Deadlock Pt. 2

I first met Alexandria a decade ago. Admittedly, she did scare me back then, but that was to be expected. An eccentric woman who would kill anyone regardless of their allegiance. Who wouldn't be terrified of that?

"What are you doing here anyway?" I asked.

"Beats me. Maybe I got bored or something. Had all this paperwork piling up on my desk, and I didn't feel like getting it done. Heard that a squad was here, so I came to check it out. Who could've guessed that I would run into that old man's son?"

I felt myself biting my lips before I even knew it. "...Don't bring him up."

Alexandria turned around with her eyes curling, as if she found amusement from my reaction. "Oops. My fault. Almost forgot that your dad is the big shot himself."

Even though she knows how I feel about him, she still brings him up from time to time. Is it because she genuinely thinks it's funny to mess with me? Or is there something else that she's trying to gauge? Hard to tell when it comes to her.

From here, I could see a massive billboard glitching and filled with cracks and statics, but the image was crystal clear. It was the silhouette of a man with his body fully augmented, wearing a long, white coat outlined in gold—a symbol of the highest authority in the High Order: the Arbiters. Next to him was a line of text in an elegant font.

"General Theo De Leux, First Arbiter of the Athenians, codename: Mars, the great hero of the insurrection," I muttered bitterly. "Look at them, singing praises of a man for all his achievements while ignorant of who he truly is."

"Indeed," Alenxadria chuckled. "That's just how this world works, hm?"

"Unfortunately so. Information is easily concealed and altered, especially in this day and age. No matter if they are criminals, traitors, or defects, we can make the people see what we want them to see. Even people like him..."

My name is Solas De Leux of the infantry unit, codename: Strider. I've served in the army division for a little over two years, but it was not for the same reason as everyone else.

General Mars is the First Arbiter, the highest authority who commands all Athenians... and I haven't seen that man face to face in over seven years. Coincidentally, that is also when Nelia, my older sister, went missing.

Pure speculations are all I have. I've been digging around the High Order's network for a while now, which isn't necessarily legal, to say the least. Although I can't access the more restricted databases, I found bits and pieces—clues that led me to my father. But, to this day, I still don't know what truly happened.

Alexandria told me that Nelia is still alive, but she doesn't know where she went. I thought meeting her again would give me more clues, but I'm still as lost as ever.

"Hm? Why are you looking at me like that, Solas?" she smiled.

"Nothing. Just thought you looked pretty today. That's all."

"Oh. Oh~ Quite the charmer, aren't you?"

"It's just a compliment. Don't be weird."

"A boy doesn't call a girl beautiful just because he feels like it. It's either one, you don't really think I'm pretty, or two... Ah~ Are you trying to get in bed with me, a childhood friend?"

"W-what the...! How did you even reach that conclusion?"

Alexandria crossed her arms and let out a mild chuckle. "You could say that I'm experienced in this field. There have been hundreds, if not thousands of men who thought they were good enough for me. Wanna know what happened to them?"

"Probably buried somewhere."

"Correct. But... I'd be willing to give you a shot, Solas. We have history, after all."

"...I'm gonna get back to my unit."

"Hehe. Hope to see you again soon."

While I made my way back to the ruined warehouse, Alexandria refused to leave my head. That conversation was strange for sure, but it wasn't anything new. She's just weird. What was also weird was when she showed up in front of me three years ago.

Back then, Nelia always invited her over to our place, but after her disappearance, Alexandria never came back. I'm not sure what happened, but I can tell she's just as worried about Nelia as I am.

"Dude, holy shit!" Kai exclaimed when he saw me coming back. "Are you alright?"

"Hm? Why wouldn't I be?"

"W-well... You got dragged away by Doctor Frankenstein. I thought for sure you wouldn't have come back with all of your limbs intact. At least, that's how it always went."

"Ah, that. Don't worry. I'm fine."

"Yeah, but... how?"

"Worry less about that and focus on your job. I'm trying to get out of here as soon as possible."

We got back to work and kept at it until finally, it was time to head home. The day was over, but I wasn't done just yet.

I returned home to a nice apartment hotel. After taking my shoes off, I walked into the gathering area, where the most inarguably beautiful woman in the world was cooking behind the kitchen counters.

"Ah, Sol," Mother smiled affectionately. "You're home."

"Yep. Another day, gone, but at least I won't have to worry about coming in for another two days."

"Should be plenty of time to relax."

"We'll see."

I inherited my mother's black hair and insane hair growth. Maybe that's why no matter how many times I cut it, it still grows back very quickly. Eventually, I gave up and settled for a ponytail. She has emerald eyes, but I have lavender eyes because of that old man.

"Dinner will be ready in about an hour," Mother said. "If you're hungry right now, I think there's some leftovers in the fridge from yesterday."

"Nah, I'll wait until you're finished cooking. I need to get some work done anyway."

"Alright then."

I retreated into my room. Like always, it was dark, but not completely dark. At the other end of my room stood a massive window, a gradient blur of light pouring in.

Even in the dead of night, the Golden Age district pulsed with life. Neon lights bled into the darkness, casting fluorescent hues across towering skyscrapers. Above the streets, flying vehicles zipped along tangible lanes, their headlights cutting through the haze. I could barely make out the ground below. The city's veins of glowing pathways stretched endlessly into the distance, feeding into the heart of the metropolis.

It was a chaotic mess, both gloomy and brilliant all at once—a spectacle of technology and control. But no matter how many lights filled the night sky, the shadows always crept back in.

In this hotel, the higher the floor, the more luxurious it is. We live on the seventy-third floor, which is on the upper third of the building. I never could get used to how segregating it felt. I suppose that's what happens when your father is an Arbiter. Mother never cared for any of that. The only thing she has ever wanted was for our family to be together, but... that hasn't happened in almost a decade.

After I took off my uniform, I slipped on a pair of shorts and an extremely baggy shirt. When it comes to comfort, nothing beats what I'd wear at home.

I sat down at my desk and pressed the power button on my computer. Immediately, a colorful array of lights sprung aglow, and the monitor turned on. Not just one—all three of them, aligned perfectly in a line so that my mouse could move from one end to the other in one swift motion.

On the left monitor was a chart displaying a series of lines, letting me know of any large-scale activities within the High Order's network. 

On the right monitor was a full array of cameras watching every corner of a certain building. At least, all the ones that I was able to hack into.

And finally, on the center monitor was a clean screen for what will hopefully give me something to bring Nelia's disappearance to light.