"Whoa, wait, kidnap her i-in broad daylight?" said Josh, and air of nervousness in his voice on the comms as Wrench and Marcus made their way downtown to the CTOS server building.
"Yeah, what's wrong with that?" said Wrench. He wasn't oblivious to how kidnapping her in the middle of the day wouldn't work, but hey, he was here for a good time, not a long time. If he was gonna get sent to prison because someone called the cops on them, he might as well drive really fast and go out with a bang.
"I'm sure it'll be fine." commented Marcus, drifting around a corner and nearly missing another car.
"Just don't get caught." chuckled Sitara. "Josh and I will meet you up at the bay." All of them disconnected from the comms. Wrench turned on his favorite rock station as they cruised downtown like teenage drivers. Wrench's mask made "! !" eyes as he grabbed Marcus's sleeve.
"Whoa, right here, right here!" he yelled, the car skidding to a halt right in front of Max, who was wearing a black hood and grey leggings. Wrench stuck his head out the window. "Get in, loser, we're kidnapping you." Max tilted her head with a semi-confused look at she got in, Marcus speeding off once more.
Wrench looked back at her as she took off her mask, letting out a quiet sigh. "Welcome to DedSec!" he said, giving her jazz hands and a "^ ^" expression. "There's no real formality when it comes to us. I'm Wrench, by the way. You'll always know it's me by the beautiful mask." He proceeded to show off his spiked mask like he was trying to be a model, making exaggerated poses to the best of his ability. Max placed a hand over her mouth to show she was laughing, but of course, there wasn't anything audible. "Cool, so you really don't speak. Anyways, Marcus where are we going?"
"Uh, I don't know. Sitara didn't specify where she was meeting us."
"Well, I'm kinda hungry. Let's eat some burgers and get shitfaced!" Wrench threw his fists into the air, letting out a loud "Whooooo!" as Marcus sped towards the bay, the loud punk music setting the mood for a fun night.
-----
Marcus let out a loud sigh as he threw down his third beer, receiving a pat on the back from Wrench and a giggle from Sitara. All of them were so drunk that they swayed in their chairs uneasily, which made Josh sit them up straight to prevent them from falling. Max watched with a smile on her face as she took a sip of her soda. After a while, Josh finally decided to talk to her.
"I'm Josh." he said suddenly, catching her attention. "I know your name." There was a pause as he thought of something to say. "So you don't drink?" She shook her head. "Why not? Most people our age do." She rubbed her cheek nervously before taking out her phone.
Personal reasons. She typed, the smile turning into an anxious look.
"Like what?" Josh was unaware of how uncomfortable he was making her feel, and for a moment, Max considered saying something purely because she felt pressured to give him an answer. Or maybe she just cared for a second.
Josh's inquiry was stopped by Sitara, who placed a hand on his shoulder. "Hun, you're making her uncomfortable." She mumbled.
"I am?" He looked at Max, who shrunk back at his surprise. "Why didn't you tell me?" Max rubbed the back of her neck before showing her phone.
I'm a little nervous, I'm sorry. She typed to him, hesitantly placing her hand in his shoulder as an apology. He almost immediately shrugged her hand off, looking to his companions, who were angrily ranting about how fashionable crocs were.
"I guess we should get them back." mumbled Josh. Max gave him a confused look, pointing between her and him. "Yeah? You're a member of DedSec, so you'll get to see the Hackerspace. And also help me babysit them until they're sober..."
The two of them got off their seats and carefully helped the trio back to the car. Sitara was the most cooperative, sitting in the backseat and occasionally kicking the back of the driver's seat. Marcus tripped a few times and passed out immediately once he got in, his head slumped over on Sitara's shoulder. Wrench was the hardest to get in. Maybe it was his constant whining about how he could beat up a grizzly bear, or maybe it was because he easily overpowered Josh. Luckily, Max was able to lift him into the car so they could finally leave.
Max took the wheel as Josh rode shotgun, the two of them quietly enjoying each other's presence as jazz softly played, making everyone in the car drowsy.
-----
The next morning, Max received a text from Josh. How he got her number, she didn't know, but she was pretty happy to receive a text from him.
>Come to the Hackerspace.
Blunt and to the point, just like him.
You got it, boss! :)<
She let out a small sigh, looking out the window of her small apartment. It was a bright day outside, but she had this sinking feeling that something was gonna go wrong. But what?
Shaking off the feeling as just a stupid thought, she got dressed. Since today was her first day as a DedSec member, she wanted to dress to impress.
She put on a light pink crop top, a pleated white skirt, a leather garter harness, thigh high black socks, a black choker and black hightops.
She looked into the mirror and stared at her reflection for a long time. For a moment, she saw her old self, just a naïve kid trying to fool people.
Is this a mistake...? She thought, her hands slowly running down her body. She loved her body and how people on the streets looked at her like she was a real girl.
I am a real girl.
A hand made a way to her cheek, where she traced the unbearable scar that marked her face. She wished she could just rip it off, or simply make it disappear with the wave of her hand. It brought back so much pain, but she couldn't get rid of it. She could only stare and hope no one ever asks.
She shook her head, cursing herself for thinking such stupid things. That was all in the past, and she just needed to look forward. She quickly grabbed her satchel and phone, jogging outside to the sunny world.
-----
The Hackerspace is in Mission Dolores Park, right?<
>Yes. Inside Gary's Games & Glory.
She stood outside said store with a hesitant look. Last time she was in a store like this one, she got some looks from a group of guys in the corner, making her think that they didn't see females very often. She pushed that memory aside and sighed deeply, making her way into the store.
It was a pretty neat store, and a lot cleaner than she expected. The walls were covered by bookshelves filled with manuals, comics, rare cards, expensive figurines and awesome art. There was a life size Clone Trooper statue at the front of the store, further capturing her attention. Some of the patrons looked at her and went back to their business, much to her surprise. Not wanting to gawk too long, she made her way to the back of the store and to a lone door in the corner.
There was a camera watching her as she rang the doorbell to the place. After a few moments of waiting, the door unlocked and she let herself in, traveling down the concrete stairs decorated with graffiti, along with the walls. She was amazed by the decor. It perfectly captured the essence of what was DedSec.
She peeked her head around the corner as everyone was busy doing their own work, with Sitara printing out posters, Wrench messing with a motherboard, Marcus adjusting the wheels to a drone and Josh on his computer away from everyone else. Sitara was the first to notice Max enter, making the others follow.
"Welcome to the Hackerspace!" said Sitara happily, unaware that Max came here yesterday to drop their drunk selves off with Josh. However, Max decided not to correct her on it because she thought it would be a little rude. "I didn't get to introduce myself yesterday. I'm Sitara. I sort of manage pr and whatnot around here. And I keep the boys in check." She threw her thumb back towards Marcus and Wrench, who looked a little offended.
"Are you calling us rowdy?" said Wrench, a "> <" look on his mask to show he was upset. He wasn't.
"Okay, okay, we sometimes destroy things, but that's about it!" joked Marcus. Max placed a hand over her mouth pretending to laugh. Josh stood behind the two males quietly, not really wanting to join the conversation but still wanted to hear it.
Sitara showed Max around the base and everyone's respective work areas. Sitara's corner was colorful, almost entirely covered in spray paint. There was a giant DedSec poster in the process of being printed out. Wrench's bench was cluttered with tools and various things he was working on, and it definitely fit his chaotic and disorganized personality. Marcus's desk was adorned with various sci-fi and anime figurines and horror movie photos/posters. Max's favorite figurines he had were of Bumblebee and the Xenomorph. Josh's desk was the most organized out of them all. There was a box of tools above him in their respective spots, and there was a toy model of an airplane and a mecha figurine.
"This'll be your area right here." said Sitara, pointing at the desk to the left of Josh's, about ten feet away. "Make it yours, hun!" The two females smiled happily at each other as Max sat down, getting used to her work space. She set up her laptop and programs in about 10 minutes before kicking her feet up, thinking about what she was gonna decorate the space with. Feeling bored by thinking about it, she decided to go say hi to Josh. She picked up her chair and quietly walked over to him, sitting down with a smile.
"Hello." he mumbled quietly, concentrating on his work. Max pulled out her phone and slid it over to him.
Whatcha working on?
"Just checking the numbers from our app. It's getting popular." The two of them stared at the screen and the long list of !NViTE usernames. One that caught Max's attention was a user called "shadowz_", a name she recognized and for a moment just wanted to ignore. However, the name suddenly flooded the user system, surprising the two of them. Josh was quick to respond as Max backed away. "Who is 'shadowz_'?"
Max had backed all the way into the couch, the TVs behind her crackling to life with a single figure she wish she could forget. It was him. "Hello, Max." She covered her mouth as the rest of the group gathered around.
"Josh, find him. Right now." demanded Sitara, wondering how the hell someone hacked into the TVs.
"You can't trace me. I'm a shadow. Max's shadow." he taunted.
"Max, who the fuck are they?!" shouted Wrench. Max didn't speak. She was frozen in place, looking up at the TV like a deer caught in headlights.
"What's the matter, sweetie? Can't speak? Did we traumatize you that much? That's okay, I'll introduce myself for you. I'm Pete Vanderlaan, and don't even try to search for me. You'll find nothing."
"He's right." said Josh, an inkling of irritation on his face. "Pete Vanderlaan and his family died in 2009 after his house was set on fire."
"What the hell do you want with us?!" yelled Marcus.
"Not US, just MAX. You have some unfinished business from Chicago here. Remember when you told that stupid Fox to kill Joseph and I? Well he failed. Wherever you go, we'll follow. Now, here's our dilemma: you have Max. If you don't give her up within the next 24 hours, we'll target all of you. You'll die one by one, starting with the one in the green hoodie. Max, why don't you give yourself up already, hm, sweetie?"
Max's breathing was shallow as her face went pale. Her hands were shaking and her vision was tunneling. She was reliving the events of what happened four years ago inside her head. Pete gave her the same smirk he did all those years ago. It was the day she didn't feel human anymore. But then, in the back of her head, she heard a voice. It wasn't her own internal monologue, but an entirely separate voice... It was her, from Abstergo.
Fight back, the voice told her. You're stronger than they'll ever know.
With all her might, Max uttered out her first word in a long time.
"No." she said, gritting her teeth.
"What?"
"I said NO!" she yelled confidently, her voice echoing in the room as the group stared at her with shock and surprise. "I'm tired of running away from my past. I'm tired of avoiding my problems. You want me? Fine, come get me. I'll make you pay for what you did."
Pete's smirk turned into an angry expression. "Tch, you won't be able to stop me. You didn't do it before, and you're not gonna do it again. Remember: I'm yours and you're mine. We will ALWAYS be together... In life, and in death." The TVs suddenly cut to static. Max was relieved that she had finally stood up to him. For once, she finally felt... free.
"Max?" said Marcus quietly, placing a tentative hand on her shoulder. Her vision almost instantly went dark, and she fell backwards. Marcus quickly caught her as the others gathered around her.
"Max? Wake up!"
"What the hell?! Did she just faint?!"
"Max, Max!"
Max!
Wake up!
...Max.
-----
"Max, did you hear me?" asked a voice. She was under a tree in a familiar looking park, and talking to her was Pete.
"Oh, sorry, I didn't."
"I said I like your outfit! You look very convincing. The wig definitely sells it."
"Huh?" Max touched her hair and felt the synthetic material. She wore a wig towards the beginning of her transition. "Right. Thanks." Pete smiled and sat down next to her, placing his head on her shoulder.
"You know, maybe when you get older, you can do the surgery."
"Surgery?"
"Yeah? You were the one who researched it. The one where you get to be a real girl."
"But I am a real girl."
"No, you're not!" Pete suddenly and harshly groped in between Max's legs, and received a swift slap on the face.
"Fuck you!" she shouted. She started to cry and moved away from him. However, her legs wouldn't let her stand up. She crawled away from him as he approached her, the scenery changing from a park to a dark bedroom.
"What's the matter, sweetie? I thought you wanted to be touched and fucked like a girl." he cooed, a switchblade appearing his hand.
No, please.
I don't want to see this again...
(Title song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24U1XkRWmB4)
(She Was Scared Of Storms by Unimagined)