Inverted (a Neil / Tenet fanfic)

Chapter 4



Crystal laid lazily on her bed, lingering on her daydreams.
Her job didn't allow her to be too sentimental, but she didn't dislike some fun.
Before dealing with the least pleasant phase of her mission, she wished to enjoy what her victim could offer.

The Protagonist was too old for her tastes, but Neil was an interesting target.
Maybe it was just the fact that he didn't fall for her as most of men had done before to make him so attractive to her.
It was like a challenge she imposed to herself.
To conquer him before obeying to her duty.

She glanced at her door, imagining him unlocking it to break into her flat and meet her secretly.
She liked to let men torment themselves before allowing them to be intimate with her.
Definitely Neil deserved some punishment for making her run after him, when she was used to have an opposite role.

Later, after her training sessions, she used some of her free time to check on Neil's activities.
He scheduled his trainings in different hours so she never had the chance to practice some close combat with him, but she got some chances to see him duelling.
She couldn't argue on the fact that he was chosen to be the Protagonist's right hand.
Although he was young, he was the best agent. Being also gorgeous was a lovely bonus.
Maybe he feared that Crystal could menace his position?
She wished to let him know that all she cared of was keeping a low profile. She already befriended the boss enough. She didn't need to become his right hand.

In his normal, boring routine, only once Crystal saw him taking a new route. Keeping her safety distance, she followed him and in a large storage room she saw him opening a hidden door.
Too curious to stay away, she kept following him, crossing a long narrow corridor that led underground, until she emerged in a totally unfamiliar place.
She moved to hide behind some benches and observed Neil stepping slowly towards the few dim lights that lit the room.
That looked like a good place for secret reunions. Or horrifying rituals.
But the more she questioned herself about that place, an unexpected suspect teased her.

"Who's there?" Neil asked suddenly, turning towards her. Accidentally she bumped her hand on the bench, making a soft noise that in that closed room couldn't be ignored.
Crystal stood still in her dark hiding place, keeping her breathing under control.
She didn't fear Neil.
Even if he came to check and found her there, uncomfortably sitting on the floor, she could invent thousands of excuses. Or even fight.
Neil already disliked her anyway.

He didn't move from the lights, but moments later he exited the room through another passage.
Crystal waited for him to be far enough.
He could also be just hiding somewhere to ambush her, so she waited a little more.
Then, feeling her body sore for that uncomfortable position, she pulls herself up and approached the dim lights, offered by flameless candles.

Crystal frowned at the revelation of what kind of place was that.
The lights were on a small altar. There was a cross and other religious items.
She didn't expect to find a chapel in the heart of a training camp.
And she didn't expect someone like Neil to take some time to stop there and pray silently.
Crystal felt totally uncomfortable in that place, where she didn't belong.
She was a sinner, she killed many people, not for hatred but for money.
Her soul was hopeless.
No saviour could change that.

When she emerged from underground, tormented by gloomy thoughts, unexpectedly she bumped in her prey again.
"Where have you been?" Neil asked with a piercing gaze, like he was able to undress her and see what kind of person she was.
"The toilet?" she suggested, then narrowed her eyes in a questioning look with a glint of malice "Were you looking for me?".
He seemed disliking to admit it "You have some urgent exam to pass. Just some physics quizzes".
That didn't sound like bad news to her "Anything more specific? Or just generic physics?".
"Are you familiar with entropy?".
She was. And after starting to talk about it, they fell into a deep conversation on the subject.