The Fence

Chapter 58: Details

I sigh, once again sitting in my usual seat at the bar. The bartender looks at me with the same look she always gives me. The staff had done a pretty good job getting everything back in order after the bomb. They must've been up day and night without a break.

"You've gotta be 21 by now," she murmurs to me sympathetically. "Even if you aren't, I'll give you something. What do you want?"

I smile at her and shake my head. "That stuff does things to people like me."

"It does things to everyone, Grey."

I chuckle. "True, but I mean side effect kind of things. In an easy way to put it, I'm allergic."

"Allergic to alcohol?" The girl laughs, letting the idea sink in.

"I can drink it, I just don't handle it well."

"Hm," she frowns, but her lips curve up into a gri. "Well, I guess some people are like that. So, does that mean that you've had it before?"

"I have," I nod. "But don't tell Axel or my squad. They think I haven't."

"They must think you're lame," she giggles. "No offense."

"Being safe tops being lame," I reply, a smirk tugging on my lips.

"Touche."

I swivel in my chair to face the opposite direction. I look out at the entire Bottom Floor, wasting the time as I nibble occasionally on fries. I see the familiar face of someone from my squad, a fox seated comfortably on his shoulder. His auburn colored hair looks darker in this lighting. The girl, Arianne, is close behind him. My eyes follow him until he reaches the other side of the bar, and he still doesn't notice me.

I sigh, wondering if Ky had talked to Kirbena earlier. She is angry at him, and I thought only him. But this morning, things between Kirbena and I felt tense. I don't know what it was, but something was definitely off with her.

I feel a pair of eyes on me, and look up. Arianne's light eyes stare back at me, and she nudges Ky. He turns in my direction, and I frown. His face immediately falls, a look of annoyance adorning his features. I see Arianne say something to him; it looked like 'what is it'.

The bartender notices my mood change. "Hey, what just happened?"

"Nothing," I mutter. I stand from my stool to head over to them. I give Arianne a smile and put my hand on Ky's shoulder, putting up a front. "Hey, could I borrow you for a minute?"

"What for?" Ky sighs.

"I'm your mentor. Come," I demand. I won't let him win, and I need answers.

"You may be my mentor, but you can't order me around."

"Ky!" Arianne hisses, her voice urgent. Ky stares at her, shrugging.

"Come with me," I repeat, my voice stone. "Now."

This actually seems to catch Ky's attention, and his eyes flash with something undetectable. Fear? "Okay, okay," he mutters, getting up from his spot. "I'll be right back."

I lead him into the elevator, the thing he did to me that one day. Ky puts his hands in his pockets, kicking at the ground with the toe of his shoe. "What do you want?"

"What did you do all day?"

"Why do you care?" he grunts.

"Just answer me for once, MiKyas."

Ky snaps his head up to look at me, his hazel eyes suddenly stone. I never realized how much they really do look alike.

"I was helping Bena with her training, okay? I analyzed the data."