Chapter Twenty-Four: Cats in Elevators

"Um..I don't know where to start." Mist looks away nervously.

I shrug, "What's this floor then? Starting here is as good as anywhere else right?"

She nods before heading away from Siem's door. "So this floor is basically where we hold any briefs for missions or meetings...otherwise it's mainly just Siem's floor." Mist moves through the deserted hallways as our shoes and footpads were the only indication that we were the only ones around.

'What is Dreamer doing?' Lady wonders a little behind me, sniffing every now and then. The weird clinical scents were even making my nose itchy.

'Looking around a new territory.' I try to think of it as she might see it.

'...Is it Dreamer's? There is no scent that it is.'

'Not mine. Rather it is the man that we just saw,' the image of Siem flickered through my thoughts, 'Yep. Him. It's his and everyone around here.'

'...Then is not good. Territory is not owned.'

'It's ok. We are here as guests. Part of a pack.' For now.

'Not right...but will follow.'

Sorry, Lady.

"...Kae?"

"Hmm?" I snap out of the emotions that Lady was pulverising me with.

"Are you ok? You were really out of it just then," Mist peers up into my face, stopping me in my tracks.

"Ah, sorry. Lady was asking me something and it gets...a bit distracting."

"How cool," she grins offhandedly, taking me by surprise.

"Cool?"

"How many people do you meet are able to talk with a giant tiger as you do?"

"Normally those who are taken away in straight-jackets," I mutter.

She shakes her head, "I still think it's cool. Well, um. Anyway, we're at the lift."

She presses the button indicating that she wanted to go down that was on the wall in front of us. I'm not sure if Lady's going to agree to this, I couldn't help but look up at her as she lazily licks her chops.

"We could take the stairs if you'd prefer," Mist must have caught on. She indicated to the door beside the life, just as the door open.

'Can you ride it?' I indicate to Lady, the box-like room that just opened. This just screams claustrophobia.

She looked at it and I feel her mental shrugging at me before she puts herself (somehow) into the box. There was enough room for Mist and myself.

"She seems ok with it," I shrug, getting on.

'It's small.'

Spoke too soon.

But other than that, she didn't move away from the lift.

"It's a good thing that we have reinforced elevators installed," Mist states absentmindedly while pressing on a button that was floor '5', "We made it so that twenty people can get on in a hurry."

I noticed that floor 5 was the lowest floor besides ground or basement. "I'm guessing there's no one through four on this?" And I swear there were more floor above us.

"What? Oh? We only own floors five through to ten. The rest of the building is owned by other occupants...it helps when we technically don't exist."

"Secret police thing?"

She nods.

"You guys are not Suppressors?" I ask.

She turns to me fully with a shocked look on her face just as the doors open to a rather noisy floor. "No. Nothing to do with them." She said 'them' rather acidly.

Ok. Not a subject to bring up. But it makes me wonder why X was with a few of them just a month ago...

Mist's voice goes back to being light, "This is one of the personal floors...but it is also the most popular as it's also the diner. We have a really good team that handles the menus."

I look up to see some people talking amongst themselves and immediately go quiet they see Lady...and by extension me.

Mist still walks on, the place at least seemed a little less clinical. The floor was covered in short navy blue carpet and the walls had more of a house like feel to them (like actual creamy-painted walls). But it still felt like dark tunnels and still had the sci-fi metal 'whoosh' doors with the touchpads. I slowly walk passed a few people, following closely behind Mist as she nonchalantly goes right to an open doorway and walks in. Coming inside it was a café styled dining area with large glass wall tinted windows that looked outside, at much the same landscape that Siem's office did. I frown, looking out the window. I felt that if I was left undistracted my attention comes back to the hollow tragic air that this entire city held. A sudden shudder ripped through my spinal cord, like someone just perked up to stare at me. Clear, empty eyes as if disturbed from an eternal dream.

"...- normally have set meal plans but we're allowed to order what we want in the mornings. That's if we're not off on a mission somewhere else of course." Mist continues on, dragging me away from that sudden chill.

I shake myself of the feeling, like a snap from a frozen dream.

"Are you ok?" Mist repeats the question from only a few minutes ago.

"Yeah...I'm ok. Just a little tired I guess."

"Yeah...you have been through a lot. I keep forgetting that...not much a medic am I?"

"Medic?"

She nods, "That's what I'm training for anyway...I like to be as good as Hanna one day."

"She's really that good?"

Her nodding became stronger, "One of the best you could ever meet."

"How old are you, Mist?"

"I'm eighteen."

"And you're out here doing secret police work?"

"I'm not the youngest. Most of us have nowhere to go and are too...different to successfully assimilate ourselves into society or have the capacity to function...so we all wound up following Siem and with that we've been able to survive and help...even though society might view it as unorthodox."

Indeed. Who else would let a boy with an arm that looks like he traded it in for a demon's and his oversized cat that glows in the dark?

"X is practically the poster child of this place," she smiles up at me.

"Why is his name 'X'?" I ask before I could stop myself.

"That's-"

"His actual reference is Subject 10 but it's with roman numerals, so 'X'." Rain grumbles as he stood from a white round table just in front of us. Dammit I didn't see the bastard. The other three people sitting with him all mirrored his haughty expression...well this is going to be fun.

And here I was hoping I wouldn't see him again for at least a few hours. Yay me. Well at least he's talking...silver-linings where you can take them.

"Mist. Why are you getting more involved than necessary? We've done our job. It's best to steer clear of this."

Mist shakes her head, "That isn't fair, Rain. He isn't a bad person."

"That's not the point. Any moment he could lose it," he's now turned into a full blown snarl...silencing the entire cafeteria and all eyes on us.

I take it back, I rather the silence treatment.

"Hanna said that he isn't a Hexer!"

"That doesn't mean anything in this case. He could flip and just start killing everyone. You remember what Hanna said. He's mentally unstable."

Gee thanks.

"It's not fair to judge him like this. He hasn't done anything to us. And Hanna only said that when we first found him! He's gone through more shit than most of us here. Besides, Siem's accepted him, so shouldn't you?"

"I won't. Not after what happened to Reed. Never again."

Mist at first went wide eyed in shock before turning into a glare, angry tears building as she tries to control the reaction, "Don't bring that up. You swore never to bring that up again."

Well ain't this awkward. I look around the room, everyone looked like they were told to swallow razor blades. Whoever this 'Reed' was...they must have left a bad taste.

"Mist..." Rain began, his irritation fell. Obviously step on a landmine.

She sniffs and pulls on my arm, "Come on Kae. I'll show you more of the place. I shouldn't have taken you here. I'm sorry."

"It's ok," I could only manage that much, still a little shocked. I wanted to ask but with the way she was trying to compose herself back together told me to keep quiet.

'Blood and death.' Lady murmurs in the back of my mind.

I look up to see X coming out of a lift that we were heading towards. He stops and holds the door open for us and we all managed to fit on in awkward silence. X effortlessly presses the seventh floor button. "Siem has forwarded that he's to retire to the seventh floor."

I look over at him as he stares at the numbers.

"Oh. Um well I haven't finished showing him around though..."

He looks over at her in silence.

"I can show you around later, when you've rested a bit more I guess," Mist says quietly. "Come on. I'll show you how to get into your room." She hurries out the elevator's doors once they opened and sprang down one of the hallways that looked exactly like the one that had the dining area just moments ago. I feel like we're in a labyrinthine hotel.

She comes to a door on our left. "I think it is this one." She looks up to X (who decided to follow us) who nods once as confirmation.

"Ok, I'll just let you in." She presses her hand against the glass surface of the touchpad that immediately flicks green and the door opens.

Peeking inside, I see that it looked rather posh with timber floors and a fluffy white rug that immediately greets your feet at the door. On the right was a modern glass desk with shiny screens and a black bookshelf beside it. On the other side was three pairs of doors. One went into a white bathroom and the other two were for a built in wardrobe. At the far end it stepped down into a space for a bed that was pristinely made with blue sheets and a thick inner-spring mattress and of course a pillow. Behind that was the wall-window that was blocked by a dark navy blue blinds.

It was a freaking massive room.

"Will Lady be ok in here?" I ask, looking around. I mean she can easily fit in here but she's still a wild animal. Lady finds her way in and goes to check out the bathroom.

"This will probably be temporary," Mist smiles, watching me as I investigate the room. "This is a spare room. I guess I'll leave you to it...Um, I'm sure we can continue the tour a bit later. Good night anyway...sorry about everything."

I nod, "Sure. Thank you, Mist."

She nods and scurries off, leaving X in the doorway. I stare back at him as he watches me. Erm...

"You can hear it," he whispers.

"What?"

"The cry."

I frown, even more confused.

"Do not let their lies come in," he reaches forward, pointed directly to my chest. "I...can promise. Promises to protect from those lies. But do not let them in."

"Who?"

His fingers were just barely touching me. "Those who will lie to come in."

So not making sense. "X-"

His attention is suddenly drawn to behind him and he retreats from me. And with that I was left alone and locked in here confused as hell, while Lady just found the shower's 'on' button.