Adrenaline

⌊Chapter 9⌉

Rich didn't get the chance to say anything to Atlantis or Jayla nor did he get the chance to see Matt and Joe hauled off to Black Prison. People sure weren't lying when they said that Winters guy hated Rich. A lot of people hated Rich, but he didn't know what was up with that soldier specifically. If Rich had let his guard down for a minute during that chase, he certainly would have been caught. He sighed softly as he made his way back toward the lab, stumbling through alleyways. That whole mission had hurt him - a lot. In many ways. Now he had to figure out what the hell was going on with Andy and the underworld, because Rich couldn't recall Andy ever mentioning any connection.

Unless, of course, everything was a lie just like Joe said. Rich didn't want to believe Joe, but as horrible of a man he was, he wasn't a liar. Yet Andy had never been a compulsive liar either, and if he did lie, it was to keep himself and Rich safe from harm. That whole experience only brought more questions than answers, and they were dead-end questions that Rich couldn't figure out on his own. However, if Andy ever had anything to do with the underworld, it gave more of a reason to the fact that he never wanted Rich to talk to Matt in the first place.

The walk back to the lab was fairly easy and Rich didn't come across any real issues aside from the rain obscuring his vision. He trudged along through the alleys like usual and passed Project Neon which was just the same as it was when Rich left it. It was strange how such big events could happen, but the lives of everyone else continued like it never happened - they didn't know, it wasn't their problem. All they had seen was Rich leaving the establishment, and if they looked out the glass door, they'd see once more the familiar figure walking down the street. Life went on without Rich, and seeing everything the same felt uncanny to him. Maybe he was a bit angry. Angry that he couldn't just have a conventionally normal life like they did. Angry that he didn't know what was true anymore. If Andy had even been telling him the truth the whole time or not.

"Andy," Rich said once he got to and entered the lab, closing the heavy door behind him. "What was Joe talking about? And Matt. Was this all set up?"

Rich met the eyes of Andy, who stood near the door, leaning against a counter. He had a look on his face to imply he knew this was going to happen, but he wasn't going to fight Rich with the answers. "No," he said, maintaining eye contact. "It wasn't. But I knew that Matt would try to corner you so I never wanted you going in the first place. I was going to come for you, but I know your morals."

"And what would you have done if I decided that I would turn away from all... this," he gestured around the room. The likelihood of him ever joining Matt or Joe was very low. Andy was right - Rich had the morals to stop him from ever doing anything like that. Especially considering that he wasn't interested in becoming a real criminal because he was accused of being one. He didn't want to turn into someone like Matt or Joe or any of those underworld lowlives.

"In all honesty, Rich, I don't know what I would do. But I trusted that you wouldn't. And, if you did, I can say that you'd probably not stick around there for very long," Andy moved his head to the side a bit with a shrug. "But, of course, it would have been your choice. And it's not my place to take away your free will. If you had decided to join them, all I could do is tell you why it's wrong. That doesn't mean you have to listen. You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink, you know. You're your own man. I wasn't going to take that away from you."

Rich folded his arms over his chest before realising he was still practically soaked from the canal water. He sighed lightly and walked off to his room in the lab so that he could change into something that wasn't cold and wet. Though he came back out rather quickly, not changing the subject. He crossed his arms again, leaning against the whiteboard wall, where there were still the little stick men Rich had drawn from earlier. "Fine. But what do you have to do with the underworld? I thought you wanted nothing to do with them, but it sounded like you had one hell of something to do with them. You made the 48."