Layla

When I got home last night Ekko was sound asleep in his hammock, he worked all day with Benzo so I knew he'd be exhausted. After my talk with Vi I was flustered and exhausted, so as soon as my head hit the pillow I was out.

I promised Mylo I'd come to the arcade today to watch him beat Powder at the shooting game, he always underestimates her. But while she had to fix the game, Claggor started bets on who would win in the fighting match with the robot. I went first and kicked ass, knocking Vi to second place on the leaderboard. When I turned around, throwing my hair over my shoulder dramatically, I threw her a look challenging her to do better.

She got up from her chair next to Claggor and looked at me with fire in her eyes, I felt my knees weaken as she walked by me.

Thank god she listened to my advice to shower, now she smells like her usual. She always smelled like, well, I don't know how to describe it I've always thought she smelled good.

Once I sat in her vacated seat, I watched her put on the fighting gloves and wink in my direction as she started another round. I watched the leader board as her highlighted name drifted higher and higher, I bit my lip in anticipation. After a few more minutes the final bell rung and I peeled back my hands covering my eyes to see her two points behind me in 2nd place. I jumped out of my chair pumping my fist in the air like a tool, "Fuck yeah, take that Shiner."

She rolled her eyes, amused by my excitement that I finally beat the girl version of Vander. She walked over to me and leaned against the wall behind me, my pulse quickening because of how close she was.

"Alright Pow, now that I beat your sister let's watch you hand Mylo his ass." I said which earned me a middle finger from Mylo, I laughed as Powder stood up from behind the game. She plugged in the game and hopped over the little wall before grabbing her gun.

All throughout today Mylo still got up her butt about yesterday's mission, it was pissing all of us off, mostly including Powder. So naturally, she kicked his ass and shot all of the targets perfectly, leaving Mylo speechless. I put my hand up to give her a high five as she walked by me, sitting on a chair next to Claggor, before she went to another game.

"So you ready for round 2," Vi asked, looking down on me as I sat on the stool. When we were standing she was only a few inches taller than me, which made her even hotter.

I cocked my head and stood up, following her onto the platform where the game was. "I don't know V, are you ready to get beat again."

"You talk so much shit for someone who's only beaten me once, Superstar." She said turning around and leaning on the fence surrounding the platform. She examined her wrapped knuckles before looking at me with hooded eyes.

Jesus the tension between us was so thick you could cut it with a knife, it's always been like this. Times like these, nothing else mattered except just us, no problems or Underground troubles. Just me and the girl I've been in love with for years, I always feel like I'm as lucky as a Piltie because I have her in my life.

I stared into her light eyes, getting lost in them while she got lost in my blue ones. I gave her the fuck me eyes and her grin widened. Faintly, I heard Powder ask something but then yelped as we heard something crash through the window. That jumped Vi out of her trance and she quickly moved in front of me to block me from the danger. My heart felt like it would jump out of my chest but it deflated as soon as I saw the Enforcers right outside.

Vi cursed under her breath, as I saw Powder look at her nervously, hiding something she had in her pocket. The crystals! V told me she had found them yesterday, I thought they did something with them, shit. I looked over at Claggor quickly and he got the message as he turned around and pulled the lever.

The lights all turned dark blue and the neon spray paint popped as the enforcers gawked at the new look of the arcade. Powder acted first, pushing the enforcer in front of her before running towards the shooting game. Mylo following by drop kicking the one in front of hi and shooting them with the gun from the game, pink ball bounced off their uniforms doing nothing but annoying them. But before they could step towards Mylo, Vi took a piece off the fighting machine and threw it at one of them, knocking them off their feet.

The enforcers turned to us and she grabbed my hand pulling me along with her as she lead us away, I looked back at Claggor to see him shoving an enforcer and following us out. We ran behind the shooting game and saw as Powder got an enforcers arm stuck in one of the machines. I let go of Vi's hand to grab Powders arm and tug her along, we ran out the door and stopped once we realized enforcers were on both sides of the alleyway.

Vi looked at me nervously, before we heard a whistle and both looked up. Ekko sent a ladder down right by us, Vi pulled it down the rest of the way and we started climbing one by one. I hoisted Powder up before me and I started climbing I let out a shout as one of the enforcers grabbed my foot.

Violet yelled my name, I looked down and kicked the dickwad in his eye before climbing up and up the ladder. Vi took my hands and pulled me up all the way, wrapping her arms around me before shoving the ladder to the ground so the enforcers couldn't follow us up. I breathed a sigh of relief as I heard it clatter to the floor, I looked up to see Vi looking down at me.

She put a hand on my cheek and kissed my forehead before taking my hand once more and leading us off the balcony of the building we climbed up. "We've got to hide those crystals." She said to Powder who answered with a "yeah no shit."

I was too stunned that Vi kissed my forehead to say anything, I smiled internally as I threaded my fingers through hers and followed her back to The Last Drop.

~~~~

"We should hit them back. We've got the numbers to beat them!" Sevika said angrily, slamming her hand down on the table in front of her. Half the room agreed with her as Vander and Benzo stood in front of her with unimpressed looks.

Powder, Mylo, Claggor, Vi, Ekko and I all stood in the doorway that led to the basement, watching as shit was about to go down. Once we came back Powder let it slip about our run in with the Enforcers, word spread around fast and here we are. Sevika and her gang in another disagreement with how Vander runs the Undercity.

I've always liked the hard headed, badass woman Sevika is. She and Vi taught me more defense moves over the years, everyone else hates her except for me. I know she has good intentions deep, DEEP down but she's so stubborn that she only thinks her opinions and ideas matter.

"So that's what you want huh? We crossed that bridge once, we all know how that ended." Vander said, lighting and taking a puff out of his smoker.

"Meh you're just protecting your kids," said one of the guys standing next to Sevika. Vander looked at us quick before turning back to his people.

"I'm protecting our people. I'd do the same for any one of you. We look out for each other, it's the way it's always been. This will blow over, we just need to stand together." He said tiredly, trying to get his point across.

Sevika slowly walked up to him, annoyed at his bullshit excuses. "The Vander I knew, the one who built the Underground, wouldn't be afraid to fight."

Vander pushed off the bar, sizing her up as he took a smoke. "Do I look afraid?" He asked in all seriousness.

"No. You look weak."She whistled and walked out, her gang following her. I shook my head following her out the door with my eyes, she always does this. She pushes Vanders buttons until she spots a weakness and then she leaves, but she's never taken this many people with her.

But she stopped at the door and turned towards me, her eyes locked with mine and I could see that little bit of regret peaking through.

Ever since I've lost my memory, Seika has oddly become a friend to me. She's like another protector I have, even more than Vi which is surprising. I know she's probably just protective of me because she knew my parents, but she won't say anything about them. Like Vander, she tells me I'll find everything out when I remember. But as much as I did agree with her, this was my family and I can't leave so I turned away from her, and heard the door shut. That's how I know she's actually gone this time.

Powder talked about how we could fight like Sevika said, I sighed as I leaned against the wall next to Ekko. He leaned his head against my arm, he knows that Sevika and I have a weird relationship so he knows I feel torn.

But before I went to the arcade earlier, we talked and agreed that something had to happen in order for us to tell Vanders secret. He was thinking what I was, we had to say something.

I leaned down so Ekko and I could whisper to each other, "I know, I know we have to tell them." I said closing my eyes and dropping my head.

"This is bad Lay, I have a bad feeling about this. I'm scared to say anything." He said, fidgeting with his hands.

"I know peanut we just-" Ekko tensed beside me making me stop talking I looked to the other side of him to see Vi looking questioningly at the two of us. He tried looking straight ahead to avoid the girls hard stare, while I met it head on unafraid of her stares.

"Spill it, you two." She said as Powders head peaked out from the door frame.

Before I could say anything Ekko looked at me and I hesitated but then nodded slowly, "Oh, okay. Well, um, Vander's got a deal with the Enforcers." His shoulders hunched up to his ears, worried about Vi's reaction.

She was in shock not believing him at first, but then her eyes widened when she looked up at me. "What deal?"