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Pitch Black is the second arc of The Underground series

Chapter 17 of 22

The Ties That Bind

Abby cocked her head to the side as she wiped down her bar. "You look a lot better." Abby chimed, cleaning out a glass for Mick.

The mink smiled at her. "Yeah, well, I feel a hell of a lot better."

Abby poured a beer into the freshly washed glass. "Jen says you guys are going to go get the bastards."

Mick nodded. "Hopefully it's the right place. I don't remember a whole lot of details."

"I'd trust Alias." Abby nodded, supportively. "He usually doesn't make too many mistakes."

At that moment Jenna blew by in an indigo blur, grabbed a serving tray and bolted out the other side of Abby's bar without a word or glance to either of them.

"Not too many..." Mick replied quietly.

Abby looked over at Jenna, whom had been quiet all evening. Something that was very uncharacteristic of her. "What's going on with those two?"

Mick shook his head, taking a pull on his beer. "Not sure." He replied glumly. "I mean I know people have spats every once in awhile, but this is something else."

"Maybe it's just how they are, you know? I mean maybe it's just one of those things where they hate each other every other day."

"Nah," Mick replied, still watching Jenna move through her tables, doing her waitressing, "not Alias. And not Jenna from what I've seen." He looked up at the calico feline; her brown eyes met his. "You should have seen them in Palamont, they were so together. You could just tell they had some kind of understanding between them. It was like it went beyond words or something, and now it's like they can hardly stand to be around each other. I don't know..."

Abby leaned against her bar, nodding in agreement. "She won't talk to me about it, and I hate to push it because I know it's none of my business." Abby let out a heartfelt sigh. "It's even Alias though. There was life in him when he got here, a bounce in his step. But it's like the old Alias I knew from years ago is back. The angry, cynical, violent one."

"Coincidence he's back and they're having a falling out? Doubtful." Mick responded, taking another drink of beer.

"It must suck being stuck in the middle of it, huh?" Abby asked sympathetically.

"Hah," Mick laughed, "no shit. I mean I feel like I'm friends with them both. I can't take sides. Although, I know Alias can be a stubborn ass."

"Well, you know," she began slowly, "if it gets to be too much for you, you can always bunk in with me." Abby offered, with a soft smile.

Mick smiled warmly. "Well, usually I offer to buy you dinner or something first-"

Abby's towel flopped into his face; the mink pulled it away laughing.

"I have a couch, dumbass." Abby replied sarcastically, however returning Mick's smile.

"No really, thanks." Mick said seriously, tossing Abby her hand towel back. "It could get to that point. As it is, I'm in the market for a new place. So, if you hear of anything, let me know."

Her ears perked up. "Not going back to Palamont?" Abby asked.

Mick shook his head. "Meh..." He let out. "I was getting bored of that city. Besides," he continued, "there are people here in Arcadia who I actually like. Kind of a rarity in The Underground."

"So, you think you'll stick around here for awhile?" Abby asked quietly.

Mick nodded, looking up at the calico female, her glowing hazel eyes matching patches on her fur. "I think I might start liking Arcadia again."

A small smile graced Abby's muzzle. "I'm glad to hear it." She replied, her eyes meeting his.

Looking back to her, Mick couldn't help but to notice the suspended smile over the feline's face and the slight shimmer in her eyes. This only caused a smile and stifled laugh on Mick's end. They had come a long way from their initial meeting when he had unwittingly attacked her.

"Abby, can I talk to you for a sec?"

Mick looked over to see Jenna standing behind the bar, her ears laid back.

Right. Girl talk.

"I'll go. I need to get going anyway." Mick said aloud, excusing himself as he grabbed his jacket.

"Stay." Jenna replied simply. "You need to hear this too, Mick."

What hit the mink as strange was the way Jenna had said her last sentence. It wasn't her sentence's order, or choice of words, but rather her tone. Usually when Mick heard those words, or anything like them, they were much more violent and forceful where Jenna's had been a simple request.

Mick took a seat, pulling his coat the rest of the way on where he had stood up. He looked from Jenna to Abby, then gave his full attention to the vixen. She looked tired, rather downright worn out. Her eyes spoke as if they hadn't seen a decent night's sleep in days. Something seemed to be hindering on her heart, which seemed unwilling to come to light.

"Ok, look I just wanted you both to know what's up." Jenna said slowly, looking down at the bar. "I'm going to be leaving, soon actually."

Mick couldn't have been more surprised if she had slapped him on the face. He looked to Abby for answers, but saw she had an equally confused look on her muzzle.

"Leaving..." Mick asked slowly. "Leaving as in Delirium to go home?"

Jenna flashed a small smile. "No." She replied. "As in The Underground."

The trio remained silent. Mick wasn't quite sure what to say, only that he hadn't seen this coming. It was just a fight, wasn't it? That's all it was.

"I just wanted to let you know personally, it isn't some emotional hype I'm on, or because all this is more than I can handle." She paused, looking back to both her disheartened friends "It's about finding a place where you belong." The vixen smiled sadly. "I thought I had that. And thanks to you both, I really felt it."

Abby shifted her weight, and leaned against the bar. "Jen, I mean no one's trying to talk you out of anything, but have you-"

"Thought it through? Yeah." Jenna answered. "At this point it's just a question of when."

Mick was a little beside himself with this sudden revelation. He knew that they had been having difficulty, but at the same time how had this just shattered?

"He's just not the same anymore... neither am I." Jenna continued. "He's not the person I thought he was and I see that now." Her eyes went to Mick. "You were right. He is a creature of habit. And he's not going to change anytime soon." She sighed, the sound alone depressing the hell out of Mick. "I just thought I could be something good for him, you know? Turns out, I'm just a beast of burden, and that's not something I want to be for anyone, especially Alias."

Looking over at the blue vixen, Mick suddenly realized. She didn't understand Alias. She didn't get why he was doing what he was doing. She didn't see the way he was being torn apart. She didn't understand because she didn't know. She didn't know what had happened to Alias before she was here. Mick was suddenly struck with the urge to try and explain.

Hey, Alias. Mick's mind flashed back to that day in Palamont when Jenna had first arrived with Alias. She doesn't know, does she?

Mick remembered how Alias's eyes had flared up in utter rage that Mick would bring up such a topic.

Is that relevant? He had asked him.

Are you telling me it's not?

"Because it totally is."

"Do what?" Mick blinked as Jenna's voice brought him back to reality.

"Sorry... thinking out loud." Mick replied, shaking his head. Only he knew it was, maybe now more than ever. Maybe if Jenna knew, she'd understand why Alias was doing this. Why he was going the distances he was. It wasn't her! But Jenna didn't know that, and Alias was too fucking bullheaded to tell her.

"Look, Jenna." Mick started, taking a deep breath. Mick knew he was going against his principals telling her this, but it could potentially turn all this around. At the very least, Jenna would have a complete understanding before she made her choice. Whatever Jenna may be for Alias, he knew that Alias didn't want to lose her, even if he never said it. Losing her could be the last straw for him. Mick just had a sinking suspicion that she was the only thing keeping the black fox on the level.

Mick leaned in closer to her, biting his bottom lip. "I think there's something you should-"

"We need to move, we're late as it is." A dark, deep voice stated as Mick immediately silenced. Turning around, he saw Alias polish off the last of his Scotch, and place his glass on the bar.

"Now?" Mick asked, hoping he could finish what he had to say to Jenna, without Alias around.

However, Alias nodded, and Mick cursed in his head.

"Good deal then." The mink replied, getting off his barstool, but not before swiping a book of matches. "Anyone for victory shots after this is all over?" He asked jokingly, trying to lighten the tension between all of them, however epically failing.

"I'm sure I'll be back at some point." Alias said to Abby, who nodded with a small smile. Mick watched as Alias's attention went to Jenna who's cold stare was almost unnerving. "See you in a few days." Alias said simplistically, then turned and began making his way through the crowd.

"No, you won't."

Both Mick and Alias stopped and turned around, looking back at Jenna. Her eyes were directed away from Alias, refusing to make contact with him.

"I'll be sure to leave this past month's rent on the table." She said, finally looking up.

Like watching a train wreck in slow motion Mick couldn't look away. He felt the urgency to step in, try and say something to make everything right. But Mick knew it wasn't his place. As much as it sucked to sit back and witness everything unravel before his eyes, Mick could only watch from the sidelines.

He looked over at Alias, stone faced and eyes dead to the world. The mink could tell he was contemplating something in his head.

However, when he turned to leave, his silence was the most deafening noise Alias could have made. His chin dropped, as his eyes went to the floor. It was like the very life force that kept Alias moving was being sucked from his core, leaving nothing but a hollow shell. That same force seemed to take everything that was redeeming about him with it, leaving only the bitterness and anger.

Jenna turned to leave, walking in the opposite direction of Alias, while Abby leaned against her bar, unsure of what to say. Pushing his way through the mob, Mick caught up with Alias and moved beside him.

"So, that's it then?" He asked skeptically.

"She made her choice to come here, she can make her choice to leave." Alias replied bitterly, the poisonous barbs of his words sinking into Mick.

Mick felt his brow furrow in frustration "The person you risked your fur for back in Palamont, the one you gave up everything for, and you're just going to let it all walk out on you? It isn't right!"

"It is what it is, Mick." The black fox replied, only with more venom in his dark tone.

"Is it?" Mick replied, adopting a similar tone with Alias. He expected some kind of harsh comment in return, however received none. Alias simply kept walking away from everything, like he always did.

As hey neared the door, Mick stopped, and slapped his paw against his pants lightly. "Shit, forgot my cell."

Alias stopped, and looked to his watch. Mick caught the look of agitation in Alias's eyes as he looked to him. "I'll pull the car around."

"Be right out." Mick replied, however, Alias was already walking away, disappearing in to the crowd.

As soon as The Mercenary was out of sight, Mick's paws reached into his coat's breast pocket, pulling out a pen and the book of matches he swiped from the bar. Flipping it open he quickly jotted down a note on the inside cover of the booklet, using his thigh as a surface. Finishing, he clicked his pen shut and moved quickly through the crowd until he spotted a certain blue vixen clearing a table that had been used by previous patrons.

"Hey." He called out to Jenna.

"Mick?" She asked confused. "I thought you guys were-"

"We are." He paused for a second, choosing his next words carefully. "Remember back in Palamont, you asked me what I talked to Alias about, but I couldn't really tell you?"

She shook her head slightly, caught off guard by the trip down memory lane. "Yeah... in your trailer, sure."

He reached forward, taking her gently by the paw, pressing the book of matches into her palm. "Maybe it's time you found out." He said quietly. "There are things you should know... and after that if you still want to leave, then by all means. That's totally your right." Mick knew Alias would decapitate him for actually telling Jenna about all this, but Mick couldn't help but feel he was doing what was right. "You at least should know the rest of the story, Jen." He told her taking a deep breath. "Just ask for Ethel."

And with that, Mick turned and made his way out of Delirium. He knew he had left the vixen more confused than ever when her eyes would scan over the address he had written down, but soon she would hopefully understand. Mick didn't usually interfere with people's business. That was a line he rarely crossed. But there was something between Alias and Jenna. He had seen it in Palamont, and even as they stood there before each other, seeming to be indifferent in their attitudes about the other, Mick knew it was a front. A front they believed the other one wanted. In The Underground's own twisted way, they were still fighting for each other. One fought for her safety, and the other for his peace of mind. Even if they were unaware of what they were doing, that's how Mick knew their transcendent bond was still alive.