I shake my head in surprise, Pulling my phone away, I look down at it and the disappointment of a lock screen stares back. I guess he's busy or whatever. Well, so am I.
I stand up and push my phone into my back pocket. "Needless to say that went horribly. Sorry to keep you guys waiting, let's go. Shotgun."
Jean gazes at you for a moment as you get in the car.
"Something happen on the phone?"
He asked, causing Anubis to look up from what he was doing to see what provoked Jean to ask. They both looked at you, confused.
I put on my seatbelt, but Jean and Anubis are staring at me. "Something happen on the phone?"
I shrug, looking out into the street in front of us. "I think Kai being vague is just how he always is. Let's get a move on."
Chilly air ran through the windows as Jean quietly drove. Anubis himself was busy looking up schematics and downloading floor plans for wherever you three were going in order to formulate a plan by the time you get there. Night stars slowly appeared as the time passed. You must have been driving for hours, where exactly were you going? Once while Jean and Anubis were prepping, you thought you might have asked, but you don't recall the answer. Under any other circumstances, you might have been concerned with the fact that you didn't know where you were going, but now, something made you feel like you didn't care. Hell, almost as if it didn't matter. Everything that's happened so far has rendered itself unexplainable, or maybe even not real. Although this feeling has lingered in the back of your mind, you kept going. Reality is still distinctive. Maybe if you hadn't hopped through universes like it's nothing, you wouldn't be so conflicted. Even then, conflict finds it's way into every story, doesn't it?
I reached down to search for the buttons to adjust the back of the seat. Then, I curl up into a ball and take off my seatbelt, staring into the dark, empty plains. "Are we far away enough for me to sleep, or should I just save it for later?" I ask Jean, surprised he isn't tired. Although he never sleeps.
He gazes at you for a moment as you speak, turning back to the road just before he needed to course correct. Even though he always looks tired, he still manages to stay awake a majority of the time. Lazily, he inhaled before responding. "Paterson is a good several hours. My suggestion is you rest while you still can."
"Sick," I mutter, but the car bumps sent me off to sleep faster than normal. I long for a stuffed animal to cuddle in this uncomfortable situation, but I quickly forget reality as I fall asleep. ok aloe cue somehyhing
Dreams seem to always be something important, don't they?
Open your eyes, don't read between the lines.
Never think about it, can you hear them?
Turn around and look. Do you see her?
Time is different here. You should know this by now.
Running won't save you, but it doesn't hurt to try.
Underneath the carpet you may find your answers, but you might not like what you see.
See…see…what can you even see?
Try again? Try again? Is this a game?
Have you found what you're looking for?
Enter the unknown with your eyes closed.
Revealing that he-
"Jenny."
Jean's voice lunges you out of your sleep. The car was parked, and Jean stood on the outside, holding your car door open. His voice was a little forceful as if he had to call your name more than once.
As you take in your surroundings you notice that you were at a motel, in front of the room. Anubis was already entering it with some luggage.
"We're doing the job tonight, but we'll need to rest when we finish. We're only staying here one night."
I pull myself out to stretch. Each of my limbs sighing in relief and each joint inevitably cracking. "Sounds good. There better be two beds." Normally, I feel a sense of familiarity in places I assume I've been, but I feel that I've never ever been to a motel before. I liked the aesthetic, the neon lights of the name out in front, and the dark calm of the night engulfing the building. Who knows what the stories of the people here are
The dream still deeply unsettles me.
"You okay?"
Jean asks, looking into your eyes. You could tell he managed to read past your expression as Anubis, unaware of the conversation, returned from inside and announced that there were indeed two beds.
Jean continued to look at you, placing a gentle hand on your arm.
And at this moment, he seemed more sober than he's ever been. He looked directly into your eyes, a real emotion other than anger coated his face.
"Uh," My eyes flicker to Jean's hand. Conflicting emotions of deep wrongness, but also something of infatuation intertwined, leaving me with a bowl of anxiety. I still smile, out of softness. "I had a weird dream. I can't really remember it, just like scrapes of it, not enough to know what the fuck happened."
Jean studied you for a moment, eyes dropping to the floor as he held his breath.
"Be careful with that. I don't always have dreams, but when I do, it gives me an intuition I should have listened to." He inhales deeply before turning to the door, heading to the room. "Dreams seem to always be something important, don't they?"
As you enter, Anubis stood at the foot of the farther bed, his bag of various weapons and tools open as he checks each one.
"There should be a generous amount of bodyguards, but luckily that means they're not nearly as well trained."
As Anubis speaks, you notice Jean has already returned to his hardened expression, as if the previous conversation never happened.
I think about the dream that lingered on the edge of my mind. I rub my temples in hopes it'll help me feel better.
I scan the bag over his shoulder in awe. "Yeah, I don't know how to fight." I'm gonna be a horrible asset "What are we even doing?"
Anubis visibly sighs as he looks over at Jean.
"You've never killed anyone, have you?" Anubis utters, gazing back at you.
Jean interrupts.
"That's alright, we all had to start somewhere," He starts, stepping closer to you, almost in between Anubis and you as he glares at Anubis.
"Consider this practice." Jean picks up a handgun and hands it to you. "You don't even have to know how to fight. Just point and shoot."
"Just point and shoot," I mock Jean. "There's a thousand different things that could go wrong. You're strongly overestimating me - Anubis's doubts are actually important if this job is going to succeed." Nonetheless, I take the handgun. "But fine, if you want us to fail I will gladly point and shoot."
Jean carelessly rolls his eyes as he and Anubis finish up prepping.
"Alright, the building is only about a mile away, so let's head out." Anubis begins as the three of you exit the hotel room. Instead of getting into the car, Jean and you start walking. Anubis takes the car and goes ahead.
"Now that he's gone, we can talk shit about Anubis." Jean jokes, "Did you know he plays the piano?"
"I bet he wears the same red shirt everyday too. What a loser," I smirk at Jean, hoping he got the joke. If he didn't, then this will be really awkward. "What's wrong with piano?"
Jean scoffs, shaking his head. "Right? I mean, does he even wash it? Does he have multiple red shirts?"
The satire in his voice may have given away that he was playing along, but then he gets quiet. He's looking at the ground as he walks, something clearly on his mind as his face effortlessly revealed his blatant lack of effort to hide it.
I glare at Jean's shirt. "Right… uh, you good, bro?"
pu55y
Jean exhales sharply, shaking his head.
"I don't know…I thought I heard piano music. Reminds me of the song Anubis would play."
He sticks his hands in his jacket pockets as he continues silently.
I eye him curiously. "Did the song have a meaning to you?" I ask, slightly slowing my walk. I want to get a real conversation with Jean, but I think, subconsciously, I want to stall the job a little longer. My hands are sweating uncomfortably.
Jean thought for a moment, somehow not slowing his on-beat walking.
"Not anything in particular. At least, not that I know of. He doesn't really talk about them, but it's not like I ask all that often anyway. I just know he plays this particular one more than any others I've heard."
He looks up at the building, just entering the parking lot that Anubis has already found a comfortably distant parking spot in.
"Anyway, he's on the seventh floor, he stays late and arrives early every day so he practically lives here. He's one of those 'married to his job' kind of people."
Jean looks at you with an unreadable expression.
"Ready?"
"No, for the last time I am not ready. You still haven't even told me any details about what we're doing," I sigh, following Jean as my irritation rises. You'd think for such expert killers they'd be more clear on such dangerous jobs,
"We're going to infiltrate it. Anubis suspected that he'd have minimal security, since he doesn't have too many enemies. Unfortunately for him, however,
he has one very rich enemy. As long as you follow my lead, you should be fine."
Jean pulls out a pair of leather gloves and equips them, glancing at you.
"Besides, you did amazing on our last job. You've got nothing to worry about."