Chapter 11

May slams her fist into the desk. "Little fricken rats!"

"May, calm down."

"Calm down?! They hacked into our system!"

"Not the real one."

She glares at him, "Yeah I know! They tore into and through the fake system, Travis!"

"We had those and another fake cyber city that they hacked into, that acted as our real one."

May shakes her head, "You had...3...fake systems? I don't know if you're smart...or an idiot."

He smirks, "Both?"

She sighs hard and shakes her head, "Gah Travis. S-so, what then, we really know where they are?"

"I think so, it's still not definite, but they tried to destroy it so..."

She drops her head into her hand. "That's a lot of work...for only a maybe."

"It's what we got May. These guys are good at what they do too."

May groans and rubs her shoulder. "Sorry, sir, I'm...I'm just majorly stressed."

"Relax May. We'll get them soon."

"We better. I'm tired of waiting."

"How's Atlas?"

"Pissed. He holds himself responsible for not being more strict on himself. I think now he realizes the threat they pose to us and the world."

"Good, sign him up to hunt them."

She narrows her eyes, "You wanted him to see it. You knew they would break into our cyber city?"

"It was a hope. I knew the probability was high."

"So you wanted to motivate him."

He smiles, "The higher ups want progress, that's something we need to get done."

"You think he'll help us?"

"May, you've been around him the most. You honestly don't think there's something special about Atlas?"

"A weird feeling...yeah. I feel like there's something off about him."

He frowns, "Something off?"

She shakes her head, "I'm not sure yet. But, something."

"What you think he's hiding something?"

She shrugs, "I mean...I don't think he's playing the field...but I don't know yet."

Travis sighs and runs his hand through his hair, "A-alright, well watch him."

"Yes sir."

"If he is switching sides, we'll be ready."

"Yes sir."

****

Atlas takes in a deep breath, "I can't believe I started to believe them." he mutters with utter disgust,

Atlas finishes the Mexican take out and takes a shower after. But he can't fall asleep, he tosses and turns all night, until finally he walks out onto his balcony. He stares at the city lights, watching cars go by and the lights of the screens on buildings and so on.

He hangs his head, between becoming Atlas Grey and the stress of figuring out which side is good and the stress of everything else, Atlas has realized he's started becoming something else. He's become a bit more high tempered. He needs to never let anything change who he is. Starting from now. He'll be more relaxed, with friends at least, especially with May, she's kind to him, she's stressed too because she cares about him. She doesn't want to lose him to the Syndicate, at least that's what he hopes.

He sighs and walks back inside, he plops on his couch and turns on the TV.

Knock knock!

He jumps and looks at the door. He starts over and looks through the peep hole. No one there.

He opens the door and notices the note almost immediately. He looks down both ways, no one in the hall. Of course.

He picks the note up and reads it.

'We need to talk - Ashe'

He glares at the note and walks back in and shuts the door. Ashe, he should have killed her when he had the chance. He had the chance and he let her go, because he's an idiot.

He crumple the note and drops it in the trash. "Yeah right. Like I'd listen to you guys."

****

"Now he's pacing...no he threw the note away. Perhaps he is on our side."

May leans back against the thick turbine vent. "Well I don't know about you but I'm convinced."

She rolls her eyes, "Whatever. I still trust him...of course you'd think of that Travis!"

She growls at him, "Fine."

She finds her way to his room and knocks. He opens the door, she smiles weakly.

"You want to watch a movie or something?"

He raises an eyebrow, "You have a sticky day too?"

She nods, "I can't sleep."

He snorts, "You mean you can't sleep at YOUR place right?"

He grins, she smiles, "Come ooon. Please?"

He steps aside and lets her walk in. She plops on the couch and rubs her shoulder. "So, how come you can't sleep? The Festival?"

He nods, "They risked so many lives, and they don't care."

"Yeah seriously...its making me so exhausted."

He sits next to her and sighs, "Tell me about it."

"Whatever, let's get our minds off it."

"Okay, you feel like action?"

They finally decide on the movie Fate, which had come out two months ago. Halfway through, they finally fall asleep due to exhaustion.

She drowsily opens her eyes and rubs them. She sits up and looks around her. She was lying on Atlas, did she fall asleep on him?

Oof. She hopes it didn't bother him. She slowly gets up, so as to not wake him and walks to the trash can.

She silently opens it and pulls out the crumpled note she unfolds it and looks at it. 'We need to talk-Ashe'

She flips it over, '18 Jarsten street at 10 A.M. Just me, promise. - Toni'

May looks at Atlas who is still passed out. He is playing both sides! She crumbles the note and places it back in the trash can. She checks the time on her phone and hurries, silently out the door.

She looks up the location on her phone and takes a taxi. Halfway there she sends a text telling him she got called into work, hopefully he wasn't up yet.

She arrives a few blocks away and walks the rest. She creeps up to an old opera house that once had a glass roof that caved in on itself.

She sneaks up to it and creeps inside.

****

Crch! Crrch!

Toni frowns, "Guys?" she asks,

"To...un..."

"You guys are breaking up bad, what's going on?"

****

Why isn't she answering?! Wait...oh crap.

Shadow watches as May walks into the auditorium.

She turns and bolts to the door.

****

Toni's heart pounds.

BANG! BANG!

Toni jumps and looks back at May, her pistol aimed at her. She missed! How the heck did she miss?! She's fifteen feet away and a trained killer!

"You got strength, I'll give you that."

Toni looks down at herself, her white shirt begins turning red in her abdomen.

She looks up. "You...shot me?"

"You're surprised?"

BANG! BANG!

Toni jumps and yells out, she falls back to the ground. She grunts and looks at May.

She whines, the gun falls and slaps against the ground. May falls to her knees and groans.

She sees the figure walk inbetween them.

"You're surprised?" Atlas asks,

Toni's eyes widen, as does May's. She huffs out, "What are-"

He lifts his pistol, "Stop talking. I actually would rather not kill you. Authorities are on the way, you're compromised. I seriously mean it when I say this...nothing personal."

He clocks her with the pistol and grabs the collar of her white button up and clocks her again with the butt of his pistol, hard.

She groans and gradually but swiftly goes limp. He lets her drop the the ground and turns to look at the injured Cyborg.

"Toni right?"