Work Text:
Nothing is for certain yet.
You stare out the patio window, the top of railing a slightly brighter color than the rest of the balcony. A lasting scar from breaking it so many years ago. So many close calls, so many should-have-dieds. And you’re still here. Looking out at a cloudless sky tinged green with an industrial haze drifting out to sea, the horizon broken up by apartments and shining metal skyscrapers.
When did it start feeling like home?
Biting your lip you lean back in your chair, idly twisting the thin paint brush between your fingers, feeling the press of the wood against your skin. Dim awareness of the dozens of other minds occupying the apartment block just under hearing range of the song looping through your head. In the street stories below, the honks and rumbles of rush hour traffic match the background noise in your head and meld together into a constant hiss of static.
You could almost forget what must be half a dozen impending disasters threatening to tear it all away from you.
Almost.
With Hollow Ground knowing who you were staying at Julia’s apartment was a risk, but it was at least less of a risk than going back to your own place. There was nothing worth salvaging there anyway. Detritus of another life maybe - a mistake. And everything salvageable from the ruins of your lair had already been conveniently gathered here so…
Tearing your eyes away from the window you suck down air in a deep breath, let it go again with a sag of your shoulders. Hope she didn’t mind you appropriating the coffee table and couch like this. Kitchen table would be a better workspace but that seemed… too presumptuous.
Laid out on the coffee table before you the various components of your armor rest on top of a thick nest of newspaper. A presence prods at your attention and you glance at the Rat-King’s tube propped up against your helmet. “Yeah, yeah…” You make a face at it, “Just got… a little lost in thought is all.”
The metal tube glints at you skeptically in the sunlight.
“Oh I’ll g-get to you, just um – just wait your turn, okay?” Pursing your lips you turn your attention back to the left-hand gauntlet. The pulsing electric presence of it’s nanovore payload pushes against your awareness as you turn the armor piece over in your hand, inspecting for any damage for the tenth time.
Satisfied, you replace the gauntlet on an open patch of table and twirl the paint brush between your fingers before dipping it into the open can of paint at your legs. Was keeping a perfect black paint job on combat armor a pain in the ass? Abso-fucking-lutely. But you think you’d miss it at this point, if you stopped. There was something calming about the process. A post-operation ritual where you didn’t need to think about anything else. Just the armor and the paint.
Simple.
Peaceful.
The creak of the door opening prompts you to jerk your head up and see the sun dipping below the city skyline. Heart pulsing against your ribcage as you tighten your grip around the paintbrush. Intruder? How did you–
“Hey Ari! I’m finally back.”
You groan and twist around in your seat to see Julia grinning at you from across the apartment as the other woman locks the door. “Jesus C-c-christ, you – you gave me a heart attack.”
“Press conferences; still a drag.” Julia keeps grinning and you can see her eyes dart behind you to the mess on the coffee table. “Been keeping busy, I see?”
“Uh – yeah.” You smile back, sudden guilt creeping in through the aftermath of the adrenaline. “You c-could say that. Just um, just a little maintenance.”
“If you get paint on that couch, I hope you’re prepared to buy a new one, Ariadne Becker.”
Your face flashes warm. “I–I’ve been careful!”
“Mhm.” Julia arcs an eyebrow at you, “Yes, one of your more famous qualities.”
“Oh, shut up.” You try to scowl but can’t stop yourself from grinning. “Look, um, look who’s talking old lady.”
“I’m not old!” Julia gasps, a hand to her chest. “What baseless acquisition!”
“I d-don’t make the rules Sparkles,” You shake your head, then stifle a giggle. “I just break ‘em.”
There’s a moment of silence and then Julia laughs. You grin back up at her as she moves through the apartment to sit down next to you. “Well alright ‘lawbreaker,’ how’s the maintenance going?”
You shrug, looking back down over your handiwork. With the fresh coat of black, each piece of armor borders on formless, only an outline of its general shape still discernible against the black. “It’s going okay. I – uh, I guess.” You glance at Julia from the corner of your eye. “How… was the press conference?”
“Long and performative.” Julia rubs at the back of her neck. “Raiding Hollow Ground’s base of operations like we did was big but we have to keep up the pressure. She’s too connected, if we let her get the upper hand even once…” Julia trails off. Doesn’t need to finish the sentence.
You know full what kind of damage Hollow Ground could do. To you – to the Rangers through you. At some point you’re going to have to tell her you plan on moving out to a new place. This past week with her has been great, but living together… it’s too dangerous. Too big a target.
And you’re sick of hiding.
“–said to tell you he hopes your recovery is going well, by the way.” Julia continues talking, pulling you back out of your head. “I think he’s half convinced himself you’re going to make an official comeback as Sidestep any day now.”
“Sidestep is dead.” Your response is automatic as you shake your head. “I’m already practically begging for the Directive to come down on me and I’m not – we’re not ready for that yet.” You unclench your jaw, take another deep breath and let the air fill your lungs before letting it go. “She has to stay dead.”
Julia gestures towards the armor pieces laid out across the table. “And I thought Adrestia was being retired?”
“She – I’m–” You stutter, avoiding her gaze bearing into you. “I c-c-can’t just – just sit here and do nothing. Just uselessly cowering in your apartment waiting for a black ops squad or a hitman to bust down the door and–”
“I’m not asking you to.”
You blink, turn back to Julia with a blank stare.
“God, Ari, how many times do I have to say it before it sinks into that thick head of yours?” Julia shakes her head. “You’re not in this alone. This isn’t just your fight you know.”
“I…” You swallow the lump in your throat, a pressure at your eyes as you look away again. “Yeah.” You say, voice barely audible to your own ears. “It… it feels like it should be.”
“Come on Ari, when has it ever worked that way?” Julia’s hand finds your free one, fingers curling over yours. “So what’s the plan then? Why break out the armor now?”
“It’s… um, the same plan as before I guess.” You shrug. “Need to get in touch with Dr. Mortum and – um, and a few other contacts,” Rosie and Mia Ochoa surface from your memory. “Figure out where the biggest buzz of activity right now is. Then go snooping. Try to pin down where Hollow Ground is hiding.”
You reach across the coffee table and pick up the Rat-King’s tube with your clean hand, holding it gently. From the corner of your eye you can see Julia watch the tube warily. “And for – for that, I need the-the-the King’s help here for filtering through all the noise.”
“And then we can hit them again?”
You purse your lips, fighting back the urge to argue. “Yeah. Then I–we – we hit them again.”
“Okay…” Julia nods to herself, and you can see the gears turning in her head even if you can’t read her mind. “We should get the rest of the Rangers together, coordinate actions.”
“Coordinate…? You’re serious.”
“You bet I am,” Julia flashes your a grin. “I’m not letting this pendejo slip away from me again.”
“I – um. Um, okay.” You return her grin, nervous at first but slowly feeling something strange flutter in your stomach. “Okay… Okay. We can – we can do this. To-to-together.”
Julia tightens her grip on your hand. “Together, all of us. No more falling down dark holes. That armor of yours might be blacker than black, but we’re done with that, right?” She asks you, eyes searching your face. Wanting – no, needing reassurance.
“Yeah… We’re – we’re done wi-wi-with that.” You close your eyes, focus on the warmth of Julia’s hand in yourself.
You let out the breath you’ve been holding and open you eyes, feeling the heat in your cheeks. “Hey, uh… Julia, do you um… have any like… fuck– I don’t know, crayons?” You feel your voice crack as it pitches upward. “Or – or something???”
“Crayons?” Julia’s brow furrows, uncomprehending.
“I–I–I don’t know!” You pull your hand free from hers, face burning. “Don’t you keep stuff for when your nephews visit?”
“I – sure.” Julia is barely holding back her laughter, I just fucking know it. “I’ll check the closet.”
Julia gets up, leaving you to cover your burning face with your hands on the couch. Actual paint would be better but you need to see what the idea looks like first before you can commit to it…
“What do you know,” Julia’s voice comes from the hallway. “We’ve got some after all.”
“Th–thought so.” You look up as Julia walks back into the room, holding the bright yellow cardboard box in one hand. “You always keep stuff around for them.”
Julia passes the box over to you as she sits back down, grinning. “And why do you want them?”
“You– you’ll see.” You scowl at her, and pop open the box. Is there a white? How well would that show? After a few seconds of indecision you settle on the bright yellow and pass the box back to Julia.
“Everytime I work on, uh – on this suit I tweak it…” Offer by way of explanation. You grab the chest piece and pull it towards yourself and lean down over it. Try and place your body between Julia and the armor.
Julia doesn’t say anything but you can feel her gaze on your back as you work.
“We’re uh – you said we’re done with black so…” You cough, anxiety twisting in your gut. She’s going to laugh. Going to think it’s a stupid idea. You steel your nerves and pull back a bit so she can see what your doing. “W–what else goes in a void?”
You glance down at the sequence of five-pointed yellow stars crudely drawn across the breastplate, then over at Julia. She tilts her head, the familiar static of her mind refusing to betray her thoughts. “I like them.” A smile spreads across her face. “You going to fill in the whole suit like that?”
Relief floods your body and you let out a breath you hadn’t realized you’d been holding. “Y–yeah.” You smile.
“What kind of paint do you need?” Julia smiles back at you. “Let’s pick it up after dinner tonight.”
This is really happening, isn’t it?
It’s hard to believe this could last. You let yourself fall into that trick once and had it all snatched away. And, somehow, things feel even more perilous than they ever did back then. There’s no way this has a happy ending, right? You’ve done too many things wrong. Things you can’t be forgiven for. Only try to… make up.
There’s too much stacked against you.
Odds are this all ends in disaster.
But…
Nothing is for certain yet.
I take Julia’s hand and let her pull me to my feet, a smile on my face and butterflies in my stomach. “Sounds like a plan, Sparkles.”