Chapter 2
Kicking your legs and flipping a pen, you sit on the top of a table, bored out of your fucking mind. Usually, Chross had something for you to do, important errands, or tedious requests. But today he simply had you stuck inside, waiting for direction as he stayed secluded in his office.
"What the hell am I even here for?!" you groan, annoyed with the lack of action.
"Not to whine and complain, that's for sure." Jarek retorts from his spot across the room, fidgeting concerningly with his switchblade. He looks up at you, not a hint of any comfortable feeling in his eyes. "You're here to do whatever the boss fucking says, even if it's sitting and doing nothing. So quit fucking bitching."
You resist the urge to stab him in the eye, and you're close to succumbing to the fantasy when someone walks in. Tensing, the energy in the room stills as everyone's eyes are on the door. Jarek's blade freezes quickly in his hand, ready to use. But you doubt he could put up much of a fight against this visitor.
Ducking to avoid the top of the doorway, Sevika strode into the room. She looked as serious as ever, tall and strong. Two of her men followed her inside, glancing at you curiously and Jarek menacingly. Standing up, Jarek interrupted their beeline to Chross' office doors.
"Can I help you?" he interjects, puffing out his chest in an attempt to match her size. It doesn't work.
Sevika bristles at the intervention, seeing more unimpressed than threatened. Jarek could try to stop her, but you assumed he was a fan of having his limbs intact. Sevika stared him down, more like a scolding teacher than an opponent.
"Move," she says once. She glances around at the room, absorbing the lack of danger. You sat on a creaky rotting metal table, pushed up against a stone wall. Jarek's chair was more like a cement hump, and not an ounce of light in there came from the sun. Chross did have an impressive team, known best for their security measures, but most of them operated outside of this awful place. A few lackeys idled around, leaning on walls and attempting to stand their ground against Sevika. Zaun isn't particularly lavish, but Chross' headquarters were especially dreary. You couldn't be surprised that Sevika felt unthreatened. "You haven't got a secretary or something?"
"Yeah," Jarek scoffs, pointing in your direction. "This highly qualified individual over here, super talented. Has a knack for whining and refusing to sit still."
You roll your eyes, a crimson flush rising to your cheeks. It was embarrassing to look so useless, especially in front of Sevika. You found her work ethic and dedication to Zaun impressive and admirable, you didn't want her thinking any less of you than she already did. Refusing to stand up to Chross, you've already shown her how weak you really are.
Sevika looks at you quickly, too quickly to decipher how she felt while looking at you. Feeling a strange need to impress, you wanted to know exactly what she thought of you.
"He'll be expecting me," she declares, waiting for you to react.
You push off the table, knowing you're being watched by everyone. Trying to seem competent, you staved off the sense of dread that threatened to creep in as you neared Chross' door. He wasn't impulsively cruel, but he did have his moments. And usually though moments started when he was interrupted.
You knock twice. Whilst he is sitting at his desk, the door is opened by his second-hand. Chross' face is unexpressive, long and unmoving. Any other clue to his reaction hidden by the panes of his black glasses. Staring at you, it seems he's waiting for a response from you first.
"Sevika, sir?" You tried to keep it short, knowing he hates it when you ramble. "She's here to see you."
He grunts, not disapproving but also not enthusiastic. "Send her in."
You turn, trying to hide your exhale of relief. The whole of the room is still watching you, probably wanting to see you send Sevika away. Walking back to your lavish throne of wobbling cold metal, you nod in her direction. "All set."
She addresses you firmly this time, sizing you up. It lacks any hunger, any uncomfortable possessiveness. Instead, she seemed to gauge your importance, how valuable you are to Chross. Or how valuable you could be to her.
Dissapearing into Chross' office, the wary whispering amongst your peers grows. Jarek doesn't bother to hide his disgust, spitting in her direction. "Fuck ass piltie."
You roll your eyes. Sevika obviously isn't a piltie, but everyone in here likes to think she is. Although Sevika's spot on the council was beneficial for Zaun, ensuring its status as a nation, Chross and his men thought it was a disgusting act of betrayal. They thought the position gave her an aristocratic ego, made her frivolous and ceremonial. But if anything, since her promotion Sevika has been dedicating herself more to the underground. Things down here finally seemed to be changing into something good, but they didn't want to admit it.
It's not long before Sevika returns, evidenced by the silencing of shit talking in the room. Her boots click on the floor as you try to read her, wanting to know what went on behind those closed doors. Surprising you, she doesn't avoid your gaze, walking directly towards you. She crosses her arms, metal against flesh, towering over you at your spot on the table. Her face is calculating, but in a way that says she's already made her decision.
"You," she says, your mind flooding with all the things she could want with you. "Come with me."