Next Up

Track 35

Gemo had seen a lot of messed up things in his life up to that point, but decapitation was one thing he hadn't yet grown numb to. He tried the door, but it was locked. A quick kick shattered the glass as he reached inside the car, unlocking the door. Inside, there was one body and one head. He took a gloved hand, turning the head, examining it.
The decapitation wasn't clean. Based on the wound on the body and head, Gemo guessed that the man's head had been pulled off rather than cut. There was also a matted clump of hair on the floorboard. He surmised that whoever had done this had tried to drag the man by his hair, ripping it out of his scalp.
The man's pockets were empty, except for a wallet which only had an ID. "Kashi," Gemo read aloud. "Interesting looking character. Ain't from around here, that's for sure. How'd you end up like this, my guy?"
The automatic doors slid open as Marcello and Zoe walked into the well-lit lobby. Marcello's eyes flashed from Ayla, who sat on a couch, boredly scrolling through her phone, to the heavily tattooed woman sitting across from her, who was doing the same thing.
"Ayla." Marcello said, standing a few feet away. He never took his eyes off the woman, who looked up at him after a few seconds, revealing her face behind her long, braided hair. A wave of fear washed over him; his body was telling him to run—though it didn't feel like it was emanating from her. Marcello locked eyes with Zheanni, her sinister grin revealing her bright diamond teeth. Her phone screen revealed she was texting an anonymous number. A message she sent just seconds ago saying, "They're here."
'That confirms it,' Zoe thought. 'None of them left. They're all still here!'
"Oh, there you are," Ayla yawned, glancing up from her phone, "I thought my dad would be here. Doesn't care? Typical."
Zoe had been as stiff as a board, her eyes not leaving Zheanni, who sat on the couch opposite Ayla, now staring at Marcello, a gleam in her eye. Zoe looked down, noting several of Zheanni's acrylic nails had broken, and her hands were stained red with blood.
Marcello darted a look at Zoe, gauging her current state. 'She's not making it subtle that she's scared.'
Shifting her attention to Zoe, Zheanni's eyes sparked with recognition. She tilted her head, squinting, trying to remember where she'd last seen the girl.
"He's in the car. Let's go," Marcello said, trying to be nonchalant.
Ayla felt the urgency in his voice, following Zheanni's gaze, seeing Zoe looking more pale than usual, shifty-eyed, like a cat ready to bolt at a moment's threat.
"Okay," Ayla got to her feet, grabbing her things. "See ya, Zheanni."
"Yeah, see you around," Zheanni nodded. "It was crazy seeing you here." She looked down at her phone, sending, [Ye, nah. Bodyguards r nobodiez. Talked to the girl, she cool. JD, what r you doing with the other one?]
The front doors slid open as Gemo rushed inside. "Yo, Marc. Zoe, there's a dead guy in the parking-" he stopped talking, looking past them, seeing Zheanni's head turned, staring at him, listening intently. Behind her, walking down some stairs, was the man whom Marcello had warned him about.
"What'd you say?" Marcello asked, still walking Ayla toward the parking garage.
Seeing his expression, Zoe turned, her eyes, widening, and she almost tripped over herself.
Ayla felt her Energy-Vampire appear behind her, scaring Marcello, who whirled, looking at the shimmering humanoid figure slowly form. "My EV? Why are you showing yourself? You're defending me from..." she looked at John Doe, who stood next to Zheanni, regarding them all. "Who is that?"
It was as if time slowed to a stop for Marcello. The deep hum of energy bounced around the walls of the lobby.
Gemo put a hand on his shoulder, "We should really keep going." He stressed the word. The hum in the room reached a crescendo as he balled his fists, seeing Zheanni get out of her chair, gesturing a mocking motion that told him he was going to die.
Ayla's Energy-Vampire, in a flash, moved to the nearest wall and the lights to the whole building shut off all at once with a deafening snap. It appeared next to Marcello brushing against him, Zoe, and Gemo. Miraculously, they each instantaneously snapped out of their confusion, their eyes adjusting to the darkness far faster than usual.
Gemo blinked, "Time to go!" He scooped up Ayla into his arms, booking it toward the door.
Marcello bit his tongue. Something told him to look at Zoe, who was next to him, looking into his eyes, nervous, but gave him a look that told him whatever he decided in that moment, she'd follow.
He pivoted, sprinting after Gemo.
 
"Damn, you good?" Mitani asked, seeing Marcello walk out of the bedroom. He'd been asleep most of the day. His hair was messier than usual; his eyes looked depressed, deeper, and darker than Mitani had ever seen. "We're gonna need you. You've been out all day, and Stygian Tower is in a few hours."
As he tiredly stumbled to the bathroom, in the corner of the room, he saw Ayla sitting next to Zoe, nervously tapping at her phone, while Zoe sat, in a meditative pose, her eyes were closed as she shuffled through card tricks in her hands.
"Well, now, would you look at that," Olivia Park stared out the window, curiously commenting, "All the police and their helicopters are surrounding Stygian Tower."
Alder informed, "It's tradition for all police in the area to either take the day off. For money, they'll protect the tower."
"Alder, darling, stand to the right of Ayla. No...Darling, No, the other right." Olivia ordered, sitting behind the phone tripod. She had a snobbish boarding school way of speaking, and her bohemian clothes were covered in eccentricities. They stood in the living room of their penthouse; the floor-to-ceiling windows and skyline were their background.
Ayla looked past her mother, seeing their bodyguards all watching them silently. "Mom! This is so embarrassing!"
Olivia pointed to her assistant. "You, darling. Get in here."
She started to walk but stopped. Lingering slightly out of frame, "Well, I don't think-"
"No, you're basically family at this point. Come on. Off you pop."
Ayla rolled her eyes, walking out of the camera frame.
"Ayla," Olivia protested.
"Well, if she's considered family, then I want her in here too." Ayla grabbed Zoe by the sleeve, pulling her with her.
"Take that dead animal off you," Olivia said, gesturing at Ayla's animal skull necklace.
"No."
"They should join too then," Alder nodded at the other three bodyguards, Mitani, Marcello, and Gemo.
"I-" Olivia looked back at them, "fine. Gemo, you're on the end. Zoe, you'll be-"
"She's gonna be next to me," Ayla said.
"Ayla, you're kidding? This is a family photo. Where am I gonna be?"
"I dunno."
"Oh, you are such a cantankerous pest!" Olivia hissed under her breath, adjusting the phone to fit everyone into the upcoming photo. "I'm gonna set it to go off in ten seconds. I want to remember this," She hurried into frame, standing between Alder and Marcello.
"Me too," Ayla said. She talked quietly, so only Zoe could hear. "Even though, I have a feeling we're going to be friends for a long, long, time."
Alder, wearing an expensive suit, walked through the oak doors, and into the first floor. Each floor had a different event going on, and this first floor was a soiree and dinner, where those can mingle and form connections.
He was flanked by both Zoe and Mitani. His wife and daughter were already inside, accompanied by the other hired bodyguards.
To move anywhere within the room, they had to squeeze past someone. Their accents were especially posh, hair perfectly blow dried, unblemished luxurious suits and dresses, their jewelry acting like disco balls from the light above. Golden chandeliers hung from the tall ceiling. Under it was a large, welcoming banner that stretched wall-to-wall, reading, "Welcome."
Alder mentioned how some very powerful people, like world leaders, will send proxies so they can retrieve items safely. "Even though it sounds paradoxical, this is one of the safest places in the world right now. The amount of firepower at the door, and the fact that everyone has like five bodyguards each, regardless of the fact no one's allowed guns or anything, you'd be safe. But even then, some don't feel safe for whatever reason. Most here respect others' privacy, and so usually pictures don't leak, but it's still a concern some have. It's pretty hilarious when a picture leaks and a president or politician is seen buying things they themselves directly outlawed in their country," he chuckled at the thought, shaking his head.
Near the side of the room, Zoe passed a display—a glass box on legs, inside a miniature of Stygian Tower, with cut-outs of four men on its front lawn. Zoe guessed that's who the inventors of this tower were. Mitani walked over, pulling at something on the bottom of the box, making Zoe jump as the cut-outs sprang to life, doing an odd jig. Zoe and Mitani exchanged looks, then moved away from the strange contraption.
"Honestly," Mitani said, pulling at his suit. "I hate how everything is so...old money. I was hoping this would be some kinda Free Masonry sex party."
The three ran into an obtuse coffee-stained woman, who was only really here for the food. She looked back, a big grin, a cigar between his teeth. "Alder! I knew you'd be here. Tsk, tsk, you're late. And what about those two, oh they're cute! Too young to be your bodyguards. They must've seen some crazy shit already, huh? I'm Frau," she stuck her hand out. Mitani nudged Zoe, reminding her to introduce herself, Zoe stuck her hand out officiously. Behind her, a tall, dark, boy, possibly eighteen, appeared behind her. "Oh! Alder, you must meet my fiance! This is Agba!"
"Ah," Alder wiped the confusion and slight concern from his face, shaking the boy's hand. "Last I was here, wasn't he your-"
"Bodyguard? Oh yeah. But he was just too cute! Matta'fact we've actually been trying for a baby."
"Oh yeah?" Zoe asked. "When was the last time you tried?" She smiled.
"I-" The woman blinked. Mitani covered his mouth, pretending to cough. Alder stared forward blankly, pretending not to hear the question, then turning to Zoe.
"Hey, Zoe, I'm all protected here; how about you go find Marcello and help him with...whatever."
"Okay," Zoe nodded. She looked to the woman. "Let me know how it goes." She said, walking off.
"Hey, Frau," Alder said, distracting the woman. "Over there, you see that? The guy with the hat like Mitani's here."
On a stage set in one of the corners of the room, a chef stood tall as his staff, who were made up of cooks of all ranks, assembled the stainless steel kitchen behind him.
"Is that?" The woman hissed.
"Holy shit!" Mitani's jaw dropped. "Bro, this is heaven! They got celebrity chefs here too! This dude is a total frickin' legend!"
Once the kitchen was assembled, The Chef stomped his foot and clapped loudly. The room fell silent, and every one of his staff lined up behind in a row from tallest on the left to shortest on the right.
The ceiling lights dimmed, and a spotlight flicked on the stage, holding the crowd's focus.
The Chef had a brooding, intense look permanently carved into his face.
"Good evening." The Chef said, soft-spoken, his tone dry, but his voice carried loudly across the room.
"Good evening," the crowd said back to him.
"Welcome to Stygian Tower's first floor."