The Lazarus Effect

Forty-One

"You make it sound really simple," I admitted. 

"Apollo, how many others are there in the building with him?" she asked stopping. She motioned the building across the way with her eyes. 

"I know this place," I said pushing her against the wall covering her with my body. There was an instant panic in her eyes before she composed herself. "Do I make you nervous?" 

"How is that even a question? Of course, you make me nervous. You're my first boyfriend, you idiot," a sick part of me loves it when I hear her say that. An even sicker part of me wishes badly I wasn't. The number eighteen popped up on her phone and she put it away. "Stay here," 

"What?" I asked. 

"You have to stay here. Apollo will notify you if I need help," 

"We're going together," she shook her head. 

"Jay, if he sees me walk in there with someone he's not going to show interest. Especially, because you're a big ass intimidating guy," I looked around knowing she was right. 

"What happened to activist to activist?" I whispered softly into her neck. She visibly shivered before slipping away. She glanced back at me wearing a pair of glasses before she disappeared into the building. I sighed. "Fine," 

I gave her a few minutes before I followed. A crowd is gathered around the ruins of what used to be a lobby. I found her as soon as I walked in. She ignored me and continued to talk to the group of teenagers on the side. One of them is the kid. He is completely engrossed in what she's saying. Do I look like that when she talks to me? More and more people began to show up. The chatter of the Moneyspider is spreading like wildfire. 

I looked down at my phone to find a text from Bruce asking us where we were. I ignored it and put it back in my pocket. The fact that he had to text me told me Ilya had also ignored his text. 

At the far end of the room is a giant display of old televisions stacked on one another. If anyone would walk in here they'd think someone just got creative with a bunch of trash. They were connected to a bunch of different computer monitors. 

"Beautiful isn't it?" I looked over at a girl and then back over to the pile of technological crap. 

"It's something," I shrugged. There are a bunch of words I can use to describe this pile of shit with and Beauty isn't one of them.

"You don't seem impressed," she said coming to stand in front of me. 

"I'm not. I've seen crazier shit in my little brother's room," she laughed. 

"Kids these days do get creative. What about you? What are you into?" What do I say? 

"Ai," I shrugged remembering Red. I do love her. The girl's eyes lit up like I had just made her day. 

"That is a hell of an interest," she said looking me over. 

"So, I've been told. What are you into?" 

"I'm not that very good at this tech stuff. I do it for the art," she answered turning back to look at the junk. 

"Did you build this?" I asked. 

"I sure did, sweet face," she nodded. "Is this your first rally?" 

"Is it that obvious?" I asked. 

"Kind of. A lot of the people here already know each other and those who are new come with their friends and are introduced to one another immediately. You stand out a little," 

"I've been told," 

"Hey, Tom. There you are," we both turned back to see Ilya and the kid with a couple of others.