forum •Favorite Liar• [one/one]

Started November 26, 2022 by @Dayzed forum

tune

Mercy considered slipping her hand into Artemy’s, but she figured that was probably taking their interaction a step too far. Now that she thought about it, inviting Artemy over to her home was also likely taking it too far, but she tried not to dwell on it too much. He, at least, seemed to think nothing of it.

Mercy hesitated for a moment before taking the phone from Artemy’s hand. No, she wasn’t nervous about the phone call; dealing with Tamryn would be the same to her as confronting a difficult customer. However, she felt weird getting involved in whatever was going on between Artemy and Tamryn. She would usually put plenty of distance between herself and this kind of drama, but Artemy was her friend. She felt obliged to help him out.

So, with a sigh, she took the phone and held it up to her ear.

“Hey, Tamryn. It’s Mercy. I saw the news,” Mercy said. “I don’t know what’s going on, but I think you know a lot more than you told us back at the arcade. Look, I’m not saying you’re involved in any way, but you should call the police. I’m sure they would want to talk with you.”

Was that the right thing to say? Mercy and Artemy had already established that the police would likely do little to nothing, but it seemed like the only right thing to do. She looked over at Artemy, sending him an uncertain shrug.

---

Andy leaned into her boyfriend, trying to make out some of the words being said on the phone call. She could hear Mercy’s voice on the other end, and while she couldn’t hear much of what was being said, she could hear enough to know that the conversation had to do with Josh. She also hear the word “police” thrown in, and Andy assumed that Mercy was either telling Tamryn to call the police or threatening to call them on him. Neither option was good in her eyes. Andy glanced up at Tamryn, her eyebrows furrowed with both worry and concern.

Artemy let her take the phone and sunk back into the couch. His eyes went to the black screen TV that had just been on then back to Mercy when she shrugged.
As Mercy talked he hummed lightly at the mention of police, not seeming to agree or disagree, just taking note.

---

"Hey Mercy, how-" He was cut off before he could question how she had gotten his phone number, but soon figured Artemy had something to do with it.

Tamryn's mouth dried as he tried to come up with something to say. He hadn't known about this till well, just now, how was he supposed to reply to that? Just agree and tell Mercy he would call the police but then not call the police???
"The news?" Tamryn decided to play dumb, knowing that even if he hadn't seen it, Josh's face was probably all over the news by now and Mercy and Artemy had put two and two together with their visit.

"I- I don't know any more than you do" Tamryn protested, but that was a lie. He knew more and was actually on his way to talk to someone who might know even more.
"Talk with me?" Tamryn echoed, now seeming to panic a little. "Listen, Josh is not exactly a friend- I mean, he's not an enemy either, but we were just worried…as his classmates," Tamryn said, trying to find a way out of this.

Tamryn seemed insistant that he had nothing to do with Josh and his disappearance, but Mercy had time believing it. Not after what she’d witnessed only hours before. Tamryn’s fight with Artemy had told her that both he and Artemy had some sort of connections to an elusive government agency. What if this organization was somehow involved with Josh’s disappearance?

“Well, I don’t know what you do or don’t know, but I found our interaction at the arcade to be pretty suspicious. You caused quite the scene,” Mercy said. “All I’m saying is that, since you claim to be Josh’s friends, the police would probably like to have a chat with you. I’m not saying that you’re involved, but if you don’t call them, I’ll call them myself.”

With nothing much more to say, she said her good byes and hung up. She felt annoyed, both with herself and Tamryn. There was so much more she wanted to say to him. So much more she wanted to question him about. However, she knew better than to share all her knowledge with Tamryn. He was involved in some shady stuff, and she didn’t want to dig herself deeper with this organization than she already had.

“This government organization you talked about earlier… you said a girl you worked went missing. And now Josh has gone missing too. You think they’re connected…?” She looked over, searching his face for a few moments, before frowning. “You worry me, you know that?”

---

Andy looked up at Tamryn, trying to figure out how the call had gone. She had only heard parts of it, but from what she’d managed to put together, it didn’t sound good.

“After that stunt with Artemy, I thought she never wanted to speak to us again. It must’ve been pretty important for her to contact us so quickly,” Andy said. “What’d she say?”

Tamryn seemed to flush at Mercy's words, a sort fo embarrassment overtaking him.
"That was-" He tried to explain but was cut off when Mercy kept talking. Tamryn opened his mouth to protest, but no words came out, as if he couldn't find the right words to say. I mean, what was he supposed to say? Yes, there's been these strange people coming after Andy, and Josh was involved with them, oh, by the way, I'm also a part-time killer so I can't call the police or I'll get fucked over.
A nice chat with Tamryn. Well, while Tamryn could do that he was scared that the nerves would get the best of him and they'd think something was off about him- press him for answers, give him more questions than needed. He did know some things, but not a lot. Tamryn has always been one to turn a blind eye to these things, I mean, Josh being missing? That really had nothing to do with him- at least not directly…

"But I-" The other line was cut off suddenly, leaving Tamryn in a state of panic. He swallowed harshly, laying the phone on his lap defeated.

Tamryn gave Andy a shaky smile.
"Oh uhm…" He trailed off trying to gather his thoughts when she asked what the call had been about. "It was uhm, Mercy from the arcade…she wanted to know more about Josh- what you just told me- that he's gone missing. She wants me to call the police if we know anything about it" He tensed a little as he spoke the words out loud.
"I- I mean, it's an option, right? It's not like they would suspect me of anything…right? It would just be questions about Josh like where we last saw him and stuff like that I think-" He said gently, trying to break the news to Andy- almost trying to persuade her to let him call the police and give them the information.

---

Artemy just gave Mercy a small smile shaking his head.
"I'm an adult Mercy, I can take care of myself, I've made it this far, haven't I?" He said casually as if his life on the line was no big deal. Artemy wasn't suicidal, he did care about his life, but he also knew that if it came down to it, there would be nothing he could do if Nexus decided to come after him. It was a losing battle in his head. No one would do anything and his death would be swept under the rug- like everyone else's. It gave him a bit of anxiety but Artemy had come a long way from being the bright go-lucky kid that pranked everyone with his best friend. He wasn't as shy anymore and had a more rough look to him than when he had been fifteen.
"But maybe," Artemy said suddenly standing up. "It's something to look into," He said as if insinuating that was exactly what he was going to do.

Andy stared blankly at Tamryn, her eyes hardening.

“Okay. Fine. We go to the police. Then what happens, Tamryn? We tell them all we know, and then what will they do? They’ll slap chains on your wrist and lead you off to rot in prison for the rest of your life.” She bawled her hands in her lap. “It won’t end well. Going to the station is our last option.”

She hated how harsh her tone became with him, especially since he was simply trying to convince her to do the right thing. He wanted her to take him to the station. He wanted her to turn him in for the countless crimes he’d committed. But no matter how hard she tried to convince herself, a selfish though would remind that she couldn’t lose him. Not again.

Andy jammed her keys into the ignition, her mind made up. They would find a way to take down this organization, and they would do it without the police.

“I’m an officer in training, remember? We can figure this all out,” she told him. “We just have to figure out who our witness are and talk with them. Starting with Vixen.”

Witnesses? More like witness. Andy had always assumed that Josh had a vibrant social life, but she’d recently discovered that that was far from the truth. Vixen was his only close friend. Everyone else was terrified of him.

How’d they gotten so close, Andy had no idea. Vixen seemed to have a thing with men involved in sketchy organizations, and Andy figured that was no coincidence. She wanted wanted to question Tamryn— see if he knew anything about Vixen’s connection with Josh— but she figured he had enough on his mind already. Instead, she focused on making it to Vixen’s house. They would discuss Tamryn’s involvement with her later.

Andy parked the car near Vixen’s home. Before Tamryn could get out, she reached over, taking his hand. “Don’t think too much about what Mercy said about the police. We’ll focus on Vixen now and worry about them later, alright?”

Her words didn’t seem to convince him. She wasn’t sure exactly what Mercy had said to him on the phone, but her words seemed to rattle him. So much so that he thought he would give up right there and head back to the car, but he didn’t. He stayed with her until they reached the door.

Andy pushed the doorbell, stepped back to Tamryn’s side, and waited.

---

She managed a small smile, shaking her head. “How you’ve gotten this far without getting yourself killed, I have no idea,” she replied. “But still. You’re not invincible. And with you getting involved with all these sketchy people… I don’t want you putting yourself in danger.”

She could tell by the look on Artemy’s face that he wasn’t planning on listening to her. She opened her mouth to add something else, but she was interrupted by Bean. The cat had jumped off of Artemy’s lap and wandered over to her food bowl, pawing at it as she began to meow. A telltale sign that she was hungry.

“Geez. She betrays me for you, and then expects me to take care of her.” Mercy snorted, walking over to the cat. “I swear, she only uses me for food. Reminds me of another certain someone I know.”

Mercy looked up at Artemy, grinning, before she began to refill Bean’s food bowl. She only glanced up when Artemy suddenly stood up off of the couch.

“Whoa, whoa. Where are you going?”

Seeing Andy nearly glare at him, a slight shiver ran up Tamryn's spine. Yeah, she didn't like that.

"W-well, I'm not sure, it'll be like quick right?" He asked her, though she kept talking before he could get anything else out. He cringed slightly at her scolding, now looking down at his own hands.
"Okay, so we won't go then," He said softly, looking over at her and giving her a slight smile. "I won't go- we won't go." He said a bit more firmly this time around. At this point Tamryn didn't exactly know what he was doing, all he wanted to do was give Andy a bit of joy- even if it was just for a moment. A small second of peace at least. He could do that, right? Yeah…he could. He had to. It was the least he could do.

Andy seemed to take charge here this time around. Tamryn could have fought her on the idea, and told her that this was a mistake, but he didn't have it in him. It was a lot like him- just going with whatever was told- whether that be in the form of a threat or stern words from the person he loved.

He nodded at her words, not really saying anything else, opting to stare out the window as she drove them to Vixen's place. This all seemed very poorly planned out and maybe they were heading into an even worse outcome by picking this route instead of another, but…Andy knew best. Didn't she? She'd- They'd figure this out. Tamryn hung onto that small piece of hope, but it was weak, the flame flickering from time to time as he doubted the decisions they made.

As soon as the familiar neighborhood came into view and the car stopped, Tamryn was all business, wanting to immediately get out of the car, but Andy's hand stopped him. He froze, turning to look at her.

"Right, Vixen now, other stuff…later" He said in an uncertain tone, but nodded along with Andy, giving her a small smile.

---

There was a shaky smile on Tamryn's face as they approached the door and the doorbell rang. He looked around, seeming a bit off, nervous.

It wasn't long before someone opened the door and she didn't look so hot. Vixen looked like she hadn't slept in a while, she was in a blue tank top and…underwear. Nothing else. The straps of the tank top slid off one of her shoulders as she leaned against the door. Black eyeliner was smudged around her eyes, with streaks running down her face, there was a lot of black that looked like there had been an attempt to clean it away but done very poorly. Her eyelashes clumped together, looking shiny and a bit wet- most of the mascara she wore, gone.

A cigarette hung from her lips, a thin trail of foggy smoke rising from the end of it. She took one look at Andy and Tamryn before she started to close the door again.
"I'm sure you saw the news, come back at another time," She said, her voice a bit hoarse, but Tamryn stopped the door from fully closing.

"Wait- just, maybe hear us out? We have something we want to ask- say" Tamryn seemed to trip over his words. "I know it's not a good time but, just one minute?" He asked.

---

Artemy waved her away.
"I have my ways of keeping myself alive, I'm a slippery fellow," He said, a giant grin on his face, his voice a bit high as if boasting but also telling a joke. "You know, you worry a lot, that's kind of bad for your health" He teased as he watched Bean bounce off of him to her food bowl.
At Mercy's words, he blinked, a slight blush now on his face, feeling slightly embarrassed.
"Hey now- I-I don't do that!" He said, studdering a bit, knowing it was slightly true. But just slightly. Not too much.

He seemed to pause at Mercy's words.
"Oh uhm, home?" He lied. It was better if people didn't know about the things he got up to. Not that he was doing anything illegal, but uhhh he kind offfff was. I mean how else was he supposed to figure things out? He wasn't just gonna sit around and wait for things to fall onto his lap.

Andy noticed the shift in Tamryn’s demeanor after she snapped at him. It made her want to reach over, grab his hand, and apologize for everything. For scolding him. For getting them into this situation. But she couldn’t. Tamryn needed to hear the hard truth; getting out of the mess they made wouldn’t be easy. It wouldn’t be as simple as going to the station and turning Tamryn in. Sure, he wouldn’t be able to cause harm to anyone else, but the organization would still be out there. They could hire someone to take Tamryn’s place. The cycle would eventually continue.

Andy stayed silent, only daring to look at Tamryn once they pulled off to the side of the road. He looked deep in thought. Conflicted. Andy couldn’t blame him. She felt the same way.

Andy managed a smile when Tamryn spoke to her again. She reached over, letting her fingers trickle down the side of his face. “Right. That’s the spirit,” she said softly. “We’ll take this all one step at a time. It’ll work out. You’ll see.”

She always told him it would work out, but she knew she was lying. Both to herself and to him. This situation was strange to her; she had spent all her life trying to fight for justice. Now she was fighting for something else entirely.

---

Andy kept her hand wrapped tightly around Tamryn’s as they walked towards Vixen’s house. She tried to act confident on the outside, but on the inside, her insides were trembling. She hoped that Tamryn couldn’t feel her hand shaking.

As soon as she rang the doorbell, Andy wanted to leave. They could easily hop back into the car before Vixen opened the door. She would never know. But, before Andy could act on those thoughts, the door swung open. Vixen was standing on the other side, and boy, did she look rough.

For once in her life, Andy was tongue tied. She had no idea what to say to this girl. Luckily, Tamryn did. He stepped forward right before Vixen closed the door in their faces.

"Wait- just, maybe hear us out? We have something we want to ask- say" he had said. "I know it's not a good time but, just one minute?”

From what she could tell, Vixen seemed to listen to Tamryn. Andy finally gained the courage to take a step forward, adding in her own piece.

“I know you’re going through a lot right now. I’m so, so sorry,” she said. “I think we can help. We… saw Josh. We saw him at the college, before he went missing.”

Was that the wrong thing to say? Andy felt like she might’ve been sharing too much, but it was sure to catch Vixen’s attention. Maybe- just maybe- she would let them in to have a word with her.

---

“Mm, well, the one making me worry is you.” She grinned, winking at him as she stood up. “Once I figure out your address, I’ll be sure to mail you my medical bill.”

Mercy snorted as she listened to his response to her accusation. Yeah, she was just teasing, but she figured there was at least some truth to that statement. Artemy did enjoy his desserts, after all, and she loved occasionally buying them for him. It made her day to see how excited he would get when she brought cookies or cake to the arcade.

“Sure, sure. Cake was the entire reason you came to my house today,” she teased. “Well, cake and Bean.”

Mercy watched Artemy head towards the door, a small frown on her face. She knew he was a busy guy, but she couldn’t help feeling a slight twinge of disappointment. Sure, it was late, but it felt like they barely got to see each other outside of work. This was a rarity for them.

“Well, okay. Get home safe, and take this with you.” She brought the cake over to him. “I already have enough blood sugar issues as it is. I don’t need it in the house.”

Vixen eyed the both of them, a weary look on her face. She took the cigarette from her mouth and held it between two fingers, her hand now by her legs in an attempt to keep the two from inhaling the toxic fumes.

Tamryn offered a shy smile to Vixen, not really knowing how to interact with her after all this time apart, they hadn't really made an effort to reconnect after high school. Vixen seemed less than amused by the two at her door and honestly really didn't want to hear any of them out, but Andy was right in knowing that Vixen was likely to listen to Tamryn.
Her eyes darted from Tamryn to Andy when she stepped forward and made herself known. Vixen blinked at her words, her lips parting a bit as if to say something- or wanting to say something, but she didn't.
Vixen swallowed nervously at Andy saying she had seen Josh before he had gone missing. She tore her eyes away from Andy's figure, now staring at the ground and at her feet.

"Fine. But I don't want either of you here for long" She said a bit bitterly before fully opening the door for them to come in, turning to go inside herself.
Vixen's house was….messy. To put it simply. It looked like she had torn at everything, trying to find something, clothes on the ground with an open suitcase near the couches, the TV having a broken screen like a remote control had been thrown at it full force. Unwashed dishes, a full trash can, legal documents scattered on some surfaces, empty cans of both soda and beer on the ground near the TV, etc etc. But, this wasn't just a thing that had happened recently with Josh's disappearance- this was just…Vixen. It's how she lived most of the time. Tamryn knew Vixen wasn't exactly stable but he hadn't known it was this bad either.
Tamryn looked around, giving Andy a concerned look for Vixen.
Vixen grabbed a handful of clothes that were on the biggest couch and shoved them onto the ground beside the couch.
"You can sit here if you'd like" She mumbled. "Want anything to drink? I have alcohol too" She said, looking a bit fidgety now.
Tamryn shook his head.
"I'm okay- though, uh, Andy? Do you want something?" He asked her.

---

Artemy gave a soft laugh at Mercy's medical bill threat.
"You know what? Maybe one day I'll invite you over, I mean, you haven't seen where I live yet and maybe it would be a nice change of scenery" He said, glancing over at Mercy when she spoke again. He paled at her words.
"W-wait- no, I…I didn't say that- that's not true-" He fumbled his words. "I also come to see you-!" He nearly choked as he felt like he couldn't get the words out fast enough to clear this up. A small part of Artemy knew she was teasing him, but he also couldn't help but wonder if there was some truth to her words- or well, if she actually thought that's why he came over.
"You're a very nice person" His face flushed as he said the most generic line ever, not really sure how to top it. "You're very kind and I enjoy being around you, so I like visiting," He said a little more quietly towards the end- seeming shy now. He was now standing by the door as he said the last new words, Mercy bringing over the cake to Artemy whose lips turned upward into a smile. He really did love cake.
"Why thank you madam Mercy," He said in a different accent, his silliness really starting to come through again.

Artemy was like that, he could be scary when he wanted to or when he was angry, but nine times out of ten, you usually got the goofy side of him- or well, if you were close with him. He was sometimes in a mood when there was too much to be done and not enough time in the day to get those things done.

With a nod, Andy walked in the house, only to freeze once she had stepped past the threshold. Vixen’s house was an absolute wreck. Andy wouldn’t say anything about it, of course; she was grieving, and everyone had a right to grieve in their own way. But, despite how she tried to push it away, the sight of Vixen’s messy home brought back memories. Some of which she wanted to forget.

She was fine, she assured herself. She would be okay. They just had to sit down, ask Vixen a few questions, and leave. She longed to reach out and take Tamryn’s hand for comfort, but she didn’t want to. Not in front of Vixen.

As soon as Vixen cleared the dirty clothes from the sofa, the three of them sat down. Andy could immediately sense the tense atmosphere as they looked upon one another in silence. Was Vixen still thinking about what had happened at the party? The memory hadn’t left Andy’s mind since they’d stepped into the home. Had Josh been trying to warn her all this time?

Andy’s attention was pulled back to the conversation when Tamryn spoke up.. She couldn’t imagine how awkward this was for him, sitting in the home of one of his old friends. “No, I’m good. But thanks.”

She sent him a faint smile, resisting the urge to lean into his warmth. After gathering up her courage, she turned back to Vixen.

“Are you doing okay? Is there anything we can do for you?” She sighed, leaning back into the sofa. “I can’t imagine how hard this all must be for you. Or Josh’s family.”

Those last words felt like bile in her mouth. She knew exactly how Josh’s family felt about his disappearance. In fact, they were probably the ones who orchestrated it. She knew that Vixen likely knew much more about Josh and his family than she was letting on, and if she played her cards right, she could get the information she needed.

---

“Maybe? We’ve been coworkers for… how long? And you still haven’t thought to invite me over yet.” Now it was Mercy’s turn to become more flustered. “Well, if that’s something you’re comfortable with. I know some guys aren’t big into the idea of a girl coming to their house alone, but either way. No big deal.”

Mercy snorted as Artemy stumbled over his words. Poor guy. It was strange to see him so flustered, especially when she’d considered him to be the more well-spoken type. At least compared to her, he was. “Sure, sure. Are you sure you’re not trying to catnap Bean?” she teased. “Of course, she would probably go with you willingly, knowing how much she tries to escape.”

Mercy grinned at her friend, raising an eyebrow as his face began to grow red. She was never very good at handling mushy feelings, but she felt her heart grow a little when she heard him call her nice. But those same words came with a sting.

Would he still be calling her nice if he knew? No. He would hate her.

“I… don’t think I would describe me as nice.” She forced a small laugh as she handed off the cake to him. “Especially not the Karens who visit the arcade. They would never describe me as nice. Not in a million years.”

She laughed at his stupid accent and his even stupider grin. Oh, how she hated this guy. She hated his love for cake and his weird sense of humor. She hated his awkward side and how well he got along with Bean, despite the fact that her cat wouldn’t go near anyone else.

More than anything, she hated how, deep down inside, she deeply cared for him, despite everything in her telling her not to.

Vixen stared at the floor as Andy asked her if she was okay. It felt odd coming from her, to ask about Vixen's own wellbeing. No one really did that, especially when….when….
Vixen shook the thought from her head. It wasn't just Tamryn she was nervous to see, it was Andy, for specific reasons- reasons she did not want to think about.

It was only until the other two sat down that Vixen did as well.

"No, I'm fine." She said, sounding a bit colder when it came to Andy. It certainly was not intentional, Vixen just felt stiffer with Andy around. If anything, she wished they could have been friends, but the way things had gone, it was near impossible now.

Tamryn shot her a look. He knew she was grieving but he still did not like her tone with Andy. Vixen just rolled her eyes at that and looked away, seeming to be distant even from Tamryn.

At the mention of Josh Vixen stayed quiet, seeming to space out a little in thought.
After a second, however, Vixen frowned slightly, now looking back at the two.
"I'm sure you guys didn't come all the way here just to ask how I'm doing," She said softly, yet there was a bitterness there knowing that was true and she wished it wasn't.

"What? Do you want to ask me if I did anything? If I knew where he was last at? Just like the police?" The police had indeed come to interrogate her, thinking she had more information. Vixen didn't know much- sure she was close with Josh but she didn't think she was that close, he had never given her an indication that he wanted to be with her like that even though Vixen's feelings were pretty much clear at this point.

---

Artemy blinked at Mercy's words, taking a second to process it. There was sort of an implication there and he knew it but didn't want to comment on it in case he had read things wrong.
"I'm comfortable," Artemy said dumbly, not really finding the right words to say. "with you coming over that is, I just haven't cause well- it's not as nice as your place and- and-" It was kind of an excuse for Mercy to not come over, not because he didn't like the idea but because it had been years since he last had someone at his apartment. He knew it would be awkward- it would feel odd and would remind him of his older friends- ones he didn't have anymore.

Artemy gave Mercy an undignified look at the mention of kidnapping Bean, though quickly pouted and looked away.
"Maybe not just Bean" He muttered under his breath. Artemy did indeed like that cat, but more than that he also liked her owner.

He stood at the door as Mercy put down his words, denying them.
Although Mercy tried to play it off in the end, Artemy noticed how genuine her confession had been. She genuinely did not think herself to be a nice person and it made Artemy grow a bit serious, wondering why that was the case. He didn't like people talking about Mercy like that, even Mercy herself.
"Nonsense, I mean, if I say it, it has to be true" He gave her a wicked grin, bordering on playful. "I don't think those who don't know you well enough have a right to decide what you are and what you're not," He said taking the cake and standing there awkwardly.

"Anyways, I'll kick their ass if they're mean to you or say untruthful things" He took a step out the door, giving Mercy a faint smile. "I'll see you at work tomorrow, hope you have a good rest of your day" He dipped his head in a polite bow before turning on his heels and taking his leave.

The harsh tone of Vixen’s voice sent Andy aback. She should’ve been expecting it. After all, the two had avoided each other after Vixen began hanging out with Josh. The fact that Andy was now dating Vixen’s old crush only served to strain their relationship more.

Andy noticed the look Tamryn sent to Vixen and placed her hand on his knee, trying her hardest to deescalate the situation. She knew he was trying to stand up for her, but she didn’t want anymore tension to be added to their already tense conversation. Last thing she wanted was for a fight to break out.

Andy frowned at Vixen’s next comment, feeling a twinge of guilt. There was no denying that they hadn’t come there primarily to check on Vixen, but that didn’t mean that Andy didn’t care about her. Vixen’s closest friend had just gone missing, and Andy knew all too well how she must be feeling.

“Vixen, we came to help,” Andy replied. “Like I said, we know information, and I’m fairly sure you know something too. Me and Josh may have had our differences, but I’m not going to stand by and not say anything.”

Andy stole a glance at Tamryn before continuing. It was nice having him there for moral support, but she was still weary about his presence. Like with Vixen, she knew Tamryn was hiding something from her. He had to know a lot more about this secret organization, but he had yet to tell her anything.

She turned back to Vixen. “About the party. You were with him the whole time,” Andy remarked. “I think he might’ve been trying to warn me about something. Did he say anything strange to you?”

---

“Are you kidding?” She snorted, stealing a glance around her home. “Do you know how long it’s been since I cleaned this place? I have a pile of dishes in the sink, and I’m pretty sure this floor hasn’t been swept in months.”

Well, that was a bit of an over exaggeration. There were only four or five plates in the sink, and she had swept the floor just the day before. But, in her eyes, it still constituted as messy.

“But if you don’t want to, don’t worry about it. You can come over here as much as you want,” she told him. “I live alone, so it gets a bit lonely. It’s nice having company…”

Specifically his company, but she wouldn’t say that. He may have been one of her closest friends, but she didn’t want to grow his ego too much.

Mercy forced a smile as she listened to him talk about the so-called “nonsense”. It was another reminder that he still had no idea who she was. No idea what she was sent here to do. And if he did, maybe he would hate her as much as she hated herself.

She reached out, wanting to stop him. To tell him what had been on her mind for weeks. But, instead, she wrapped her arms around his torso and pulled him into a hug. The words lingering on the tip of her tongue never came.

Vixen had a dead look on her as she watched Andy glance at Tamryn from time to time, as if she was tired of seeing it.

Andy didn't know Vixen too well, but Vixen was the bitter type- a very jealous person towards people who she saw as friends or even ex-friends. At one point when Vixen had been younger she may have been sweeter, a little shy, and very much a pushover, getting hurt very frequently for wearing her heart on her sleeve but those days were over and just like everyone else, she grew up. Except she grew up into a hardened version of what she should have been. Life was cruel and sometimes your choices were limited, everyone did things they weren't too proud of.

She watched the brief guilt wash over Andy's face, a small scoff coming from her as she looked away, looking a little more miserable now that she knew it was true.

Vixen blinked slowly, her gaze moving over to Andy's figure again when she spoke.
"Oh, I'm sure" She retorted, though, there was a small irk sound that came from her as she was once again questioned about the events that had unfolded.

She gave Andy a tired look, something a bit sad behind her eyes too, though, Vixen didn't say anything till Andy asked a question.

"I-I was…" Vixen said hesitantly as if trying to be careful with her words even though it was the truth and everyone else knew it was the truth. Though at the question Vixen frowned a little, not really remembering much from the party except getting shitfaced and basically coercing Tamryn to drink till he dropped. Although Vixen had been pretty drunk as well when everything happened, she knew what she had done and it left her with a sick feeling.

"Not really? I remember him going off at certain points during the party- I didn't follow him because- well…" Vixen glanced at Tamryn for a second as if saying everything she needed to. She had been on Tamryn the whole night, maybe in her mind at some point thinking she could mend this.
"Anyways, I wasn't with him all of the time, but he looked pretty exasperated and even a little anxious about something, he wouldn't tell me what it was though and I didn't press him for answers," She said casually, wondering what that night had to do with anything, I mean, it had ended terribly and she figured it had just been summed up to Tamryn being a loose cannon.

---

Artemy gave Mercy a soft smile at her invitation, nodding at it as if to say he'd be coming around more often if he could.

If Artemy knew he was one of Mercy's closest friends, he would definitely boast about it any chance he got. Artemy also didn't have many friends, being pretty much a loner but there were those that held a special place in his heart.

At the sudden hug, however, Artemy relaxed, letting Mercy wrap him in the warmness. While he was a bit confused as to what prompted the sudden physical contact, he welcomed it, wrapping his own arms around her into a cozy hug. If one paid close attention, they would agree that it seemed more than a hug between friends, like Artemy held Mercy a little higher than the others as he gently pressed her a little closer before letting go.
"I'll keep in touch" He flashed her a playful grin, his words coming off as formal and he knew it.

Andy picked up on the way Vixen looked at her. She would often overthink her interactions with people, making herself believe that people hated her when they didn’t, but this was not just her overthinking. Vixen clearly had something against her. But, at the same time, Andy was aware that her feelings towards Vixen weren’t all the great either. Yes, Vixen was going through a living hell, and she felt bad for her. But she knew about the way she had treated Tamryn, and she had seen how miserable Vixen had made him.

Andy tried to push down her feelings, but she could feel herself began to get the slightest bit more aggravated as they continued to talk. Vixen hung around him all the time. She was his closest friend. And yet, she knew nothing? It could very well be true, but Andy couldn’t believe it. She didn’t want to believe it.

“He didn’t say anything? Nothing at all?” Andy raised an skeptical eyebrow. “Maybe he said something about his family. Did he ever talk about his family?”

Andy felt like she was reaching for straws, but she couldn’t help it. She was so desperate for answers. She wanted to know what was going on, for all of their sakes. She could very well be next, and her stomach churned at the thought that they might go after Tamryn.

“I think that he was involved in something bad. Criminal, even. Did he ever act weird? Even outside of the party?”

---

“You don’t really have a choice.” Mercy returned his grin as she stepped back from the embrace. “We work together, remember? You couldn’t avoid me, even if you tried.”

Mercy kept up the facade for as long as Artemy was in her home, but as soon as the door shut, her smile dropped. She couldn’t breathe. She felt an invisible hand wrap itself around her throat as she was strangled with all her guilt and regrets. She was doing this for the greater good, so why did she feel so horrible?

“Bravo,” a voice said from behind her. Mercy jumped. She had almost forgotten he was there. “You’re a fantastic actor. Even I was starting to believe your performance.”

Mercy ignored the man as she walked over to her fridge, grabbing a bottle of beer from inside. She was too jittery to try and find the bottle cap opened, so she attempted to open it with her teeth instead.

Jack walked out of the shadows and, with a roll of his eyes, reached for the bottle. “Let me help you with that.”

With a grunt, Mercy jerked away from him, turning instead to search for a bottle cap opener in the cabinet. It wasn’t long before she managed to crack the bottle open. She took a few swigs as she headed over the sofa.

Jack leaned against the counter, studying her for a few minutes. “You know, you should watch how much you drink. It seems like you have a beer bottle in your hand every time I see you.”

“I do not.” Mercy leaned against the sofa’s arm rest. “Don’t bring up my bad habits unless you want me to bring up yours. Don’t you think listening in on other people’s conversations is a bit… I dunno, rude?”

“I wanted to see how you were doing with Artemy.” Jack sat down across from her. “The chief is getting pretty ticked, you know. You’ve been at this arcade for how long? And you haven’t gotten anything out of him.”

“I don’t want to talk about this.”

“You didn’t want to talk about it last night either. Face it. You’re getting nowhere with him.” Jack frowned, turning away. “We’ve gotten so far, Mercy. So far. You’re the best they have. You know that. Are you really going to give this all away?”

“Im not. I just… I need more time,” she insisted. “He trusts me now. He’ll spill his secrets.”

“I hope he does, Mercy. I really do.”

Without another word, Jack stood up, walking back into the office. Mercy stayed on the sofa, sitting in the dark in silence. Once again, she felt the invisible hand wrap around her neck, strangling the life out of her.

"No, nothing at all" Vixen echoed, staying strangely still as if trying to appear as normal as she could- as if it didn't affect her as much as it did.

There was an emotion that passed Vixen's eyes which could easily be missed, but Tamryn frowned at it, having known her for years and even though time had passed without them really talking much, he still knew how she reacted in certain areas.

Tamryn hadn't been talking the entire time Andy and Vixen exchanged a back-and-forth conversation- unsure of how to approach this. He felt like any wrong words from his mouth would ruin this.
And yet, here he was, talking now.
"You know something." Came Tamryn's voice which caught Vixen off guard.

Vixen was a terrible liar, never really having been able to keep things from anyone if they asked- especially when she knew she had involved herself with someone who was in deep shit.
"Josh's family is…" She trailed off. "They're just his family." She said firmly.

When Tamryn saw that Vixen had no intention of answering Andy's question, he decided enough was enough.
"You realize we all suffer because of this, right?" He asked. "To make things clear, Andy was targetted and for some mysterious reason, Josh appeared at the place where she was supposed to meet these people. After that encounter, he disappeared. I don't know what kind of relationship you have with that guy" A bite in Tamryn's tone. "But if he's a close friend of yours, I think it's in your best interest to tell us what the hell is going on" for Andy's safety if not for anything else he thought, narrowing his eyes.

Vixen's eyes softened at Tamryn getting defensive over Andy. Ah. That's why he had come, not really for anything else. He could care less about Josh or even her.
She shifted uncomfortably in her seat, placing her hands on the soft couch and gripping it hard. There was a pressure that was building up in her chest, suddenly feeling very alone in this as she was basically interrogated- but she had dug this hole for herself too, that much she couldn't deny.

"Josh's family aren't good people- or at least some of them." She said, seeming to have finally cracked. She had tried hard to keep what was left of a good appearance in Tamryn's eyes, but it was clear that Tamryn didn't think much of her, so there wasn't any point anymore.
"He and I….we," She paused, trying to collect her thoughts. "We've done some things that I'm not too proud of…- but he's a good guy!" She said, suddenly trying to make a case for the guy. "I promise he is, it's just- he didn't have a choice." She said gritting her teeth a bit. "As for me…I did." She said, not really having the fight in her when it came to her innocence.

Tamryn only seemed slightly shocked about her confession, as if something broke inside of her that suddenly made everything come spilling out.

---

It wasn't that Artemy was trying to hide these things from her- well. Yes, he was, but it was for a good reason. There was no reason for anyone else to get dragged into this. Nexus had taken too many lives already at this point- they didn't need to take any more and Artemy was dead set on that.

If Artemy knew what was going on with Mercy, there would probably be no coming back from that. Artemy had too many betrayals in his life already at point and he wasn't sure if he could take another. Not like this.
Yet he knew this was just the nature of everything he had involved himself in- or well, not that he had had a say in the matter when he had been a kid.
But Mercy didn't know about that- he paused, wondering how she would take it if she did.
Stupid and useless thoughts.
Artemy had thought he had gotten better at his anxious nature but that simply did not seem to be the case as he balled his hands into fists too keep them from trembling as he left the building.

Andy looked over at Tamryn, her eyes widening at his response. He had been silent the entire time, but Andy didn’t blame him one bit for his unwillingness to speak. The whole situation must’ve been beyond awkward for him; he was sitting in a room, questioning a girl that he’d had a rough history with.

But for him to speak up so confidently? He knew that Vixen had some sort of knowledge on Jack and his family. Andy was sure of it too, but it would take a lot more pressure to get Vixen to talk.

“Just his family?” Andy let out an exasperated sigh. “Oh come on, Vixen. Do you not understand how much is at stake? I know you’re upset over what happened to Jack, and I’m sorry. But right now, there are more lives at stake than just his. If you want him or anyone else to make it out of this alive, you need to tell us what you’ve been hiding.”

Andy couldn’t tell if her statement influenced Vixen at all, but Tamryn’s definitely did. She discreetly reached over and squeezed his hand, almost as a silent thank you.

As Vixen continued to speak, Andy could feel herself grow more and more angry. She was furious. They’d done things they weren’t proud of, huh? If Vixen was involved with these people, Andy knew that she’d likely done a lot more than she was letting on. These people had almost murdered both her and Tamryn. Worse than that, they had hired Tamryn to take lives for them. She tried to push her feelings down, but she could hear some of the anger come through her voice.

“What kind of bad things?” she pressed. “What do you know about Josh’s disappearance? His family? The organization behind it?”

---

Mercy was tired. Tired of secrets. Tired of pretending. Tired of lies.

How had Artemy gotten so close to her? Sure, that was apart of her plan, but she wasn’t supposed to feel any affection towards him. Caring about him wasn’t apart of the plan.

When she had gotten hired at the arcade, she told herself that she would draw a distinct line between her work and her emotions. She would act like she was friends with him, but she would have no problem betraying him in the end. She was doing good for the world. She was putting criminals in jail. But why did she feel like she was slowly dying inside?

She rubbed her tired eyes as she began to wipe down the arcade equipment, waiting for Artemy to come in for his shift. She didn’t want to see him today. How could she treat him the same after this? She loved pretending that she was close with him, but it was when Jack spoke with her that reality hit. She had actually started to care.

Mercy heard the bell, signaling that someone had come inside. It was likely Artemy, but Mercy couldn’t face him. She pretended not to notice.

(uhmm… apologies for the length-)

Andy's words did seem to put a lot more pressure on Vixen who was now biting down on her bottom lip as if attempting for everything to not overwhelm her.
Vixen tried to gather her thoughts, wondering if this had been a bad idea all along- letting these two in. She didn't think they would question her of all people about the occurrences, I mean, the police suspected nothing so why would they? Both Andy and Tamryn were dead set on her knowing something about this whole ordeal but the truth was she knew very little. She knew who the people were who had basically blackmailed Andy, and knew they had also taken Josh, but did she really want to say that?
Did she really want to say she was involved with them?

Tamryn looked over to Andy when she squeezed his hand, returning the squeeze, a faint smile on his face, grateful to have her here with him.

"I-I…" Vixen stuttered, her face getting hot at the accusations. She didn't think she was a bad guy, but evidence said otherwise.

Hot tears fell down her cheeks.
"Very bad things!" Vixen suddenly yelled, now breathing in and out harshly, though it looked like she was still trying to not completely freak out. "I may or may not have been involved in someone's death! A-And his family took him alright?!" Vixen suddenly stood up, her hands balled into fists, yet they still shook. "His family is associated with the people who hired Tamryn! You're not the only ones who'll pay the price if you speak about what you've done." She said, though, her voice was very shaky like she was near breaking point.
"And yes…" Her eyes softened, but her body trembled slightly when she looked at Tamryn who had frozen in place, like his heart had stopped and all the blood had drained from his face. "…I know about what you do too…" She trailed off.
"But I…I don't know where they took him-" She paced around a little, her eyes looking around the house as if there were hidden cameras around.
Vixen walked over to the front door now, opening it.
"The organization is Nexus and they take these- these pe- dead bodies and do things….I don't know what things-" She threw her hands into the air dramatically. "but they use them. I can-" Vixen walked from the open front door to a small table with a pen and paper on it, writing something down frantically. She tore the small section from the rest of the paper and shoved it into Andy's hands before going back to her spot by the door.
"That's the address. That's all I can do. If you want answers go find them yourselves and leave me out of it" She hissed, gesturing to the door. Vixen at this point looked like an even greater mess than when Andy and Tamryn had arrived- looking paranoid, bordering on insanity.

Tamryn looked over at Andy with an almost terrified look on his face as he stood. He felt if they tried to press Vixen anymore she might snap. And in not a good way, so it was better if they left and checked up on her later.
Tamryn grabbed Andy's hand gently and tugged her slightly to lead her to the door in complete silence. He looked speechless.
"If I end up on the news." Vixen said, her voice raspy as she gritted her teeth now, the tears still dripping down her face, her words cruel as if she knew it wasn't a question of if anymore.
Vixen seemed a little more than afraid and Tamryn wasn't sure why, going missing and being possibly murdered was one thing- he could understand being scared of a fate like that, but the way Vixen carried herself made him suspect that there was something else to afraid of, something worse.

---

Lisette sat across from Artemy, her legs crossed as she watched the poor guy struggle to free himself from the ropes. The room was enormous and lavishly decorated with soft pastels, vastly different than the rest of the house which looked like it had been ripped from the history books- large oil paintings hanging on the walls with your typical chandelier in the "living room". This room in particular looked to be a study room of sorts, but the aesthetic was lighter than the fancy medieval vibes the rest of the mansion gave off, a Rococo painting style to it, yet, it strangely fit.
"I told you to stop coming here for answers Artemy, you'll only get yourself hurt." She said, noting the bit of blood that ran down the other's nose. "I know it's hard to accept what happened, but it happened and it's in the past, nothing you can do about it. They're gone even if you really want to believe that they're not." Lisette got up and went over to Artemy. She placed a hand on his head as if to try and console him.
"I'm sorry."
__

Artemy had cleaned up from yesterday, the bruises on his face faint as he had tried to cover them with makeup. He knew a thing or two since he had watched his brother do drag- though, his older brother, Andre, wore more natural makeup most of the time, staying true to what others preferred.
Today, Artemy had taken to wearing "heavier" clothes, which just meant more layers. He wore his fingerless gloves to cover up the fact that his knuckles were scrapped and red- slightly bruised from taking on more guys than what was humanly possible.

The jingle of the bell indicated that he had arrived- albeit slightly later than he would have liked. Although Artemy had not had a good night at all, he still smiled when he saw Mercy cleaning around the arcade. Even though Mercy had noticed him, Artemy thought that she hadn't so he tried his best to sneak up behind her, suddenly popping up beside her, giving her a very soft Boo! his face slightly flushed from the embarrassment of acting like a child, though there still being a dorky grin on his face all the same- it was something he had not been able to get rid of, needing it as a way to express himself and show that he was more than a professional serious face.
"Thanks for cleaning around, have you checked to see if anything needs fixing?" He asked, now looking around to scan the one that usually gave him a harder time than the others. The place was old and so was the equipment. Artemy didn't know how much longer he could keep this place running.

(( Nahhhh don’t apologize, I love long replies <3 ))

Andy had always had a strong sixth sense when it came to people and their intentions. She was good at knowing when people were lying, whether it be Tamryn or Vixen. She had known from the moment she had laid eyes on Vixen at the party that something was up, but she pushed the feeling away. Part of her had hoped that Tamryn’s childhood friend wasn’t somehow mixed up in all this, but she was. And the truth was worse than she could’ve imagined.

Andy felt her grip tighten on Tamryn’s hand as Vixen began to cry. They had complete destroyed her. The truth would finally come out, and when it did, it wasn’t pretty. “Killed someone…?” Andy’s voice had lost its edge. “What do you mean? Who did you kill?”

She never got an answer to that question, but she did get other information. So much information, in fact, that her mind couldn’t keep up with it all. Jack’s family- the very people who had likely taken him- was involved with the organization. Did this mean that Vixen was involved with them too?

She would’ve asked Vixen that question directly, but as Andy watched, Vixen’s behavior began to grow more and more erratic. She had started to pace, her face red as tears streamed down her face. Going on and on about the organization and their involvement. This wasn’t just a guilty woman. Vixen was terrified for her life.

Andy thought the situation couldn’t get any worse, but Vixen’s statement about this Nexus organization caught her completely off guard. They were using dead bodies? Doing something with dead bodies? Andy could feel herself gag. Killing people was bad enough, but using their dead bodies made it even more disturbing.

Andy could feel herself tense up as Vixen approached her, the piece of paper bawled up tightly in her fist. She forced it into Andy’s trembling hands before once again storming off.

That was their cue to leave. Not only was Andy scared for her and Tamryn’s safety, but she was scared for Vixen’s as well. She would break if they tried pushing her any harder, so, without another word, she allowed Tamryn to lead her to the door.

Once they were alone outside, she unfolded the piece of paper, her hands trembling. The address had been sprawled out quickly, but Andy could still make out the words.

“This is where we’re going to get our answers,” she said. “We have to go here.”

Andy was well aware of the dangers that awaited them this address, but neither of them had a choice. They couldn’t go to the police without risking Tamryn’s safety, but they couldn’t just ignore the situation. Andy wanted answers. She needed answers, and that was the place where they would get them.

---

Mercy felt a small smile cross her face as Artemy tried to sneak up behind her. He acted like such a child, but of course, so did she. She wondered how their relationship would’ve gone if they weren’t involved in opposing organizations. It was wishful thinking.

“Artemy!” She playfully elbowed him in the chest. “You know, you really shouldn’t do that. I learned karate for a reason.”

Working at the arcade wasn’t the only job Mercy had. Besides the secretive missions she did for the organization she worked for, she had a small side gig at a local jujutsu studio. It was nothing much as she only taught the younger children, but she still liked to brag about it from time to time.

Mercy leaned back against the machine she’d been working on. “I’ve checked a few of them. I couldn’t get the Pac Man one to turn on. Again,” she said. “I think it’s time for us to give Mr. Pac Man a retirement.”

She stole a glance around the arcade, frowning. She had cleaned only a few of the machines, but she had been there for over an hour.

“It’s a slow morning,” she explained. “I had a bit of a rough night, but I’m sure it’ll be fine.”

(:DDD)

Once outside, the silence seemed to consume both Andy and Tamryn as Andy unraveled the paper to see what had been written on it.
At Andy's words, however, Tamryn felt his insides freeze over. She was joking, right? Because there was no way in hell that Andy was thinking of going to a place like that after seeing how shaken up Vixen was- not to mention the disappearances of people, the blackmail against Tamryn, etc, etc. I mean, these people clearly knew how to blackmail others so that they either kept quiet or did their bidding- and, and what? Andy wanted to walk right into the middle of all of it??
It was in times like these that Tamryn really wished Andy wasn't as curious and determined as she usually was. She was a really good person, wanting to set things straight, but Tamryn knew that people like that didn't live long. Maybe if Andy were a bit more afraid of the situation she could save herself- Tamryn knew that was a really shitty thing to think, have someone be so terrified out of their mind they couldn't do anything but run the opposite direction, but he really wished it. He didn't want to see Andy end up dead somewhere.

But instead of refuting Andy or trying to convince her that they really shouldn't be doing this, he did the opposite, knowing nothing he would say would change Andy's mind. It killed him on the inside to do this with Andy, but if he didn't Andy might just do this alone and then he would never forgive himself if that was the thing that put the last nail in the coffin of her fate.
"Okay," He said shakily, grabbing at the hem of his shirt and balling his fists from all the anxiety. He wiped his hands on his pants after a second to get rid of the clammy feeling.
"W-We just gotta go to the address and march up to the front door and get some answers," He said, even though it sounded stupid as all hell once he said it out loud.

---

A giant smile formed on Artemy's face at Mercy's reaction. It was one of the very many things he loved about her- she always humored him.
"It's okay, I can handle you" He nearly boasted, waving her away even though past evidence said otherwise. He had gotten his ass handed to him about a total of four times- maybe five- he had lost count, but Mercy was tough and even though Artemy was bigger and heavier than her, she still somehow always had him cursing profanities on the floor.
Artemy admired that part of her, but never really questioned how she was able to so easily put him down, chalking it up to her experience with her other job.
While Artemy and Mercy had never had an all-out fight against each other, it was very clear that Mercy was very quick with her reflexes and she hit hard.

At the mention of the Pac-Man machine having issues again, his eyes softened, looking over at it now. That one had always been his favorite since he had been a kid, it was a classic.

"Noooouu" Artemy whined, exaggerating being upset as he went over to inspect it. He seemed to make a great deal of fuss over something so old, but it was Artemy's childhood and he couldn't seem to let it go. At the same time though, he didn't want to seem like someone who was so caught up with the past so he tried to be playful with his words when it came to the arcade, like it didn't hurt as much as it did.

After a second of giving it a once over, Artemy decided that it was indeed time to take this one out of the arcade, his expression a bit more serious and maybe even sad this time around.
He looked over at Mercy when she spoke about her night. He got up from his crouching position and went over to her, giving her a curious yet sympathetic look.
"A rough night? Did something happen?" He asked, worry laced in his tone. They had spoken about a few things last night and he wondered if that had something to do with it. "You know, you could have called me and I would have let you stay home, get some rest?" He said, giving her a gentle yet encouraging smile.

Andy knew this was a stupid decision. In fact, out of all the dumb decisions Andy had ever made, this one took the cake.

She was going to some unknown address that likely belonged to an organization that killed people and used their bodies for… something. She knew that going to said address would likely get her killed, but what other choice did she have? Yes, she could call the police, but if they found out what the organization was up to, they would uncover Tamryn’s crimes. They would have him arrested. He would be sentenced to life in prison.

They could leave it alone, escape like they’d always planned, but Andy couldn’t leave something like this in the past. These people had tried to kill her, and she wanted to know why. Why pull Tamryn into their organization? What did Vixen and Josh have to do with all of this? What were the files that Josh’s relatives had asked her to retrieve from her uncle’s office? She couldn’t give up now, not when they were so close to getting some sort of closure.

She furrowed her eyebrows as she watched Tamryn wipe his sweaty hands on his shirt. “Tam, you know you don’t have to come with me, right?” She slid her hands down his arms until they reached his hands. “I know your history with these people, and I know how big the risk is going to this address. I don’t want you to get hurt.”

She moved into his arms, resting her forehead against his shoulder. “But if we do go, we need some sort of plan…” She pressed her lips together, thinking. “Maybe we should stake the place out. Figure out where all the entrances and exits are. See the building before we actually go in there. How about that?”

---

“Oh, you can handle me, huh?” Mercy snorted, rolling her eyes. “Do I have to remind you of the hundreds of other times I fought you and won? Do you really want it to happen again?”

Okay, maybe not hundreds. But it had happened enough, and every time she won, she bragged about it for weeks on end. She had always told him that she good at fighting because of her second job, but she knew that wasn’t the only reason.

She walked over to his side as he examined the Pac Man machine, giving him a gentle pat on the head. “Awww, poor Artemy,” she said. “I’m sure Pac Man will miss you too. I can give you a hand getting it out of here.”

It wasn’t until she finished talking that she saw a hint of sadness in his eyes. Now she felt a little guilty about teasing him for it. She knew of several games in the arcade that carried a somewhat sentimental value to her, so she felt for him.

As Artemy began to express worry for her, she could feel her heart swell inside her chest, but she quickly stomped the feeling down. She was too close to him already. She was on a job, and he was nothing but her target. That was all.

“Worried about little old me?” Her eyes shifted to the floor. “Yeah, I couldn’t get to sleep. My brain won’t shut up sometimes. But I gotta make money, so…”

Another lie. She had to get more information out of him. That was the only reason she was still here. After this, she would cut all ties with Artemy and go on with her life. Their relationship would mean nothing to her.

It felt like for the millionth time, Tamryn really wanted to crawl into a hole somewhere and die. Not because he had to do this, but because had dragged the love of his life into the pits of hell with him. I mean, who even did that??? Bad people, that's who.

Tamryn looked away embarrassed when Andy said he didn't have to go with her, because he had thought about it. Thought about Andy going alone and just hiding somewhere but the thought was too painful- made him feel anxious and desperate. It was clear that he was already an anxious mess, but he'd be damned if that was the one thing that stopped him from doing some good in his life.
"I know, I just- what kind of person would I be if I just let you go alone? I don't want to be a coward- having you go alone is too much- I don't think I'd be able to breathe the entire time you'd be gone" He said in a breathy shaky manner.
He looked over at her when she grabbed his hand. Tamryn wondered when he had gotten so scared of everything- not too long ago he wasn't too opposed to becoming someone who hurt others because he had to- sure it wouldn't be his choice to do those things but he had to he had convinced himself.

But now he had done a one-eighty. Sometimes he wished he could be the ruthless killer who didn't care about much, it would make things much easier.

"And you should know that I feel the same way about you, I don't want you to get hurt" I don't want you to do this…
Tamryn wrapped her in his arms, gently squeezing her into a hug as she spoke. Once she finished talking, Tamryn swallowed hard.
"And you think just the two of us can do this…?" He asked, knowing they had a snowball's chance in hell of pulling something like this off. "Stalking the place is one thing, but once we're actually inside?" He questioned. What if everything went horribly wrong?

---

Artemy gave her a loud scoff, a very exaggerated one, knowing she was absolutely right but not wanting to give her fuel for the fire of her boasts. In retaliation, he stuck his tongue out at her briefly, making a displeased face.
"I'm confident I could at least have you on the floor once," He muttered as if that was anything impressive compared to Mercy's winnings over him.

At Mercy's usual teasing, he scrunched his nose up at her, though, smiled afterward. Artemy could be a bit depressed about the arcade but Mercy teasing him would never put him in a bad mood he had come to realize. Had it been anyone else, Artemy would have been less than amused.
"Yeah, yeah, poor Artemy," He said rolling his eyes playfully at her pat on his head. "And he better miss me, I gave him a lot of coins to eat when I was younger" He huffed, though, never admitted to still doing that to this day. He snuck around and played on the machine when no one was looking- or when he thought no one had been looking.
"Ah- yeah, please, if you could," He said at Mercy's offer. "I'm not sure where I put the hand trucks, but they've got to be in the storage closet somewhere," He said, mostly himself as he thought of the possible places where he could have stuffed them.

Artemy's entire playful nature seemed to melt away at Mercy's question. He didn't want to be honest with her for fear that it might be too overwhelming for her, but it was written all over his face and body language- how he stuffed one of his hands into his pocket, fidgeting with something he had inside it. Anyone who knew Artemy well enough knew it was a white, though very mostly clear fidget cube, one of the things he carried around everywhere. It was see-through so you could see the workings inside the cube.

"Well, yeah, you know?" He said casually, giving her a gentle smile. It seemed like he was trying to balance being causal and not too overly worried. "I could uhm, still pay you for some of your days off" It was a bold thing to say, considering that in this economy no one got paid for not working, ever. It came off as Artemy trying to make special accommodations for Mercy and it made him also avert his gaze to the floor, knowing that some people would not appreciate him saying that- especially when it was someone hard-working like Mercy.
"But hey, you're here now and it's not like we get many customers anyway- feel free to rest a bit" He paused. "Know it's not really your thing but there's an old mattress in the back if you feel like you need the sleep"

Despite how much he tried to hide it, Andy could tell that Tamryn was terrified. He had every right to be. She wanted nothing more than to remove him from the situation and take him far away, but she couldn’t. There was no way she would be able to live a happy life after this. Not unless she found someway counteract all the evil that the organization had been carrying out. She had to find a way to keep her guilt from eating her alive.

“You will never be a coward. Not in my eyes. Do you realize how much you’ve put up with in your life? Anyone else in your situation would’ve given up already. But you’re here. You’re trying to make things right. That’s all that matters.” She forced a smile, trying to lift the mood slightly. “But please, if you do stay home, don’t hold your breath until you get back. I don’t want you passing out on me.”

Andy released Tamryn’s hands as he pulled her into an embrace, slipping them instead around his waist. She loved Tamryn’s hugs and, once they escaped their situation, she would be able to hug him every day for the rest of her life. She never wanted to let him go. Never again.

“I don’t just think we can do this. I know we can do this,” she whispered. “We have to make the best out of what life gives us, right? It’s hard right now, but think what it’ll be like when we make it to the other side. When we leave this place. Keep your focus on that.”

It was easy to say, but harder to do. Even if they did escape, the trauma would haunt them for as long as they lived. They wouldn’t be able to do anything about it. Not without getting Tamryn arrested.

But, as her mind traced back over the last few months, Andy couldn’t help but think of her aunt. Aunt Delia had been the reason Andy became a cop. Her death was one of the hundreds of unsolved murders in her country. But was Delia’s death connected to the organization? Andy wanted to say that it wasn’t, but she knew deep down that it very well could be.

“I know exactly how all those victim’s families feel. I remember how I felt when Delia died,” she said. “Tam, do you… do you think her death is connected?”

---

“Pssh. Sure, you could. Maybe if I tripped and fell on my own two feet. Or maybe one of these days I’ll feel a little bit of pity for you and let you win,” she said. “That’ll be the only way you ever beat me in a fight.”

Mercy snorted at her own remark. She remembered how her mom used to tell her that no man would ever want arrogant girl. Now that she thought about it, her mom said that men wouldn’t like several of her traits. She wasn’t wrong.

Mercy shook the thoughts away as she continued talking with Artemy. “You used to come in here when you were younger? I did too.” She leaned up against the Pac Man machine. “I was loud. Hard to miss. I dressed like a little hippie, which I guess hasn’t changed much.”

Would she and Artemy have gotten along when they were younger? Mercy didn’t think so. She was reserved. Quiet. She was still that way with most people, but Artemy had somehow managed to bring out the other side of her personality. For the time she’d known him, he’d always brought out the best in her.

Mercy felt her heart twist in her chest as Artemy began to show more and more concern for her. No one had ever cared this much for her. Sure, Jack had worried for her, but this felt different. Someone was genuinely concerned for her well being, and what did she do? She stabbed that person in the back. Her stomach twisted. She felt like throwing up.

“I’m okay. Really. I’m okay.” She attempted a smile, but her lips quivered. “I can’t leave you to manage this place alone. What would you do without me…?”

Tamryn's eyes drooped as Andy spoke, though now wrapped in a hug with her so she couldn't see how much his heart sunk at her wanting to figure this mess out. Tamryn had always been supportive towards Andy, loving her ambition, but this time? He couldn't support it. Deep down in his heart, he knew he couldn't, but still continued to do so- miraculously. A sort of frustration made him close his eyes, a frown etched into his forehead as he tried to tell himself that they were doing good, that all of this would go away once Andy's curiosity was satisfied.

"Thanks…" He said in a whisper. "But I'm also not staying home. I couldn't live with myself" He said, opening his eyes to stare out onto the street, looking over at Vixen's apartment, the lights having been shut off like no one was home at the moment.
A small smile tugged at his lips at Andy's attempt to lighten the mood. It always worked on him.

Andy's positivity radiated off of her like no other and Tamyn was grateful that even though so much had already happened, she didn't turn cruel or got pessimistic about their circumstance.
"Yeah…I suppose you're right" He said, but unlike Andy, Tamryn was running out. Running out of energy, running out of hope, running out of kindness. He had come this far, fighting the much darker thoughts, only for them to start to catch up again. Tamryn was convinced that people didn't beat their demons, only outran them for as long as they could before it caught up and ate them whole.

But that was not something he would tell Andy, he would not be the cause of her getting her hopes shattered by something he said.
At the mention of Delia, Tamryn pulled away slightly to face Andy and in what she had to say about her aunt. Andy's question did not catch Tamryn off guard, knowing there was a high possibility that it was, but he just didn't want to say it- didn't want to add to the fuel of Andy chasing for answers she would never get. Or maybe it was just that Tamryn hoped she didn't get those answers, afraid that if this organization had been involved, and Andy found out more terrifying and heartbreaking news about her aunt's death, it would kill her. Maybe physically, or worse, emotionally.

"We should get going, maybe get some rest before we make the plan," He said, going along with her crazy plan. He smiled for her- it felt like that's the only thing he had energy for these past few days- just for Andy.
He grabbed Andy's hand now, leading them to the car. Tamryn could think the worst things possible, but he would be lying if he said that he was not the slightest bit interested in this mystery.

---

Artemy opened his mouth to protest, but it was overpowered by a smile of disbelief at her words, it being a playful kind of smile as if amused at Mercy's boldness. She really did say what was on her mind, having no filter, but Artemy treasured that. It was rare to have such honesty from someone nowadays- and he didn't quite see it as Mercy being inadequately arrogant, it was warranted, she was allowed to boast about her skills, knowing that Artemy would too if he possessed such talents.

There was a mesmerized smile on his face as he watched Mercy keep talking about what he had mentioned- coming here as a kid. At the moment, it felt like he was watching life through rose-tinted glasses, despite everything weighing him down.

A small sound of agreement came from him as Mercy asked the question, going on about how she had been hard to miss. Artemy stared at Mercy like someone would stare at the breathtaking view of a mountain, the air feeling fresher around those parts, standing for a second to take everything in, knowing that moment wouldn't last forever. He had barely uttered a word as he watched Mercy's mannerisms, a soft expression on his face.

However, because he was so intently staring at her, he didn't miss the slight trembling on her lips as she forced a smile. His expression became a bit sadder at that.
"Probably drown in my own hubris" He joked before his expression turned into something more serious. "But what's wrong?" He asked.
"Spill. I know something is bothering you so there's no use hiding it from me" He said a bit firmly so Mercy knew he wasn't messing around, indeed being concerned for her. "Maybe I'm not such a reliant guy at times, but this I can do," He said, meaning emotions. He was good at listening and handling them, being taught how to since he was a kid. "Or if I'm not someone you would like to talk to about this, call one of your friends," He said, his voice becoming incredibly gentle when he said that so he got his intentions across that he was not being defensive about the fact that Mercy could possibly not want to talk to him, just wanting her to talk to someone- anyone.

Tamryn never answered her question about Dalia. His avoidance of the topic bothered her. She knew that Tamryn would have never involved himself in Dalia’s death, but maybe he knew that the organization was involved with it someway. Maybe he was purposefully keeping answers from her, trying to protect her from the hurt she would experience from the truth. It was the only explanation Andy could think of.

But she wanted the truth. She wanted to know who had killed her aunt. Dalia had been the sweetest woman Andy had ever met. She took her in with open arms and acted like the mom Andy had always wanted. She could clearly recall how, on the morning before her murder, Dalia had made her favorite breakfast. Her aunt had kissed her on the head. She’d told Andy that she loved her. Then she was dead. Andy had found her corpse lying in the driveway.

She had blocked that scene from her memory. She should’ve walked outside sooner. If she had, she would’ve seen her aunt’s killer. She could’ve given the police a description, but instead, the murderer was never caught. He was free to kill again.

The theory that Andy’s aunt was involved with Nexus gave her more of a reason to go after them. If she exposed the perpetrator, she would finally be able to help in her aunt’s case. She would give her the justice that Andy was never able to provide.

Andy allowed Tamryn to lead her to the car, too exhausted to pry more about Dalia. “I hate to ask this, but can you drive…?” She leaned into him. “I don’t feel well.”

Andy climbed into the passenger’s seat before resting her hand on top of Tamryn’s. She wanted nothing more than to fall asleep against him and forget that all this ever happened. Instead, she did her best to change the conversation.

“I feel bad for that girl back at the arcade. Mercy, I think her name was,” Andy said. “Her and Artemy seem… close, but I don’t think she knows what’s going on. She was pretty confused when talking to me.”

---

Mercy looked back over to Artemy, only to see him staring at her. Her face grew hot. Did she have something on her face? She did eat eggs with yolk only an hour ago. She must’ve smeared some across her cheek. How embarrassing. Mercy tried to discreetly wipe the side of her face as they continue to talk.

Mercy felt her freeze when Artemy grew serious, asking her what was wrong. She’d never had many friends, and she’d always been horrible at showing emotion. In fact, her entire job was revolved around suppressing emotions. She was good at it. And yet, as she watched Artemy grow more and more concerned for her, her heart began to break. Tears welled up in her eyes.

“What are these?” Mercy used her sleeves to try and desperately wipe the tears away. “This is so stupid…”

Mercy managed to calm down before she held out her arms towards Artemy. Why was she acting so crazy today? She couldn’t seem to come up with a proper answer for that question.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “It’s nothing. Really. I must be more tired than I thought.”

Tamryn knew it had been a traumatic experience for Andy- the way things went down with her aunt.
And he was. He was trying to protect her in some way, any way he could- he felt like he had little control over everything nowadays and needed something to grab onto.
Still, it wasn't fair. Wasn't fair to Andy who was suffering and needed answers or she might go her whole life not understanding why it had happened. There was a slight chance that it might eat Andy up inside if she didn't seek those answers but Tamryn wanted to take that risk, he was confident that with the right people around Andy, she could recover and lead a normal life.
It was a lot of wishful thinking but it's the only thing he had it seemed like. And still. It was unfair no matter how much he tried to justify his reasoning.

Tamryn froze when they got to the car, hearing Andy's soft, and what seemed like, defeated voice about everything. Maybe it was wrong of him to try and keep things hidden from her. Not that he was, but he really wished she wouldn't go looking around.
"I think her death is connected…" He said suddenly as if completely backtracking on everything he had thought about in the last minute. There was a huge part of him that couldn't take seeing Andy's spirit crushed like that, so even if he didn't want to, he had to. No more lies, right…?
"And we'll find them." He said, his voice wavering only slightly. "We'll find what you're looking for." He looked away. "I'll drive, no worries," He said in a near whisper at the end, suddenly looking very tired about everything.

In the car, Tamryn started the engine up, clicking his seatbelt on, feeling Andy's soft touch over his hand which was on the gear stick now.
There was a slight feeling of irritation in Tamryn's chest at the mention of the arcade and Artemy, but he didn't say anything about it.
"Yeah, I'm not sure how long she's been working there, but I don't think she knows what Artemy is" Was all Tamryn said. No one had asked him about Artemy and even if they did, Tamryn didn't know if he had it in him to sell out one of the people who he had considered a good friend in the past.

---

Artemy let out a low chuckle at Mercy's internal panic, knowing her enough to realize what she was trying to do, but that quickly was wiped away at seeing Mercy suddenly just…dissolve. Artemy didn't know how much Mercy kept to herself, but it had to be a lot if it was coming out at such an unexpected time. Usually a good sign of emotional exhaustion, or maybe just a guilty conscience but Artemy didn't know that.
"H-Hey…" Artemy took a step towards her, his hands now hovering around her, hesitating, as if he didn't know if he could hug her- if she would like that, or even how to handle something like this. With everyone else, it came naturally but with Mercy, he wanted to be extra careful so as to not set her off in any way. Not that he thought she'd snap at him or anything, but sometimes people were more sensitive to being touched even if they were good friends.

At Mercy extending her arms, he took that as an invitation to hug her, now wrapping her in his arms, one arm around her waist and the other gently holding the back of her head, effectively squishing her against him in a protective hug. There were no ulterior motives that went behind his actions even though he thought Mercy to be very attractive, instead, there was a sadness in his eyes as he stared at the floor behind her, giving Mercy a moment to calm down. Maybe he should send her home and have her get some rest, the thought was seeming more appealing now. He could handle things here.

For some reason, at Mercy's words, he did not believe them. He loved Mercy but it sounded a lot like something a good friend of his used to say. That friend once being a generally nice person, had turned into something unrecognizable to Artemy. He had taken the darker route before Artemy knew it and sometimes, on the really bad nights, he wished he would have said something, done something.
"I'll understand if it's just the lack of sleep, but if something is really bothering you- you know you can be honest with me right? We've only gotten to know each other for the past few months, but I trust you and I don't think you could ever hurt me" He admitted, not knowing who Mercy was in reality.

So her death was connected to all the murders. She didn’t know why Tamryn suddenly changed his mind about telling her, but she trusted his opinion. He was involved with these people, after all, and he likely knew more than he was telling her.

But why Dalia, of all people? She had done nothing wrong. She was a kindergarten teacher, and everyone in the neighborhood loved her. Why did they have to kill her? Andy didn’t know much about the organization’s objectives, but she had a sneaking suspicion that it was connected to her uncle. After all, the men had come to Andy wanting her to bring them her uncle’s files. The answers were likely in there, but she had left them behind after Josh had warned them about his relative’s plans. Was there a way to get the files back?

She could ask Vixen, but she likely wouldn’t cooperate with them any more. Neither would Artemy. But what about Mercy? She worked with Artemy. Did she know anything about Josh and his family?

She turned to Tamryn and mentioned Mercy, but Tamryn’s answer wasn’t what she had hoped for. The only chance she had of finding the files was going to the address that Vixen had given her.

“She would be devastated if she found out.” She sighed, sinking lower into her seat. “So many people are involved with Nexus. You, Josh, Artemy, and now Vixen? This is a lot bigger than I thought it was.”

Only a year ago, Andy hadn’t even known that Nexus existed. Part of her missed how innocent she was back then, but she regretted nothing. Not when it meant figuring out who had murdered her aunt along with countless other victims.

“We should head back to my uncle’s apartment. Your house might not be the safest, but I don’t think Nexus knows where he lives,” she replied. “We’ll go back there, rest, and figure out some sort of plan of action.”

---

I don’t think you could ever hurt me.

Why did those words hurt so much? She had spent years doing this kind of work. She had gotten so far in her investigation of Nexus. And she was going to crack now, when she’d gotten a little too close to one of her persons of interest? She had carried the weight of the world on her shoulders for far too long, and she could feel herself slowly beginning to crack.

She couldn’t tell him, she reminded herself. Not now. Not ever. Not only would she lose him, but she would lose her job. She could even be killed by the organization she had sworn to hunt down.

She forced a smile as she glanced up at him, wiping her face. “And you said that I worried too much,” she said. “I swear it’s just a lack of sleep. Maybe I’ve been pushing myself a little too hard.”

She allowed him to hold her for a while longer, but the moment was cut off by the door chime. Jack walked in with his police uniform on, a box of donuts tucked under one arm. Mercy quickly pulled away from the hug when he stepped in, but not quick enough.

“Sorry, am I interrupting something?” Jack walked inside, dropping the box onto the table. “It’s been a slow morning, so I brought you both some donuts. One may be missing. I couldn’t stop myself.”

Jack may have been acting normal to Artemy, but Mercy could see right through his facade. Jack used to barely ever stop by the arcade, but now, it seemed like he was by everyday. He was trying to see how far long she’d gotten along with Artemy. He wouldn’t say anything in front of her coworker, but by the look in his eyes, she could tell he had a new idea brewing. She hated his ideas.