Rue: Web of Deceit - Part 4

Life, Crime

Willingly placing themselves back in The Spider's web, Rue receives a phone from her new employer and their first real mission. One that brings them into the sphere of The Railyard's two most erstwhile protectors; Suplex and Jasmine Walker.

Through the morning after meeting Rani, Rue takes their time to sort out a few things. They return the empty plate downstairs as promised and pay for a couple more nights at the hostel, then head out to a nearby charity shop and purchase a change of clothes. It's been months since they've had the spare funds for something like this, and so it takes them a while to convince themself that, yes, they do need it. They get changed into the oversized cotton shirt and black jeans, mostly enjoying the clean socks devoid of any holes. Still feeling full from their breakfast, Rue only drinks a glass of water when they drop their old garments off at the hostel, nodding politely to the woman at reception before stepping out into the cold again.   The Recreation District is starting to feel more familiar already, much to Rue's discomfort. Not even the nice part, but the scuzzy side, practically overlooking the Railyard. Knowing her new employer's reputation around those parts, it feels a little like a betrayal.   They turn the corner towards the Six-Nines and can see Doug stood back at the door, it would appear he and the woman from the night prior have some sort of day/night system in place. Eventually his eyes wander in your direction and he chuckles slightly, "Ya clean up good, Kid."   Rue openly scowls at that, though they barely give Doug more than a glance. ''You in the habit of looking at kids?'' They ask coldly, passing him to get inside.   The bouncer audibly laughs, "Ya got guts, Kid," he says, turning to watch them as they pass, "No need for all the hostility though," he waits to see if Rue will stop to speak with him, but seeing that it isn't the case he continues, "Boss ain't here yet. Usually gets in at around three or four."   Rue stops at that, turning to face the bouncer. ''You do remember pointing a gun at me, right?'' They ask, crossing their arms and arching a brow. ''What time is it now?''   "The way I see it, you were the one caught mugging someone. I was simply doing my job. Would you have rather we called the police?" He uncrosses his arms almost in response to Rue's, taking a relaxed stance against the Six-Nines' door frame, "And, as for the gun... well, you can't be too careful these days, what with all those supers flying around. Some little street rat might just put me through a wall." He checks his watch, "A little before midday."   ''I didn't mug her, I pickpocketed her.'' Rue states matter-of-factly. They pause, considering where to go for the next 3-4 hours, then heave a sigh. ''I guess I'll be back later, then.''   "Well, it weren't her pocket, but I guess that's just semantics," he shrugs dramatically, "Either way, you were an unknown entity, Kid, and I'm always gonna prioritise my safety. I'd suggest you do the same. And maybe don't burn bridges before they're built." He reaches into a nearby drawer and pulls out a shoebox, "Here. From the Boss."   Though they're still not happy with the bouncer's interference, they can understand their point of view. Uncrossing their arms, Rue hesitantly takes the box, looking back at Doug. ''Didn't know this job came with a uniform?''   "Oh really? Fairly sure I've seen some of the girls dressed like cops, or soldiers, or fire fighters... and once a vet," he seems to get a little distracted thinking back before shuddering to himself and looking back up at Rue, "But in our case, nah. I think the boss just wants you to keep in touch."   As they open the box, they see it contains a phone and a charger, with a flashing light near the speaker indicating that a message had been received, "I think your next job's on that," Doug continues, stating the obvious.   Rue grimaces at Doug's little fantasy, sincerely hoping that they'll never get given a uniform. For a second, they wonder how many of the costumes on Doug's list Tara has had to wear, and how many she'll be wearing still. Shaking their head, they look at the device in the box like it is about to blow up.   ''I've never used a phone before...'' They mumble almost to themself.   "Yeah, boss thought that might be the case, and that's why I dug out..." he looks back in the drawer and pulls out a small but fairly thick leaflet, "The instruction manual!" He seems genuinely pleased with himself as he hands you the booklet, "That ought to sort you out."   Rue is taken aback by the man's enthusiasm, taking the booklet from him. ''Thanks, I guess?'' They remove the phone and charger from the box and tuck them in their pockets, ''I'd better start reading this so I can figure out what I've gotten myself into next...'' They hold up the manual and give a small wave. ''I'm sure I'll see you around.''   "Look after yourself, Kid," he says, returning to his post and picking up a nearby book, thumbing through the pages to find his place.   Walking back to the hostel, Rue smiles politely at the woman at reception, saying a quick 'hello' before heading up the stairs towards their room. The woman smiles as they pass, offering a quick "Hello, dear," in response and allowing Rue to get on with their business. They notice as they arrive in their room that the bedding has been changed and the floor hoovered. It even smells a little cleaner.   They sit down on the edge of the bed, taking the charger out of their pocket and putting it to the side, instead leafing through the booklet. By the time they are able to unlock the phone and fathom the touch screen a couple hours have passed, but eventually they manage, seeing a small red mark next to a green text bubble. Clicking on the text bubble, they open the message they've received.   "Good morning, little Morsel. Hope you took my advice and got yourself rested and cleaned up. After last night's performance, I think there may just be a space for someone like you in our little organisation. But why don't we see how you get on with something a little more tricky?"   'It's funny,' Rue thinks bitterly, 'He almost makes it sound like I have a choice.' Like anyone else in the Railyard, they know well enough that The Spider will not just let you go if you don't feel up for the task he may assign you. Hell, Rue has just been a puppet in getting one of his precious playthings back.   It takes them another 30 minutes to figure out how to open up the keyboard on the touch screen, but eventually they manage and start writing a message back, ''What do you need me to do?'' Their palms clammy around the phone, they hit send.   After a surprisingly short time, they recieve the reply, "Lawyer by the name of Jonathan Sinclair. Works up at the courthouse as a prosecutor. He's all truth, justice and family values. Makes me want to throw up. Regardless, he's looking to go into politics and is gunning for the Mayor's job since our last one... you know... Anyways, no-one is that clean. Use that unassuming presence you've cultivated and find me some dirt on the guy. I think I fancy having a mayor in my pocket."   Rue reads over the message three times, a shiver running down their spine. Helping Creel to get back one of his employees is one thing, but to give him leverage over a possible future politician? They shudder at the thought.   They try to convince themself that the guy might not even get elected as mayor, and that, should they refuse, The Spider would have plenty of other resources at his disposal to dig up the dirt he's seeking. So it's just another test...   They feel the slightly lighter, yet still substantial stack of bills in their pocket, and so they draft up a response, putting on their hoodie and heading out the door; ''I'll see what I can find out.''   They get a simple response, but reading it makes their skin crawl; "Good girl"   ''Not a girl..'' They mumble to themself, slipping the phone into their pocket. The walk to the Administrative District is a pleasant one. The streets have a more open feel to them compared to the crammed alleys in the Railyard and its close surroundings, and despite being more central, the air feels cleaner. Nearby, there are a few cosy cafes filled to the brim with decorative plants, and little boutiques displaying items Rue could only dream of buying, but most of the buildings are offices.   There are people coming in and out of these spaces at a steady pace - people coming back from lunch, couriers dropping off documents that they picked up only a few streets further down, hopping around like bees pollinating flowers.   They make a right turn and come to an open space, the large city hall building standing proudly in the middle. Rue thinks of the mayor's office deep inside, wondering if this Jonathan Sinclair will ever sit behind that desk, The Spider's presence looming over him like a shadow.   A 10 minute walk further down, they reach their destination. First step: find Jonathan Sinclair. They have no idea what the man might look like, and so they keep their eyes and ears open as they saunter around the area. They could lie and ask someone at reception to point them in the right direction, pretending to be meeting him for a court case, but the risk of them asking for details that Rue could not supply was too big for now, and so they wait, listening for some clue to the man's whereabouts.   "Hey, do I know you?" A fairly upbeat voice chirps nearby. Rue turns their head to see a young woman, maybe twenty-five, with dyed purple hair and several facial piercings. The clothes she wears are old and a little dirty, but she wears them with pride. Rue's enhanced senses pick up the faint smell of daisies as well as the unmissable clinging scent of the Railyard.   ''Uh, I don't think so.'' Rue frowns, trying to remember if they've seen the woman around before. Feeling nervous about someone potentially recognising them, Rue starts to walk away. While less ideal, they can use their senses to gather information even at a distance.   "W-wait, hold on a sec," the woman continues holding a hand out but stopping short of physically touching Rue. They took a few steps away from the woman before being confronted by an honest-to-god superhero.   "That bastard Sinclair is going for the full five years!" Comes another voice that anyone from Bathala's poorer neighbourhoods would recognise. Wearing her trademarked leather jacket and a shock of fiery hair cascading behind her, Suplex herself, guardian of the Railyard stormed past Rue and towards the purple-haired woman, "This isn't right!" The famed hero growls with barely contained fury.   "I know, I know," the other woman says softly, holding her shoulders and maintaining eye-contact, "We'll figure something out. I promise."   "Yeah, I guess," Suplex responds, seemingly placated, "I've gotta go talk to his Mum. I'll catch you later."   The purple-haired woman nods and lets her go, allowing Suplex to more calmly walk towards the courthouse entrance. Noticing that Rue had paused their escape, she looked over to them and shrugged, before walking over, "Come on. I know your look. I'm Jasmine Walker."   Rue feels a wave of panic wash over them as Suplex disappears through the doors. The Railyard hero has been known to cut people some slack, but how would they feel about Rue fishing for blackmail material on Sinclair on behalf of The Spider, no less? Then again, judging by the fury in her voice just now, Suplex clearly wasn't the prosecutor's number one fan. What's more, Suplex and the purple haired woman - Jasmine, was it? - would probably be able to point them in the right direction. Following the pair directly might be too risky, and so Rue does what they hope will be best.   ''Congratulations, you've spotted a fellow Railyard roach in a crowd of suits.'' They snap, fuelling their hostility towards the bubbly woman with the anger that's been building up within them since yesterday. ''I'm not sure what you think you 'know' about me, we've never met! I was just surprised to see a super in the flesh.'' They glance over at the entrance of the courthouse, using their senses to try and determine which direction Suplex was going in. Looking back at Jasmine, they cross their arms. ''Now can I go? I'm busy.''   "Yikes," she mutters, brows raised before regaining a little composure, "All I meant was your eyes. They're older than your face, meaning you've had it rough. Your clothes aren't new per se, but clean and your hair is washed, so you may have come into some cash recently. And you're here, sticking out like a sore thumb, so maybe you've been in some trouble. Maybe caught pickpocketing or a B&E? Regardless, me and Rach make a habit of helping fellow 'roaches' with things like that. You're free to go, but maybe keep us in mind if you need help. These 'suits' can be real assholes." She shrugs, giving you a courteous smile as she walks past, muttering "Guess I've got a date with a prosecutor..."   Rue’s eyes widen as Jasmine rambles through her deductions, amazed that it’s mostly accurate. They watch as Jasmine heads up the steps, their interest piqued at her last comment.   Waiting long enough for there to be a safe distance between them and the woman, Rue goes through the entrance, only to stop short when they realise their next obstacle is the reception. “Crap..” they mutter under their breath, turning on their heels. They’ll just have to wait until Sinclair comes out. Hopefully they’ll be able to filter him out somehow.   Once back outside, they cross the street, sitting down on a nearby bench and pulling out their phone to pretend to keep busy. After a few minutes, Rue looks up and sees Jasmine again, this time accompanied by an older gentleman in a business suit. He's tall and handsome, with a lantern jaw and immaculately styled hair and the two seem locked in conversation, with her looking up at him and giggling as he speaks.   As Rue trains their superhuman hearing on the conversation, she can see that Jasmine has affected a gratingly high-pitched tone and uncharacteristically vapid mannerisms, acting more like a preppy schoolgirl than the intelligent woman Rue had met less than an hour ago, "Gee, Mister Sinclair. Whatever you've got to show me in your car has to be real special if it'll help my brother with his case!"   Rue’s jaw drops at the obvious act, even more shocked when the man seems to fall for it hook, line and sinker. They observe as Jasmine wraps Sinclair around her pinkie, innocently following him towards the parking lot.   “Family values, my ass.” Rue grumbles softly, having seen the look on the prosecutor’s face hundreds of times before. It’s the same expression that they’ve seen on the guests at The Six-Nines. Rue follows them from a distance, hoping that the supernaturally sharp woman won’t notice them whilst staying within range to witness whatever is about to transpire.   It isn't hard for Rue to follow without being seen. Able to track the scent of daisies and expensive cologne down into the court house's underground parking complex, they can hear the lawyer's cringeworthy attempts at smooth talk even without super hearing, "You know, at law school I used to show the girls how to really pass the bar..."   "Oh, Mister Sinclair! I wouldn't know anything about that. I'm just a poor simple street girl..." Jasmine continued, her persona laid on thicker than the aforementioned cologne. Rue shudders at the comment, suddenly wondering why Bathala had an abundance of creeps.   They follow the pair down to the lowest level, well out of ear and eyeshot for most people. Hiding behind an overpriced car, Rue watches the scene unfold. For reasons unknown to themself, they take stock of items that could function as impromptu weapons.   "What's that!?" comes the faux surprise from the back of a luxury sedan, Jasmine having clearly progressed her plan quicker than expected.   "It's all for you..." Sinclair replies, sounding pleased with himself.   "Woooow," she continues, "It's so b-" she's unable to finish her sentence as she's quickly overcome by an unrestrained laughing fit, "Oh my God!" she cries, her voice having dropped several octaves down to its former level, "It's tiny!"   "W-what!?" he cries, and Rue can hear the sound of frantic movement.   "Hang on a sec," she continues, before the sound of a phone camera going off echoes through the parking complex.   Rue lets out a “tsk” as they hear Sinclair stammer out a substantial list of profanities. At this stage, Rue is starting to wonder if this really is the man The Spider wanted them to get dirt on. All it took was for a pretty woman to bat her eyelashes at him and stroke his…ego. Surely this man would never make office? Especially now that Walker was the one with photographic evidence of his little undertakings, she would not let this man off easy.   Losing all interest in the sleaze bag, Rue stands up from where they were hiding, briefly locking eyes with Jasmine as she gets out of the car, giving her a look that both relays “looks like you have it under control” and “you took my target.”   Jasmine shrugs in a nonchalant manner and, as Rue starts walking away, returns her attention to the lawyer, "Yeah, yeah, you know some naughty words."   "Fuck you!" He hissed, finally pulling his trousers back up and grabbing at her phone.   "Calm down, small fry," she responds, stepping out of his reach, "The pictures have already gone to my partner and, unless you want to appear on page three of the Bathala Beacon, I think you should definitely reconsider your case against our dear Antonio."   With his ego bruised and his livelihood on the line, Sinclair lets out a primal roar and grabs the younger woman, slamming her up against another car and causing the alarm to sound, "I'll kill you, Bitch!"   At that point, Rue stops in their tracks, heaving a sigh and instead making their way over to the pair, ''Now I'm no lawyer, but that doesn't sound like a good idea.'' Rue glares at Sinclair defiantly as his head snaps around to them.   "What?" he growls, looking between you and Jasmine, "Who are you? More gutter trash here to blackmail me!?"   ''Something like that.'' Rue shrugs. ''Now would you mind letting her go? I really don't think you'd want to piss off her partner.'' Jasmine's eyes widen. Rue can tell that she's trying to say something without saying it, but they're not sure what.   "And that'd be you, would it?" he asks, dropping Jasmine and pacing towards them with malice in his eyes.   Rue squares their shoulders, standing their ground as the prosecutor approaches, ''Now you wouldn't hurt a kid, would you?'' Rue smirks, ignoring the man's question. They subtly glance over at the fire extinguisher on the nearby wall, taking a small step towards it.   "You're not a kid," he says, nearing them, his hands balling into fists, "You Railyard punks are just animals. And everyone knows what happens to animals when they get too much to handle..."   At this moment, Rue lunges to the side, grabbing the extinguisher from the wall and pulling out the pin. They aim the nozzle in the direction of Sinclair's head and squeeze the operating levers.   "Bwah!" Screams Sinclair as he gets a mouthful of foam and falls backwards, flailing as he begins retching on the floor.   Rue lowers the extinguisher, taking in the sorry sight in front of them. “I think we’re done here.” They step over the puddle of foam and bile, moving towards the exit once more. ‘The Spider is not going to be impressed…’ They think glumly, trying to determine how to explain the mess they’ve made.   "That was pretty cool, y'know," Jasmine says, sidling up beside them as the pair walk towards the exit, "I knew there was a little more to you than meets the eye."   “Oh yeah, that was a blast,” Rue replies, their voice thick with sarcasm. “Anyway, you and your ‘partner’ got what you wanted. I don’t suppose you’ll have a spare copy of that photo going around, would you?”   "You into little men with big egos?" she asks, chuckling, "But in all seriousness, you look a little young to be exposed to that type of content..."   “Let’s just say it could come in handy..” Rue answers with a shrug. “Didn’t you say you make a habit out of helping fellow roaches?”   "Well, even I have my limits. I'm not a superhero after all," she says, shrugging as she takes a few steps ahead, "Buuuuut, if someone were to invite me for a coffee and I just so happened to leave my phone on the table while I went to the bathroom, well..." she looks back and winks mischeivously, "anything could happen."   “Well you do look a little parched after having to deal with our little friend back there…” Rue smirks, directing them down the route they’d originally taken once they exit the parking lot. “There’s a little cafe not too far from here, would you care for a drink?”   "You know, that sounds lovely," she says, a self-satisfied grin making its way onto her face, "But I'd like to know who I'm drinking with. You got a name?"   “Roach doesn’t work for you?” They snort at Jasmine’s deadpan expression. “It’s Rue.”   "You keep saving damsels in distress and Roach can be your superhero name," she chuckles, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Rue. Come on, I'm buying." She leads the way towards one of the little boutique cafés on the street near the courthouse, "So what can I get you? From those eye bags I'd say a double espresso, but it's rude to assume."   “I’m actually more of a hot chocolate person.” Rue admits. “I’d sleep even less if I added caffeine into the mix.”   "You got it," she says, and fairly soon the two are sat next to the window overlooking the courthouse, "So, what's got someone like you hanging out among Bathala City's most self-righteous?"   Rue wraps their hands around the mug of hot chocolate, pondering how to answer her question. Somehow, they get the feeling that ‘running an errand for The Spider’ will not go down well, “Like you said,” They begin carefully. “I got caught pickpocketing someone.”   It wasn’t a lie, they figured, as long as they didn’t mention who caught them.   "Having seen that display in there, I must say I'm a little surprised," she says, taking a sip of her own drink, "But I've been there. No-one has a perfect track record..." She pauses, clearly thinking back over some bitter memories, "Like I said in there though, if you need help, Rachel and I are happy to offer it. We're not gonna tell you what to do, but if you're in trouble..." She shrugs again, "Well, you saw what we've done for Antonio."   “Antonio’s lucky to have you both looking out for him.” Rue smiles softly, the gesture not quite reaching their eyes. They take a sip from the hot drink, savouring the warmth that spreads through them. “I’ll be fine,” They wave a hand dismissively. “Can’t have the Railyard hero wasting their time on something trivial like this. I’m sure she has bigger problems to deal with than a pickpocket.”   "Actually, I think you'd be surprised," she says, sitting back, "You think they get supervillain attacks daily? Since the crowd, there's talk of setting up the Vigil like an extra branch of law enforcement, but that's still a ways off. In the meantime me and her, we just do what we can to make sure all the roaches get a fair deal. That's what we're doing for Antonio, and that's what we could do with you." She sees she's pushing a little hard and decides to ease up, "Why don't you just take my number? Then, if you feel like it, at any point, you can give me a call. I'm never too busy for a fellow Roach." She smiles warmly, with a genuineness that Rue hadn't been expecting.   “I suppose that couldn’t hurt.” Rue agrees. Setting the mug down on the table, they pull their phone out of their pocket, looking down at the screen. Remembering a page from the manual, they click on the little image of the phone and a numbers pad pops up. They look over at Jasmine expectantly.   Jasmine shares the number and smiles, "Well, I guess you'll be wanting to get going soon, since you said you were so busy. Let me just run to the bathroom and then we can go," she says, standing up and heading to the ladies, leaving her phone on the table as promised.   The moment Jasmine disappears through the door, Rue picks up the phone and mumbles a curse under their breath. Whilst she’s left the phone unlocked, Rue has no idea where to find the photo, or how to send it to themself. Hell, they don’t even know their own number.   Uttering an apology into the air, Rue slips the phone into their pocket and looks back in the direction of the bathroom. Not far away from it, there is an unused doorstop that they must utilise in the summer to keep the front door open. After a quick glance around the café to make sure no one was looking, they use their telekinesis to wedge the stop under the door, then promptly leave the café in a hurry.   The escape is clean, and while Rue has to keep their head down a little to avoid an irate prosecutor coming in the opposite direction, they soon find their way out of the Court House's immediate vicinity with their loot firmly stashed in their hoodie pocket.   Looking at the time, Rue makes a beeline towards The Six-Nines. They get there as the sun is about to set, bringing the cold winter night with it. They’re a little surprised to see Doug still at the door, though they suppose he may be at the end of his shift.   "Well hello again," he says, smiling as he closes his book once more, having seemingly made some serious progress on it since Rue had seen him earlier, "I trust you've had a productive day?"   “It was… interesting.” Rue replies, quirking a brow as they try to figure out just how fast of a reader Doug is. “Is he in?”   "Gotta love an interesting day," Doug muses, gazing off into the distance, lost in thought for a moment, "Oh yeah. He's in his office. Just head upstairs, can't miss it."   Rue nods their thanks to Doug, stepping inside and following his instructions towards the office. The door to the office is closed, and Rue finds themself hesitating to enter. Their hand hovers just inches away from the door, a sense of dread creeping up on them.   Rue has never had any difficulty hearing through doors, though they were often reprimanded for eavesdropping by their parents. They were never able to beat it out of them though, so as they stood with their hand on the door, they could hear Spider himself on the other side, apparently on the phone with god-knows-who.     "And they were just sitting there, having coffee?" He pauses as the other person speaks, but Rue can't quite make it out, "Uhuh. Right. Okay... Thank you Marcus. I'll bear that in mind."   Rue waits a moment longer, their feet frozen in place. They knew that Creel would likely be watching them somehow, and they knew they made a mess of this job. They silently curse whoever Marcus is, taking a deep breath before they finally knock on the door, waiting to be invited in.   "What is it?" Comes the unmistakable voice of the Spider from inside, sounding a little miffed.   “It’s Rue.” They announce nervously. “I got something for you.”   "Ah, my little Morsel," he seems to, paradoxically, perk up as he hears from them, "Come in. I was just thinking about you!"   Rue gingerly pushes the door open and step inside only to be greeted to the sight of Creel, not at the desk sat at the far end of the room, but on a futon against the right hand wall, smoking another one of his disgusting cigars with his feet up. What makes Rue's stomach churn however is his choice of footrest. Whereas most successful men like to put their feet up on a designated stool or rest, Spider has other intentions. Beneath his remarkably large loafers kneels the trembling form of Tara, stripped of her pink coat and with her eyes puffy and red, she looks away as Rue enters the room, but dare not make a sound.   Rue’s mouth hangs open a little as they see the woman kneeling on the floor, her face mascara-streaked and her blonde hair a mess. They suppress the urge to apologise to the woman, instead locking eyes with The Spider.   “I got what you wanted.” Rue pulls the phone out of their pocket, holding it out for the man to take. “Though, if I may say so, I’m not sure if it’s worth what you were hoping for.”   "Hmm?" He says, taking the device with an arched brow, "This isn't the phone I gave you..." He looks it over, his brow furrowing at the artwork on the lock screen, "Whose phone is this?"   “It belongs - well, belonged, to a woman called Jasmine Walker.” Rue pauses for a moment, searching for the right words to explain what happened. “She apparently had a bone to pick with Sinclair. All she had to do was show him a little cleavage and he brought her to his car. She took a… compromising photo of him. It’s on the phone.”   Spider stands up suddenly, almost knocking Tara over as he suddenly holds the smartphone like some holy relic. For the first time, Rue can see how oddly proportioned he is, with remarkably long limbs that give him a very tall stature, "Th-th-this is the phone of Jasmine Walker? As in... THE Jasmine Walker? Partner of Suplex? Defender of the Railyard and all-round pain in my ass?" His grin is wider than Rue has ever seen it as he waits for their response.   Despite being inside, Rue feels a chill running up their spine, “It is.” They confirm reluctantly, pursing their lips as they start to wonder just how royally they’ve screwed over the two women.   "Oh my dear Morsel," he says, leaning forward and placing a bony, gloved hand on their shoulder.   Rue doesn't like to be touched. Rue REALLY doesn't like to be touched. Especially not by supervillains who've basically threatened to whore them out in the past.   They freeze, every muscle in their body tensing at once as they try to hold off on the panic attack that is quickly threatening to take over. If Spider notices, he doesn't seem to care as he continues talking, "If you were a little older I might just offer you some time in the VIP room with your favourite of my girls, but alas," he says shrugging as he removes his hand and takes the phone over to his desk before pulling out another spider-themed envelope, "How's this in stead. I'm doubling your pay for this job, and you've earned exactly one favour from me. Use it at your discretion but know that when it's gone it's gone. And you're not likely to earn another one any time soon. Use it wisely."   Rue only just about registers what the man is saying, their heart rate shooting up. They have to actively keep themself from using their powers to lash out, their whole body shivering.   Afraid of what they might do if they stay any longer, Rue nods a wordless acceptance of the reward, snatching the envelope from his bony hand and rushing out of the office, hardly noticing as they get close to stepping on Tara’s fingers as she’s still sprawled on the floor.   They go down the steps two at a time, bursting through the door and into the street. They continue to walk as quickly as their wobbly legs will carry them, their head down. They get to a small alcove on the right, where they promptly start heaving, their trembling hands leaning against the wall and barely keeping them upright.   They let out a whimper as they attempt to catch their breath, the ghost of his hand still present on their shoulder. Rue stays there for a while, their mind reeling. Once they’re certain that they can manage, Rue slowly starts their walk to the hostel, their eyes dull, their body drained from the last bit of energy.   Rue feels the buzzing of their phone in their pocket, indicating they've received another text, but they don't bother to check it as they charge into the hostel, past a certain little girl chirping a hello, and up to their room. Locking the door behind them and sliding down against the wood paneling, winding up on the floor with their head between their knees.   With trembling hands, they eventually pull out the phone and look at the screen. A single message pops up from 'Boss' reading "You're welcome, by the way. Take a couple days to yourself. I'll be in touch."   To be continued...