forum •Favorite Liar• [one/one]

Started November 26, 2022 by @Dayzed forum

tune

Artemy turned to look at Andy when she warned him to stop attacking Tamryn. But Artemy had a glare in his eyes, like he wanted more information from Tamaryn, though he did stop momentarily from saying anything as he listened to her. He eyed Andy suspiciously, wondering why she was being so defensive over Tamryn. Maybe it was because they were dating, one look at them and Artemy could tell, especially with the obvious movements from the two.

"I wouldn't know," Artemy said crossing his arms. "All I know is that he's accompanied by Vixen on occasion. They come here together and I see them around a lot. I know a few of the customers' names, but I don't really talk to them. I deal more with fixing the machines when they break down or need replacing." He explained.
Even though Artemy stopped talking about him for a second, a new panic was in Tamryn's eyes. Artemy knew something about him and now Tamryn's self-preservation was kicking in. He needed to talk to him. Alone. But he didn't want it to seem like he was keeping secrets from Andy. Any attempts to calm Tamryn were futile right now.
"But why do you want to know about your friend? Why not talk to him directly? Or with Vixen?" Artemy questioned, now frowning.
"You know what?" Artemy said suddenly standing up. "I'm not getting involved again." He said. "I think I know someone who would be more suitable to answer your questions, I have things to do" He moved to get up before Andy or Tamryn could even say anything. He stood at the door of the employ room, looking out.

"Hey Mercy, could you come here for a second? These two have questions that I can't answer and you deal more with the customers than me anyways" He called out to her before he dipped back into the room. Artemy always seemed to be in a sour mood, it's not that Tamryn or Andy had caused him to be like this, he just wasn't a very upbeat person.

Andy raised an eyebrow as Artemy spoke, listening closely to what he had to say. It sounded like he had very limited information on Josh, and he seemed to be much more interested in Tamryn. He had suspicions surrounding Tamryn’s identity from day one, and even now, she could see him trying to piece together the clues. She was hoping that the same intelligent man who managed to start to uncover Tamryn’s identity would have some knowledge about Josh and Vixen, but if he did, he wouldn’t say.

Andy stiffened slightly when Artemy mentioned Josh. He must’ve not heard about how Josh had gone missing yet, and Andy wasn’t going to be the one to break that news to him.

“We’ve had trouble reaching Josh, and we’re heading to Vixen’s place next,” she explained. “We just… we wanted to stop here first. As I’ve said before, I know that Josh hung around here, and we wanted to know if you noticed anything suspicious. Maybe knew the names of some of the people he had been hanging around.”

Andy opened her mouth again, wanting to ask about any security cameras or records of purchases made at the arcade, before Artemy became closed off. He abruptly stood up, and before Andy could say anything, he stood up and headed towards the door.

“Artemy, wait.” She stood up and headed after him. “Look, I’m sorry if I upset you…”

(( Sorry for the rushed response; I wrote this out right before work xDDDD ))

Artemy shook his head at Andy's words.
"I think your best bet is Vixen's place, we don't usually take the names of people who come through here, though sometimes they will go up to the front desk to exchange bills for quarters, strike up a friendly conversation," He said motioning outside of the door as he waited for Mercy to come and talk to these people.

He watched Andy get up and go to him as he was about to turn to leave. He stopped. She looked like she wanted to say something else but didn't, instead resorted to apologizing.

"You don't have to apologize, you haven't upset me. I've just been looking for someone for a really long time and I think your boyfriend has a few answers, but I won't pressure you if you don't want me to" He gave her a soft half-smile, his eyes softening.
"I would love to talk to Tamryn about someone we used to know, you think you can convince him to have a word with me?" He peaked over at Tamryn who tilted his head slightly, wondering what was going on.

"He looks like he's been through hell, and I should have noticed sooner instead of acting like an asshole" He let out a small laugh.
"But like I said, I won't pressure anyone into anything. I genuinely don't know anything about this situation" He said, looking a little sorry himself for not being able to help more.

(you're all good !!! :000 don't worry about it :')))

As Artemy, Tamryn, and Andy had their discussion in the employee break room, Mercy was out front, trying to deal with the customers in their little arcade. She had overheard bits and pieces of the conversation, but for some reason, the chaos had gone up a notch since Artemy had left with the two customers. In a matter of ten minutes, she’d already kicked a couple of rowdy teenagers out, and one of their arcade games had started acting up. Mercy was dealing with yet another difficult customer when she overheard Artemy calling her from the break room. She couldn’t help but let out a sigh. He always called her at just the right time, didn’t he?

Mercy wandered back into the break room, about to make some comment about him always needing her at the wrong times, when she noticed the sudden shift in atmosphere that took place in the room. Her eyebrows furrowed in both confusion and concern. Maybe this wasn’t the time for her sarcasm.

She wandered up to Artemy’s side and, after a moment of hesitation, placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “Hey,” she said, her eyes softening. “Is everything alright?”

As Mercy checked up on Artemy, Andy walked back to Tamryn’s side, taking his hand in hers. From the look on her face, it was clear that she debating whether to tell Tamryn to speak with Artemy or not. This conversation had already started going south, and there was no telling if it could get worse. Artemy had already started connecting the pieces together. What if he got even more suspicious and called the police? All these worries filled her mind, but at the same time, Andy knew that talking with Artemy would be the right thing to do. She could see his pain, and she felt that they should try to help him. After all the times she had screwed up lately, she could afford to do one thing right.

“Tam, I’m leaving this all up to you, alright?” she whispered. “If you want to talk with him, go, but… please be careful.”

Artemy's eyes turned to look at Mercy and he sighed heavily.
"Everything's alright, they just have a few questions- erm- you are?" Artemy questioned, realizing that Andy had never told him her name. That's when Tamryn suddenly got up.
"Her name's Andy," He said, looking at both Artemy and Mercy, his eyes darting over to Andy when she came by his side again.

At Andy's words, Tamryn looked over at Artemy briefly. Tamryn knew exactly what Artemy wanted, but he would not be happy to find the information out. Which is why he was hesitant to tell Artemy anything.
"It's alright, I'll talk to him, I'll be careful" He smiled softly at Andy before leaving her side and going over to Artemy.
"You wanted to talk?" Tamryn said, now looking a little more serious. Artemy turned his attention away from Mercy for a second to address Tamryn. Every time his eyes landed on Tamryn there was a glare there, something akin to distaste.
"If you'll excuse me, Mercy," Artemy said grabbing Tamryn's arm and leading him out of the room, leaving Mercy with Andy for a bit.

Tamryn tried to move his arm away from Artemy but to no avail.
It wasn't long before they were out of the arcade and outside talking in the alleyway to the right of the building. Tamryn jerked his arm away from Artemy.
"I may be your friend, but I can certainly walk. There's no need for you to treat me like this." Tamryn hissed, now looking annoyed. Artemy did not seem to care though as he walked further back into the alleyway, expecting Tamryn to follow. And he did, though, this was setting off alarm bells in his mind. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea.

Andy looked like she wanted to go after the two men and stop whatever discussion they were about to have, but doing that would make both her and Tamryn look suspicious. Yes, she felt bad for Artemy. He had clearly been through something, and part of her hoped that he would eventually get the answers he deserved. But, despite the sympathy, she didn’t like how he looked at Tamryn. He was starting to piece things together, but all Andy could do was stay there with Mercy and pray that Tamryn would be careful.

“You two seem to really like each other.”

Andy had almost completely forgotten about Mercy until she spoke up. The woman wandered closer to the table Andy was sitting at before she eventually took a seat herself. Andy noticed that she had a distant, almost sad, look in her eyes as she spoke or Andy and Tamryn’s relationship.

“We do,” Andy replied, her eyes shifting down to her hands. “But I didn’t come here to talk about our relationship.”

Mercy shrugged. “Just an observation.”

The two women remained quiet for a while. Andy was usually incredibly talkative and friendly, and Mercy seemed like the type of person she would get along with. But she was too worried about Artemy finding out Tamryn’s secret to start up any sort of conversation. She listened closely, trying to see if she could hear the conversation going on outside, but she was met with silence.

“I’m sorry about Artemy.” Mercy sighed, leaning back in her chair. “He can be a little intimidating, but he’s a nice guy.”

“A little?”

“Well, this was more so than usual. Artemy and your boyfriend… they seemed to have some sort of background.” Mercy twisted her rings, thinking. “I’ve seen him in her a few times. Your boyfriend, I mean.”

“Yeah? And?”

“It’s… interesting, that’s all. Weird that he would come here when he and Artemy have such a strained relationship,” she said.

Andy thought it was weird too, but she didn’t mention it. Instead, she got defensive. “What is this? An interrogation?” Andy huffed. “Look, I just came here to ask about Josh, okay? Whatever this is about, it has nothing to do with me.”

Mercy didn’t look like she believed her, but she still threw her hands up in surrender. “Whoa, whoa. Okay. I didn’t mean to irritate you. I’m just… curious, that’s all,” Mercy replied. “We don’t have to talk about it.”

Without making eye contact, Andy nodded stiffly, and the two drifted back into a tense silence. Andy now fully regretted even setting foot into the arcade.

Behind the arcade was a small apartment connected to the back of it. The place looked like it had been abandoned long ago, the hinges ripped off the doorframe with the door nowhere to be seen. One of the windows was broken and walking inside, the place was dusty to all hell, except for some footprints on the ground like people had been there recently. Some things were frozen in place, the floor to the left when you came in, having a dark spot on the floor. Some decorations were still up, and furniture as well. There was a small old couch here, a wrecked TV in front of it, and a broken table there. The wallpaper of the entire place was peeling off. It had not been maintained in years.

Artemy walked and expected Tamryn to do so too. He stopped in the middle of the small living room and crossed his arms, turning to Tamryn.
He stared at him for a good while, not saying a word. And he didn't need to as Tamryn knew exactly why he had brought him here.
"The walls are thin Tamryn. Especially at night when it's quiet." Artemy finally commented. Tamryn said nothing.
"How long have you been dating your girl?" He asked. At that Tamryn's face turned sour.
"Is that what you came here to talk about? If that's it, then this conversation is over." Tamryn turned, but what Artemy said next made him freeze.
"She deserves to know. That you've been seeing someone else here. A girl." He said accusingly. Tamryn whipped his head around so fast to glare at Artemy.
"Excuse me??" He said indignantly.
"Tell me. Is it Vixen? Or maybe Lisette? You could never keep your eyes off of her." He said taking a step towards Tamryn, who took a step back, confused.
"I don't know who it is, but the voice is familiar. Someone we both know. And while I won't get into your personal affairs, I just have a small question. Who is the person you meet here at night? It's been driving me crazy for the past few months. I know the voice. I just can't put my finger on it." He said, now looking like he was trying to remember, but not being able to.
Tamryn had a guilty look on his face as Artemy said those last words. He knew he should have told him sooner, he had been looking for her for a while, but in the state she was in now? It would crush Artemy.
"It's no one important…" Tamryn lied.

Mercy reached down, about to pull a book out of her purse, when an alarm sounded throughout the room. Andy jumped at the sudden noise, but Mercy didn’t seem too bothered by it.

“Whoa, whoa. Don’t pee your pants.” Mercy snorted, standing back up as she shoved her novel back into her bag. “That’s just lets me know that I have another customer standing outside.”

“Another one?”

“Yeah, they can’t seem to stop coming. Sit tight, I’ll be right back.”

With a long sigh, Mercy stood up and hurried towards the door. As she opened it, Andy leaned forward, trying to catch a glimpse of the customer. What she saw made her heart drop. A man in a police uniform was standing at the desk.

The officer could’ve been there for a number of reasons, but Andy couldn’t help but think that he was there for either her or Tamryn. She tried to duck, get out of sight before the man could see her, but it was too late.

The man stepped forward, peeing past Mercy. “Andromeda?”

Hold on. She recognized that voice, and there was only one person she knew who insisted on calling her by her real name. Andy looked up from under the table, and when she finally recognized who it was, her eyes lit up.

“Jack?”

Without a moment of hesitation, she scrambled to her feet and rushed over to him. He immediately pulled her into a gentle hug before releasing her.

“Where have you been?” Jack looked astonished, and yet, concerned filled his eyes. “You haven’t shown up for work at all, Andromeda. We were about to file a missing persons report. You always show up to work.”

“Things have been a bit crazy. I’m sorry. I should’ve told someone.”

“You think?” He snorted. “The sheriff is going to have your head when you get back. Wait. When are you coming back?”

Andy hesitated. How much should she tell him? “Not for a while. If at all. A lot of stuff has gone wrong recently, and… I’m trying to do what I can to fix it,” Andy said. “I just… I don’t think I’m in any state to work.”

Jack nodded, and while he was still confused and concerned, he seemed to understand. “I’ll inform the sheriff that you won’t be back,” he replied. “And, Andy, just call me if you need anything, alright? I’m here to help.”

Andy couldn’t help but smile at his comment. Jack had been her first friend on the police force, and he had always acted like a true police officer. He would sacrifice anything for the safety of the people. Yet, Andy felt like she was the exact opposite. She couldn’t turn her boyfriend in even though he had taken the lives of dozens of innocent people. The thought was painful, but Andy knew it was truth.

“Thanks. I’ll keep that in mind.”

As they spoke, Mercy leaned against the counter, listening in silence to the conversation. Eventually, when the two went silent, she spoke up. “I didn’t realize that you two know each other.”

“Oh, yeah. I should probably introduce you,” Andy replied. “Jack, Mercy. Mercy, Jack. I used to work with Jack as an intern for the police force.”

“Oh, no. I know exactly who Jack is.” Mercy walked over to his side, slinging an arm around his waist. “He’s my brother.”

It made sense now. The two looked a lot alike with their blonde hair and blue eyes, and Andy now understood why Jack was here. It wasn’t to arrest or question her or Tamryn. It was to see his sister.

A crashing sound could be heard in the back of the arcade, like it came from the other side of the wall. There were vague words being shouted before the voices stopped completely.

Tamryn held a knife to Artemy's throat, making the man back off slowly. Tamryn swallowed hard as he flexed his jaw, the pain prominent and sharp, his back slightly sore now that he had been knocked against the wall.
"What exactly do you think you can do in this situation? She's too far gone. I think even Jake knew that, that's why he disappeared." Tamryn spat.
Artemy had a livid look on his face as Tamryn mentioned Jake. He took a step towards Tamryn but Tamryn also took a step towards Artemy.
"I'm not as scared to use this as you may think" Tamryn hissed. Artemy's eyes softened. He always carried a gun on him, but he wouldn't use it against Tamryn. He just couldn't.
"I'll be calling later. If you meet with her again, I expect you to tell me Tamryn. Or you'll have more to worry about than that company you're working for. You're not the only one who's gotten involved with them" Artemy said before turning on his heels and walking out the door.

It wasn't long before both Tamryn and Artemy walked back inside the arcade, but something was much more wrong than the last time they had seen them. They were silent and both looked equally as pissed.
"I hope you two are done because they're leaving," Artemy said, meaning Tamryn and Andy.
If Andy looked at Tamryn, he would not do the same, his eyes looking down, hands in his pockets. It's not that it was anything major he was hiding- well. It kind of was, but it wasn't exactly what it looked like.

Mercy was the first one to hear the noise, but by the looks Jack and Andy gave her, she hadn’t been the only one to hear it. She immediately took off towards where the sound was coming from, but Jack was way ahead of her. He gently pushed Mercy aside as he rushed up to the door.

He was reaching for the handle, about to burst into the room, when the door swung open and Tamryn and Artemy came out. Andy was hoping that this was all huge misunderstanding, but by the looks on their faces, it was clear that something had happened between the men. Andy had come to the arcade, hoping to learn something, but had instead gotten herself into an even worse predicament.

Jack walked back over to his sister as the men barreled out of the room, his eyebrow raised. He knew that he shouldn’t get involved in the affairs of others, but his sister worked at the arcade. While he wouldn’t force anyone to tell him anything, he still wanted to know what was going on. He opened his mouth, ready to confront the men, but Mercy beat him to it.

“You’re kicking them out?” Mercy widened. “What happened back there?”

“Look, Artemy, I’m sorry if something happened between you, but we didn’t mean any harm.”

Mercy could tell that Artemy was furious, and she didn’t want him to say anything to Andy that he didn’t mean. This was between him and Tamryn; it didn’t involve her. “Look, Andy, I think it’s best if you leave,” Mercy pressed. “You can call the arcade if you have any more questions. I would be happy to answer them for you. I don’t know what happened back there, but I think you should both leave.”

Andy hesitated at first, still confused, but she eventually gave a stout nod. After slipping her arm through Tamryn’s, she led him out of the building and back towards their car.

As soon as the two left the arcade, Mercy wasted no time. She grabbed Artemy by the arm, pulling him into the break room and away from the rest of the customers.

“What happened out there?” she hissed, folding her arms across her chest. “Look, I don’t want to get involved in your private affairs. I really don’t. But you and that guy just caused a huge scene in front of all the customers.”

---

Andy climbed into the driver’s seat, and for a while, they sat there in silence. She had so many questions swirling through her mind, but she didn’t know how to voice any of them. She had come here to get answers, but when she left, she was even more confused than before.

“Tam…” She reached over and held his hand, gently intertwining their fingers. “What happened back there?”

Artemy looked at Mercy, eyes softening at her concern.
"It seems that there's been a lot of lies going around, or at the very least the withhold of information," Artemy said vaguely, not really explaining.
"I genuinely thought we were friends Tamryn" Artemy joined Mercy and Jack. "I thought you could trust me as I trusted you," He said finally, eyes hard as he stared Tamryn down, then moved to take in Andy's figure.
"I know you didn't. But your boyfriend can't really be trusted. He'd rather watch others suffer than help when it's needed." Artemy said harshly.

Artemy eyed the two as they made their way out of the arcade, his arcade. Tamryn hesitated, feeling like he had made things worse, but followed Andy, feeling like a guilty kid that had broken a lightbulb and was now being found out. There was no hiding things anymore.

Artemy scowled when Mercy ushered him into the break room to talk. Artemy narrowed his eyes at Mercy when she got firm with him. He knew she was right, but his blood was still boiling.
"I think Tamryn is working for someone I used to. I'm not sure what he does, there are different types of jobs at that company, but there's someone I've been looking for a long time. She's been missing and Tamryn has been meeting up with her. He knows how important this is to me, but didn't say anything about it. He wanted me to help him but doesn't help me in return. What kind of friendship is that?" He questioned, growling a little.
The thought that Artemy could have helped this missing person instead of her being stuck at that place, drove him mad. It's what Jake would have wanted, and he wanted to carry out his wishes.

---

Tamryn could feel the atmosphere declining as the time went by in the car and nothing was said. Fuck. Was Andy mad? Disappointed? Sad? He couldn't tell because he refused to look at her. All he could do was swallow harshly at her question.

"It's my fault." He quickly said. "I should have said something, but I didn't- I was scared I'd get in trouble so I kept things to myself" He rambled, looking like his head was spiraling. "She's a huge deal to Artemy and I simply glossed over that-" Tamryn looked desperate like he wanted out so bad, but there was no way out of the mess and they kept digging a deeper hole. Wow. Things had really gotten fucked over the past few days.

Mercy could see that Artemy was still seething with anger, and she knew that, despite how intense Artemy could be, he would never get that angry without a good reason. Tamryn must’ve done something pretty bad in order to upset him. But what? Mercy was still lost. She hoped that Artemy’s explanation would clear up some things for her, but it didn’t. Instead, it left her more confused.

“A missing person? Well, have you tried calling the police yet?” She tried to be more sympathetic with him, noticing how badly this seemed to be bothering him. “If she’s a missing person and Tamryn knows something, I’m sure they’ll have a word with him for you. And… what does any of this have to do with Tamryn’s job? What company does he work for?”

Even though it might’ve not meant anything, Mercy couldn’t but let her mind reel around the mention of Tamryn’s job. From the outside, the mention of the job didn't seem to have a connection to anything, but Mercy knew there was likely more to it than that. What did this company have to do with a missing person?

---

“Tamryn…”

She looked over at him, but he wouldn’t seem to look her in the eyes. She felt like she should be angry about something, but it was hard to muster up that anger when she still had no clue what was happening. Just when she felt like she had started to understand something, she was thrown into the darkness once again,

“Tam, what are you talking about?” She placed a hand on his knee, squeezing it gently. “Who is ‘she’?”

Artemy paused when Mercy talked about getting the police involved. He gave a glance to Mercy's brother.
"Listen. I would love nothing more than to do that, but they won't help. Trust me, I've tried." Artemy spoke and as Mercy questioned more of everything, Artemy seemed to be stuck. He wasn't sure if he should drag Mercy into this, or even if he should let her know.
"The company is part of the government. If they want things to stay hidden, they stay hidden and there's nothing you can do about it." Artemy had a serious look on his face like he knew a lot more than he was letting on.

"I don't think it's a good idea to keep talking about this anyhow. I told Tamryn to call if he meets with her again. If I drop everything one day and leave without a word, it's because I'm going to get her." Artemy said, a determined look on his face. For some reason, Artemy refused to say the missing person's name. Maybe it was a sort of fear that people would be watching and he'd disappear if they caught on he knew too much.
He let out a soft sigh.
"It's alright, everything's alright. I'll handle this on my own." Artemy said, but sounded more like he was trying to convince himself that things would be alright, and nothing would go sideways.

---

"There's this person." Tamryn started, swallowing hard. "When I first started doing this job, she was the one who guided me through everything. What to do, how to fight back, what to expect. She seemed very skilled at what she did but somehow had patience with me when I messed things up. At first, we did jobs together so I could get a feel of what was to be expected, then I was left on my own. She would check up on me now and again to see how things were going. We would meet in abandoned places, like the apartment behind the arcade, though it wasn't often…" Tamryn's eyes were downcast as he spoke. "She never gave me her first name, but I know that others call her "Satori" Tamryn turned to look at Andy.
"I'm not sure what the whole story is, but Artemy used to be close to her I think. I don't really know what happened"
It was nice to talk about this, but he felt like it arose so many more problems now. Artemy was involved and if he met up with the girl again and didn't call, he'd know. He always knew and it freaked Tamryn out a little. Just like the company "Nexus" always knew what he was up to.

“Yeah, I know. The police… they probably won’t start an investigation unless you have evidence that she didn’t leave on her own.” Mercy released a heavy sigh. “But at least mention it to Jack. I don’t think anything will come of it, but at least he’ll be able to discuss it with the other police officers.”

Mercy search Artemy’s face as he continued, the concern clear in her eyes. A company that’s part of the government? She had always known about the government’s many secrets— her dad had been a conspiracy theorist, after all— but she didn’t realize how deep the connection between Tamryn, Artemy, and the missing individual went. Plus, Artemy was being incredibly secretive about it, which made her even more worried for his safety.

“You were involved with the government? Seriously?” Mercy’s voice dropped to a whisper. “This all sounds super shady, Artemy. Are you sure everything’s okay?”

Mercy listened as he spoke about the missing woman, and her eyes dropped to the floor. He seemed to care a lot about this person, whoever she was. Was she a friend? A relative? A partner? Mercy didn’t know, but all the unanswered questions were starting to make her head hurt.

“You don’t have to do everything on your own, Artemy. I work with you for a reason. I just… I hope you come to me if everything gets to be too much.” Mercy tried to force a smile as she looked back up at him. “But, you know what? I did promise you dessert. We can finish discussing all this over a slice of cake.”

---

She watched Tamryn as he talked, her eyes searching his face. While he may have been telling the truth about Satori, Andy knew that there was probably still a lot that he wasn’t revealing to her. She wanted him to tell her everything he knew about the business— start to finish— but that was too much to ask of him. She’d seen how scared he was of them, and she couldn’t imagine what they’d do if they found out that Andy knew their secrets.

“But… why don’t you just tell him where this Satori girl is?” she asked, leaning into him. “Is there a reason that he can’t see her?”

Artemy hesitated at Mercy's words. Getting the police involved sounded messy. Real messy. He had gone through that at one point and nearly gotten himself jailed.
"Well, if your brother is willing to hear me out, I suppose it wouldn't hurt, though, I'm not expecting much…" He said softly.

At Mercy's words he soft of shied away.
"Yeah, it's a long story though. Not a pleasant one either, but it happened. Everything's fine as of now. I haven't been involved with them for a long time. Until now that is." He said shifting on his feet. Artemy didn't have to get involved with them, he could turn a blind eye, but he just couldn't.

He looked over at Mercy and offered her a smile for her words.
"Thank you, I will keep that in mind." He shoved his hands into his pockets, his shoulders a little tense. Artemy's eyes widened slightly at the mention of the cake Mercy had promised him. As if going !!!! with his facial expression.
"You did! I almost forgot!" He said, a giant smile on his face now. "I'm not sure if I'll be able to talk to your brother directly, but maybe you could pass on the word for me? If they need me to come in, I'll figure something out, see if I can arrange time off." He spoke as he walked to the arcade door, a little too eager to leave the place. Artemy flipped the sign indicating that no one was there at the moment before he locked up, walking with Mercy to his favorite bakery shop.

---

"It'll kill him." Tamryn said, shrinking into the car seat. "He's so hell-bent on finding her, but you don't know what these people are capable of. If he goes after her, they'll try to take him out. Besides, she's scary" Tamryn gave a nervous half-hearted laugh.
"I guess that shouldn't really be my concern if he goes after her but…" He bit his bottom lip. "He's still my friend and I don't want him to get hurt…"

Mercy watched Artemy closely, noticing how tense he seemed. They may have just been coworkers, but she still cared about him, and all this seemed incredibly sketchy. She wanted to help him, but how? Should she call the police and risk the chance of losing her relationship with Artemy, or should she leave it and possibly put him in even more danger?

“Them? You’re being really secretive about this, aren’t you?” she replied. “I know you’re trying to avoid spilling too much for whatever reason, but please be careful, okay? Don’t get involved with more than you can handle.”

She managed a small yet genuine smile when she noticed how Artemy lit up at the mention of desserts. She had gotten to know a lot about Amory during her time working with him, including his ticks and habits, and yet his love for desserts was the detail about him that she found funny.

“I can’t believe you almost forgot about cake of all things.” She laughed. “And of course I’ll tell my brother for you. I’m sure he would be happy to help.”

As the two walked towards the bakery, Mercy continued to talk with Artemy, but she avoided mentioning anything about what had happened between him and Tamryn. She could tell that it bothered him and, even though she knew she would eventually have to talk to him about it, she tried avoiding the subject for as long as possible.

After they ordered their cake along with a few other desserts, Mercy took him back to here apartment, which was fairly close to the arcade. She had taken them there a few times to hangout with their coworkers, but that wasn’t often. Despite this, her cat, Bean, still recognized him and jumped in his lap as soon as he sat down.

“You know, his girlfriend seems nice.” She tilted her head, deep in thought as she cut two slices of the cake. “Cute couple.”

---

She closed her eyes as she leaned into her boyfriend. She had thought out all the different scenarios that could possibly happen, but she never anticipated the events that had unfolded. It would have been better if they never went there to begin with, but now wasn’t the time for regrets.

“I know, Tam. You’re just trying to do the right thing.” She sighed squeezing his hand. “But… why is he so set on finding her? What’s his relationship with her?”

"It's just not wise to get involved with them…the less you know, the better," Artemy said lowly, though it was hypocritical of him. He was going after this organization connected with the government without a second thought, but he wouldn't drag others into it. In his mind, it wasn't exactly their problem. That and he cared a lot for Mercy.
"I'll be careful," He said nodding slightly. He froze at her next words. " Don’t get involved with more than you can handle.” Well. That ship had already sailed. It's not that Artemy had wanted to get involved with them, it's just how everything had gone down when he was still a kid. He hadn't exactly had a choice in the matter.

Artemy scoffed at Mercy, rolling his eyes as he moved past her, though, there was a smile on his face now too.
"Thank you," He said, his eyes looking gentle, far more different than the death glare he had given Tamryn.

Artemy was happy as Mercy didn't mention the topic anymore, his eyes brightening when they landed on all the sweets when they entered the store. He basically drooled at how pretty and tasty they looked.

It was rare for Artemy to let Mercy take him to her apartment, for a few reasons. One of them being he was already busy as it was, and two….

Well, it's not like he had any feelings for Mercy, but she was always very kind to him. He didn't exactly know what to do in response to that. He was also kind to her in return, but she always covered shifts for him when he got too busy. He could always rely on her, though he knew he should try harder to be at the arcade when it was his night to work. Coming to her apartment felt….special? Like someone trusted him. It had been a long time since he had gotten close to someone other than Aster.

He sat down on the couch, the cat immediately jumping onto him. Artemy chuckled a little at that and scratched the cat behind the ear. When he was younger, he used to bring so many stray cats around when he and Jake went on small walks. Jen would get so furious….

He shook the thought from his head as he watched Mercy cut the cake.
"She does seem very nice…" Artemy said, eyeing the larger piece she had cut. If Mercy wanted it, he would let her have it, but that didn't stop him from staring at it for a second. One thing about Artemy was, he didn't like sharing his cake with anyone, so the fact that he was willing to do something like this with someone else, meant he had a lot of trust in that person and liked them a lot.

"I wonder if Tamryn intends on marrying her," He said casually, wondering what he should do with his own life after he found Aster. That was his only goal right now, other than running the arcade. Maybe he'd just stay here and….
Artemy picked the cat up and cradled it, sort of squishing the cat into a light hug. He loved cats, they were really nice. Especially Mercy's, the cat was always so calm and relaxed.

---

Tamryn tipped into Andy as well, leaning on her now, letting out a small huff. It was playful yet seemed frustrating in a way. He really wished he could take everything back.
"It's a really long story but….I'll keep it short." Tamryn said as he gathered his thoughts. "So, the person who took care of Artemy had a sister, her last name was Satori. This person did everything he could to get her back to keep her safe. But something happened. I don't know all the details but according to Artemy they all…disappeared? He tried to track them down but found nothing. He lived with about seven? Eight people at the time? And they just vanished, including his big brother. But anyways, he gave up on finding them a long time ago, but when he caught wind of one of the Satori's still being alive, he got dragged back into his research on them….the organization." Tamryn said, trying to piece everything together so it sounded cohesive. "I guess you could say Artemy sees the Satori girl like a sister?" He questioned, unsure.

Tamryn snuggled into Andy a little. "Maybe I got some things wrong, but I think I should also help Artemy find her now….if he already knows then there's no point in hiding it anymore," He said softly. He felt like he should make it up to him….

Mercy sighed at his response, crossing her arms over her chest. A part of her liked Artemy’s reserved, mysterious nature. After all, she had always loved trying to figure people out; it was one of the reasons she was studying psychology at the community college she went to. However, at the same time, it made her worry for him. She knew that, if he was in danger, he would never ask her for help until it was too late. The thought scared her.

“Being carful isn’t enough, Artemy. You’re dealing with some shady people here.” She felt like reaching up and touching his shoulder to show some sort of affection, but she ignored the urge and instead took a step back. “You don’t have to do this alone.”

Mercy didn’t wait for him to answer. She headed towards the door, ready to get out of the stuffy arcade and into the real world. She knew that she shouldn’t be walking away from the conversation like this, but Mercy wasn’t good with dealing with strong emotions. She needed a break.

Mercy tried to lighten the mood as they walked to the bakery, and to her surprise, it worked. By the time they arrived back at her apartment, they were laughing and joking around once again, both of them avoiding the topic that they still needed to discuss.

As Mercy sliced the cake, she watched Artemy pick up Bean and cradle her in his arms. Artemy had always been one of Bean’s favorite people, but Mercy couldn’t understand why. The cat scared of everyone else, and she hid from anyone besides Mercy and Artemy.

Mercy smiled and rolled her eyes as she headed towards the couch with the cake slices in hand. “Bean’s betrayed me again, I see.” She laughed, sitting down next to Artemy. “I swear, she likes you better than she likes me.”

Mercy, of course, handed Artemy the larger piece. She knew how much he loved dessert, and besides, she had never been much of a sweets person.

“Maybe. I mean, I wouldn’t be surprised. Dude’s obviously head over heels.” Mercy frowned, digging into her cake. “If they get married, it’s up to them. Can’t say I condone it. They’ll be together for a few years, and then they’ll get a divorce. Custody battles and all that fun stuff.”

Mercy paused and blinked hard before turning to look at Artemy. “Sorry. Maybe that was a bit too dark.”

---

Andy tucked the top of her head underneath Tamryn’s chin, playing absentmindedly with his hair. She hated to see one of Tamryn’s friendships fall apart like this. Sure, from what she’d seen, the two didn’t seem very close, but Tamryn considered Artemy to be a friend. She felt a bit guilty for taking Tamryn to see him, but she tried not to let the feeling eat at her.

“Tamryn, I think… I think you should let it be.” She moved her hand down to his neck, tracing patterns across his skin with her fingertips. “We’ve seen what can happen when someone gets too involved with this so called organization. It would be safer if we leave him out of this, whether he hates us for it or not.”

Artemy gave Mercy a sort of sad smile, that bordered on playful. And he didn't answer Mercy, as she walked away. He simply went after her.

It wasn't hard to get Artemy in a good mood, but it also wasn't hard to get him in a bad mood either. It was very hot and cold with him, though, most of the time he tried his hardest to be friendly.
Artemy wasn't sure why Bean liked him a lot either. All he knew was that he liked petting the soft cat, most of the time treating them more like a human, giving them affection like he would another person.
A low laugh came from Artemy as he let the cat climb on him, usually, it was over one shoulder, peering from the other side. Its body almost wrapped around his neck in a way, but not quite.

"I'm telling you, I'm the favorite" He teased, though, knew that wasn't true. He took the slice of cake when Mercy offered it to him and placed it in his lap, immediately sinking the fork into the spongy cake. He brought it up to his mouth and ate it, slipping the fork out, a surprised look now on his face as Mercy talked. Divorce?

Artemy blinked a couple of times at that. He had known Mercy for a while now, but he had never heard this kind of opinion from her. He wondered if something had gone down in the past that made her think that way. Either way, it wasn't his business to pry if she didn't want to tell.
"You say that but," Artemy shoved the fork into the cake again, a clinking sound was made as it touched the porcelain plate. "It can't possibly be that bad, right?" He questioned. "Besides" He waved the fork around a little. "I know of a few people who could have made a marriage work- though, I can't say for sure…" He trailed off, thinking about it.
He smiled at Mercy at her apology and waved her off.
"Don't worry about it, a little surprising coming from you, but I understand where you're coming from. My parents were never married so I don't know a whole lot about divorce and custody battles" He shoved another large piece of cake into his mouth, making a pleased face with the taste of the flavors.

---

Tamryn blushed at Andy's small touches- he melted every time despite feeling so hopeless about this situation.
"Yes, but Andy-" He said desperately, trying to get her on board. He wanted to do this for Artemy. He knew it was dangerous, but the guilt was eating him up on the inside. He wanted to do something good from all the bad he had already caused. He knew it wouldn't fix things, it wouldn't bring the dead back, but he had to do something! If he didn't, then, what was the point? Why was he even fighting this?
"It's not a matter if he hates us or not, it's just-" He hesitated for a moment. "I want to do something good…" He fidgeted with the hem of his shirt. "You know I….I feel terrible…" A shaky smile came on his face, tears threatening to take over.
"I need to do something, or else- what am I even doing? We said running away but…" There was a conflicted look on his face. His heart told him to go one way, but his mind told him to go another.

Mercy leaned close, scratching Bean behind the ear as she planted a kiss on her head. She had found Bean at a park when she was a teenager, and she had fought tooth and nail with her father to adopt the cat. However, her father was allergic to fur, so she had to wait until she got an apartment of her own. As soon as she was able to, she took Bean in, and the two instantly became best friends.

“Oh, so you’re the favorite, huh?” Mercy laughed, taking a bite of the cake. “Yeah, okay. Let me remind you that she still lives in my home. She could very well go live with you if she wanted to.”

Mercy watched Artemy’s eyes widen slightly when she mentioned her thoughts on marriage and divorce. The topic didn’t come up a lot, but many people wouldn’t expect her to hold the opinions that she did. Most of her friends knew her as a bookworm, and some even thought that she was a bit of a romantic. While that was true, she tended to love book relationships more than ones in real life.

“Yeah, I dunno. Maybe I’m wrong about it, but it just seems like most marriages grow strained eventually.” Her eyes grew slightly sad, but she shook the feeling away as she went to scratch Bean. “But who knows? Andy and whatever his name was seem to love each other. Maybe they’ll turn out differently.”

Mercy listened intently as Artemy spoke some about his parents. He had never said much about his upbringing. Originally, she wasn’t too curious about his past, but his earlier statement about working for a government agency changed that.

“Yeah. Well, I would say I have a lot of experience with the custody court, and for some reason, they always end up sticking you with the worst parent.” She sighed, shrugging. “But enough about that. We’re here to eat cake, not talk about depressing stuff.”

Mercy flipped on the TV, wanting to drown out the conversation. Her finger moved to hit the button for Netflix, but something on the TV caught her eye before she could hit it. A news story was running on a missing individual from their home town. Mercy immediately recognized his face from the dozens of times she’d seen him in the arcade.

“Hold up.” Her eyebrows furrowed, and she sat up on the couch. “Is that Jack…?”

---

Andy lifted her head off his chest and pulled Tamryn in instead, letting him bury his face in her shoulder. In his eyes, she could see the same guilt that had been eating away at her for the past few days. She wanted to run, to hide from all their problems and start a new life. But she felt so… selfish. In fact, everything she had done thus far seemed to be out of selfishness. She had kept Tamryn secret from the police despite knowing how many people he had killed. She wanted to runaway while still knowing that their was an organization out there who was intent on ruining lives.

“Tam…” She sighed, kissing his face. “If you want to do this, I’ll stay with you, okay? I’ll stay until you’re ready to leave. But what if Artemy ends up getting the police involved? They’ll kill you, Tamryn.”

She weaved her fingers in his hair, wanting to pull him closer but being unable to. She knew it was the right thing to do. With his determination, Artemy would find out the truth eventually, and they could either help him or leave him to fend for himself. She wanted to fight back against the organization, but would she lose a life with Tamryn in the process?

“I need you to be careful. I can’t lose you, okay?”

Artemy held his hands up defensively, holding the fork with his mouth. He shook his head slightly along with his hands before taking the fork from his mouth to talk again.
"Nono," He laughed nervously. "She loves you, she loves you," Artemy said, almost as if taking it back. "Though, if you were to ever go on a vacation and needed someone to take care of her…." He trailed off. He wouldn't mind that. Artemy had taken in plenty of strays when he had been a kid, though they never lasted long in the place he had lived, not because they were hurt or killed in any way, but because they simply couldn't afford to have someone look after them. Artemy had offered at one point, begged even, but the person who had been in charge was more responsible than that. He wouldn't let Artemy take care of a potentially wounded animal at the age of ten.

Artemy watched as Mercy talked. He hummed at her personal opinions, as if almost in agreement. He also wondered if Andy and Tamryn would last. Not with the way things were going they wouldn't. Eventually, both sides would get frustrated and something would have to give, or they would self-destruct together potentially. It was still too early to tell, depending on how long they had been together, but if it was a fairly new relationship….
Another clink! came from Artemy's plate as he ate in silence for a while, thinking about it.

"…for some reason, they always end up sticking you with the worst parent.” Artemy caught onto that line, wondering if that had happened to her, but once again, he wouldn't pry, so he sat quietly, slowly eating his cake in almost a comedic manner as Mercy said to talk about other things.

He watched Mercy flick the TV on, his eyes drawn to the screen as the news came on. Artemy hadn't picked up on it at first, vaguely skimming the text on the screen and watching the reporter's mouth for a second before looking away.
It was only when Mercy mentioned Jack that he nearly choked on his cake. His eyes darted up again to take in the photo. That was very unusual. Missing people…..
Something twisted in his stomach. When his family had disappeared they hadn't put it on the news, Artemy had never known why until he grew older. This felt similar in a way and it unsettled him greatly.
"Wasn't he just….?" Artemy said, confused. He seemed to pale at that. Had someone been waiting to grab him?? What was going on?

---

A shiver ran up Tamryn's back when Andy mentioned they'd kill him. That seemed to shake him up a little. If Andy was trying to get him to back down, she was doing a really good job of it.
Tamryn let out a small distressed sound at that. Now reevaluating everything he had said. It felt like he was going back and forth- wanting to not risk any danger to himself but also wanting to do what he thought was the right thing.
"I'm going to be honest Andy…." Tamryn started, pausing a bit to collect his thoughts. "I really really want to do this alone- I don't want to put you in danger. I know you say that you'll help me and that things will be okay- that it isn't all on me anymore but…." He snuggled a little more into Andy. "What if something happens?" He let out a nervous laugh. It's not that Tamryn thought this was funny in any way, it was more of a scared reaction he had to things that made him shaky, to take his mind off of the more depressing things that tried to dominate his mind.
"What if something happens to you? At least I know that if I go in this alone, one of us would live if it really came down to it." And although he said this, he knew that those people who had wanted to talk to Andy would be after her too, for what reason? They still didn't know but maybe her chances were slightly better if she didn't have a whole entire organization after her too.
"Yeah, I should be saying the same to you…" He said softly, almost sounding like a grumble. He was very displeased with this idea of Andy tagging along, but he also knew he could not stop her. She loved him- genuinely….and that might just be a death sentence.

“Let her stay at your house for a while?” Mercy paused, considering it. “Why not? She loves you more than anyone I know. She’ll definitely like that better than staying with one of my relatives.”

It was almost strange how close Mercy and Artemy had gotten in the few months that they’d worked together. She hadn’t been sure what to make of him at first; Artemy would get into moods sometimes, and they often managed to get on each other’s nerves. But, as she continued to work with him, she’d discovered that she had more in common with him than she thought, and they eventually formed a friendship. She would’ve never expected it, but that friendship grew stronger than most of the relationships she had in her life. Well, yeah, that wasn’t many, but still.

She continued to think about their friendship until the TV suddenly ripped her from her thoughts. Despite not knowing Josh very well, she seemed disturbed— if not panicked— by the news. She has seen Josh multiple times in their arcade before. He just seemed like an average college-aged guy, and Mercy hadn’t thought much of him. But to have him just… disappear without a trace? The thought of something so sinister happening in her college was enough to send shivers down her spine.

Her mind kept wandering back to Tamryn and Andy and their insistence on speaking to Artemy about Josh. Were they involved in this somehow? And what about Artemy? Andy seemed to really think that he knew about Josh. Was Artemy hiding something from her.

She pressed her lips together, conflicted. No. He probably wasn’t. Artemy had been insistent that he knew nothing about Josh, and Mercy believed him.

“Do you think Andy and Tamryn know something about this….?”

---

Andy let out a sigh as she wrapped her arms tighter around him. Somehow, she knew he would end up insisting that he should do this on his own. Tamryn had always been the type to go solo, and while she understood that, she was afraid that he would leave without telling her in order to protect her. She prayed that he wouldn’t, but Andy knew that was a possibility.

“Tamryn, you’ve already tried doing this yourself. It didn’t end well,” she whispered. “Enough secrets. Enough trying to do this on your own. Those men who were after me very well may be linked with the organization. I’m still in danger no matter what we do.”

Andy snuggled closer to Tamryn, but even with him by her side, she could feel herself slowly slipping into the grave that she’d dug for herself. She tried to tell herself that it would be okay, that they had a future together, but it seemed they every way they turned was another horrible ending waiting for them.

“You’re all I have left, Tam.” She lifted her head, wanting to look him in the eyes. “My family is gone. I’ve lost almost all of my friends. You’re all I have…”

Artemy blinked at that. Oh- Mercy would actually let him…? He had mostly said it as an offer, not really excepting for her to take him up on it.
"Of course!" Artemy seemed to jump at that, a surprised yet eager look on his face, almost like he couldn't believe Mercy had accepted. He knew it wouldn't be anytime soon, but the thought of getting to take care of the cat really filled him with happiness. Artemy lived alone, so his days were spent alone when he wasn't out on a job.

Artemy kept his eyes on the TV, listening to what they were saying to get more information to try and piece this together. The expression on Mercy's face looked like the wheels were turning in her head, and Artemy swallowed nervously at that. Artemy indeed did not know anything about Josh or his disappearance, but there were certain things he was hiding, stuff he wasn't sure he had the guts of saying out loud. He knew a lot more than he let on, but there was certain information, that if told to others, it was bound to get them killed if they carelessly went around spreading it.

"I wouldn't be surprised if they did." Artemy said rather coldly, the irritation back in his tone. It made sense why they came to them asking if they had seen the guy, though, for some reason Artemy didn't seem to be fazed by this, as if it were another normal day for him. He seemed more annoyed at the revelation than anything else.

"Maybe we should give them a call? I have Tamryn's phone number now and I could ask. There's just something off about all of this." He said, his eyes glaring at the TV as he thought about how both Tamryn and Andy had left out a crucial part of their missing friend. Maybe they didn't know, but Artemy seriously doubted it.

---

Tamryn let out a defeated yet desperate sigh like he wanted to keep arguing with Andy in hopes of convincing her otherwise, but the conversation would get nowhere with her. He just had to accept the fact that if something happened to her….
Tears pricked at the corners of his eyes, he shook his head, biting his lower lip to keep any unwanted emotions at bay.
The words Andy spoke seemed to cut Tamryn deep. There was really no arguing with that, though it felt…awful. That Tamryn was the only thing Andy had left. He was barely worth it, and had almost nothing to show for himself, but in Andy's eyes, he was the only one left by her side…

He tried picturing him in her shoes, what if it was the other way around? Would he be happy that Andy left him out of this? Not exactly, but at the same time, he would understand. Maybe the pain of living without the people you loved was too much to bear and she'd rather commit suicide with him. Or maybe it was doomed either way.

Either way, he decided right then and there to drop the subject for the last time. He wouldn't bring it up anymore. He'd let Andy follow as he would also follow her. Tamryn didn't have many skills when fighting or killing- just the basics, but he would use those against anyone who came too close to Andy. He had to, even if Andy didn't like it.

"Alright, alright…sorry, I won't bring it up anymore, it just worries me a lot" He gave a soft laugh as if trying to downplay how much anxiety was settling his stomach, making him feel sick. Giving in and not trying to continue to pressure Andy out of this felt like a bad move but…he didn't want to be the one to control what she did either. It wasn't his place.

Either way, all he wanted was to get out of this place and go back to the hotel, sleep was on his mind but he also knew they had other stops to make. Might as well get it over with.

Mercy could feel her heart skip as she watched how excited Artemy got at the opportunity to watch her cat when she went on vacation. It was rare to see him so happy, and she had never expected him to be this elated over getting to watch Bean. But, at the same time, she knew that he lived alone. She did as well, and she knew from experience how lonely it could get at times.

Mercy turned her attention to away from Artemy and to the TV as she tried to figure out what had happened to Josh. According to the news broadcaster, the kidnapping had happened late in the evening on a college campus. Her college. That fact alone shook her up. Multiple students around the campus reported hearing gunshots from one of the abandoned buildings scheduled to be torn down. The police went to investigate, and while they were there, they discovered from witnesses that a dark-colored van was seen speeding away from the school minutes after the shooting. It wasn’t discovered that Josh was missing until his parents reported it after he didn’t come home from school.

Mercy squirmed in her seat. This added a whole new layer to their encounter with Tamryn and Andy at the arcade. If they were friends of Josh’s, they likely knew something. But what?

Mercy looked at Artemy, raising her eyebrows at the coldness in his voice. And then there was the matter of his relationship with Tamryn. It was…strained, to say the least, but there something else there. Something else he wasn’t telling her. Was the government organization he told her about earlier? Artemy and Tamryn clearly had connection to it. Did Josh work for it too?

“Maybe- maybe we should give them a call.” Mercy placed her hand on Artemy soldier. “Please, just… take it easy on them, alright? They might not know anything.”

---

Andy hated to see Tamryn so upset. All this was happening just because he got involved with a group of people he shouldn’t have, and now, this so-called “organization” was going to drag Tamryn, Andy, and whoever else worked against it down with it. She wanted to give Tamryn a life away from all this, but every time she worked to reach that reality, something else destroyed it for them.

Andy gently rubbed Tamryn’s back, unsure of what else to do. She felt so… helpless. So vulnerable. It was pure luck that she had survived for this long. When she was kidnapped, she was lucky to have the men release her. When she went for a second time to give them the files they wanted, Josh happened to be there and told her their plans. He interfered, taking the fall for them. Speaking of Josh…

Andy knew she needed to tell him. If they were going to see Vixen, she would likely be devastated over Josh’s disappearance, and it would be wrong to not tell Tamryn about it before hand.

She held Tamryn in silence for a while, trying to stall the conversation for as long as possible. She needed time to collect herself, and she wanted to spend a few minutes with Tamryn before spilling the news.

Eventually, once she felt the time was right, she lifted her head from his chest and looked him in the eyes. “Tamryn, you know what happened a few days ago, when Josh warned us about the kidnappers. Well, he’s gone missing.” Andy sighed, burying her face in his neck. “I’m sorry. I should’ve told you earlier. But I saw it on the news a few days ago, and I didn’t know how to tell you…”

Artemy huffed at Marcy's request to take it easy on the other two. He really didn't feel like being nice after having found out about Tamryn's little lie.
Well.
Not that it was exactly a lie, but it counted as one in Artemy's head. He hated liars.

"Right, I'll do my best," He said, his voice soft as Mercy comforted him by placing her hand on his shoulder. But no promises. He thought silently, though, now that he had someone to keep him accountable, he probably wouldn't be so rude this time. He didn't like people seeing this side of him exactly. Usually, he wasn't like this- or maybe in the past he hadn't been, though, with time, it seemed that a lot changed inside of him.

Artemy soon pulled his phone out to dial the number. As it rang he looked at Mercy, a little hesitant, but extended his hand to give her the phone.
"I think maybe you should talk to him, I don't think I can talk to him any more calmly than I did earlier.." He said looking away. It was for the best, someone who wasn't emotionally involved in this should take the reins.

---

Tamryn froze at Andy's words. He turned to look at her.
"Missing?" He said nervously. "Why would he go missing? Is it because of the people that are after you?" He asked, though, somewhere in the distance of his mind alarm bells were ringing. Was this a warning? To back off? To give in? Even if this wasn't Nexus, the company he worked for, it was just another threat to keep an eye on, there wasn't much wiggle room to do things anymore, it felt like several eyes were on them and even if they made a move, they'd get caught no matter what.

Before Tamryn could ask or say anything else his phone rang. He dug into his pocket, glancing at the number before picking up.
"Hello?" He asked. He didn't think Artemy would be calling so soon so he assumed it was them, though, it was indeed Artemy and not the company he had been nervously anticipating.