So the Mouse became the Viper

Ch 8 - All Choices...

Amara wiped dirt from her hands and followed Sevika to Silco's office. Finn and Renni decided to tag along though Amara wasn't sure why. "I'm busy." Silco said without even looking up at them. "When you took Vander out of play, I thought, Now here's a man who understands what it takes to run an enterprise. The attitude, the instinct, the eye. The whole package, you were. Always two steps ahead." Finn sat in a wooden chair and put his feet up on Silco's desk. Renni stood behind him. Sevika and Amara stood on either side of Silco.

"But time's lapped you, old man." Finn sneered "You're with him, are you?" Silco asked to no one in particular "You screwed up, Silco." Renni was upset about her son, she was looking for someone to blame. "You're too young to remember what the undercity was before it became an 'enterprise'. We had nothing."

Silco set his glass down "You know what bore us through those times?" he asked, Amara looked to Sevika, not entirely sure what was going on. Sevika met her eye but gave nothing else. "Loyalty. Brothers and sisters back-to-back against whatever the world threw at us. Now I'm forced to share the air with parasites like you, who leach off their legacies." Silco looked at Finn with disgust. The boy lit the edges of Silco's wooden desk on fire turning it to black.

"Today's the day you die, Silco." Finn sat forward and glared "That's a risk I've known all my life." Sevika released her sword and Amara took a startled step back "But I still believe in loyalty." Silco made no move to fight back, and Amara held her breath as Sevika moved. "I would have had your son killed for this. Though I suppose we're ahead on that account." Silco spoke, Renni ran and Amara stared at Finn wide-eyed.

"Were you tempted?" Silco asked bringing a cigar to his lips. Sevika shoved the body to the floor and righted the chair to sit in "Not for a worm like him." she spat at him and took his lighter. She lit Silco's cigar and then sat back in her chair and looked at Amara "Now, do you want to tell me what you two are doing?" Silco smiled "What do you think, Sevika, I'm stealing your little pet?" Amara crossed her arms, she hated being referred to as 'pet' or property in any way.

"She's been minding Jinx for me, keeping her placated while she works." Silco confessed "And gathering information on our enemies. She seems to throw them off their rhythm...so to say." he shrugged. Sevika flashed to Amara "It was set up..." she gathered, Amara walked over "Silco asked me to go. I didn't want to worry you." Sevika was slightly upset but she didn't want to show it in front of her boss. "So did you get what you needed?" she asked. Silco smiled "Oh, more than."

-

Bodies, hands, lips, voices...they all slipped together in a haze of purple smoke.

"You. What's your name?" Amara asked, she lounged on her couch with people who worshipped every inch of her skin "C-clove..." the girl stumbled out, having Amara's eyes on her made her nervous. "Join me..." Amara looked her over, her features were sharp, her eyes large and doe-like, her hair...dyed a familiar pink and black at the roots.

Amara took the girl's hand in hers and stood "Let me please you..." she whispered leading the girl backward into her private room. The bodies on the couch watched with wolfish grins and turned their kissing and playing on each other "Be nice to her, she's new." one of the men called. The girl gulped "You're old enough, yes?" the girl nodded "And do you consent?" she hesitated but then nodded again "I-I used to see you when I passed on the streets...it's silly but I dyed my hair to match yours...I loved the color." Amara froze but plastered on a smile "Yes, a lovely color indeed." Amara turned and laid the girl on the bed, crawling over her and gently moving the short hair from the girl's eyes. "I must confess, sweet one, I will not remember you come morning...but you will remember me."