept well." I say sitting next to her.
"What the hell happened to you?" Luke questions with a smirk.
"What?" Phoebe jumps up opening her eyes.
"Nothing just some old bruises." I sigh.
"Bullshit Erra these are fresh." Phoebe says rubbing my collar bone.
"I'm fine I promise just a little incident." I reply and Levi walks in.
It's silent for a moment and we all just look at one another.
"Tell them." Levi says breaking the silence and sitting down. I roll my eyes and stand up.
"Last night I went to see a close friend of mine. He gave me information on were I'm sure the next key would be. The leader of The Vipers Ramon Claw is throwing an underground party next to Blaze it."
"So he must have the fourth one." Phoebe states sitting up.
"That's what we're hoping." Levi cuts in, I don't look at him.
"So while you were at this friend right, did you happen to find out where the last key was too?" Luke questions crossing his arms. I think for a second and realize that I actually don't.
"No... I didn't." I say bitting the inside of my cheek. I couldn't have asked him anyway it would give away The Key.
"Well who cares we can figure that out another day. I say we celebrate tonight before the party." Phoebe says jumping up to her feet.
"Celebrating what exactly?" I question.
"Being one step closer to freedom." Luke adds smirking. I look at Levi who looks like he wants nothing to do with this conversation. We make eye contact and he gets up and walks off into the hall. We all look in the direction he left and stay silent.
"What's up with him?" Phoebe questions I shrug my shoulders. The only thing on my mind is seeing my mother, seeing Eli, going home again. Feeling my bed again, going to school, a life I took for granted, but not anymore.