"Swelter Skelter?" Riley asked, unfamiliar with the term. "What's that?"copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡFQnz1eKfyG
"It's this weird festival held in the desert up north. I guess you could call it San Fransisco's version of Burning Man. You haven't heard of it before?" Wrench sounded genuinely excited to go, and genuinely confused that she wasn't aware of it.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ4r5aVdoU3
"No, I've only been here for like a year, remember? And all I've done is work the whole time."copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡLat9a6jZA0
"Well then, you're in for a treat. It's in a few days, so you still have time to find something to wear."copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0PSXMS2vTQ
Riley frowned, grabbing for the next pair of pants that needed folding. It was late evening the day after Marcus' big escape from the !Nvite building, and Riley was taking it easy as instructed. Work had been nerve-wracking. Nothing was different, per se, but she couldn't help but feel like she was being watched all day long. It had felt relieving to clock out at the end of the day and go home, where she had a load of chores to accomplish.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡAW87wlBEzv
In response to his remark on an outfit, Riley shook her head. "Is there a certain dress code or something?"copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡAVdtI3cExy
"What? No way, you can wear whatever the hell you want."copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡKlMy7FTLMb
She was having a hard time seeing the significance. "Ok, then I'll just go in a t-shirt and jeans or something."copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡcfcsmG1g2K
Wrench gave an amused and disappointed laugh. "No, no no…this is a festival! The whole point is to express yourself in a way you don't get to on a daily basis! Come on, Riley. Promise me you'll try."copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡtQqXi1PQxM
The brunette laughed, amused by how much this thing apparently meant to Wrench. "Ok, ok! Jeez, I'll try to find something that 'expresses my inner desires,' or something. Calm down."copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡYRWoSI8Zsg
"Awesome! If you need ideas, I'm sure Sitara could help. She's all about representing a certain image and all that." He offered, sounding pleased that she agreed. "Either way, I gotta go. Stuff to break and things to destroy."copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡSUroyMSBTD
"Have fun." Riley said with a smile, turning off the comm channel. She was thrown back into the quiet of her apartment, the only sound being Pants' loud purring from the couch, and the low volume on the tv, which was showing some documentary about sharks.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡu1FvWtNUsg
The journalist had to think on everything. A festival? She'd never been to one before. Burning Man was famous for its specific aesthetic, she wondered how similar Swelter Skelter was. The last thing she wanted to do was show up in something too outlandish for the event.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡCjymdgr1RA
Riley honestly didn't have any ideas as to where to start for an outfit. Maybe Wrench was right. Perhaps Sitara could help. Would she be annoyed by her asking, though? Hesitantly, Riley patched into the frequency she knew was for Sitara, and waited for a response.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡR2jwTWIOV5
"You rang?" She said expectantly after several moments. The brunette was caught off guard and stuttered a moment.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡg6qG2m9Mzx
"H-hey, Sitara. It's Riley."copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡde9CdxMjpi
She laughed with mirth. "I know. I had a feeling you'd be calling."copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡKRLURNGqr9
"Really?" Maybe Wrench had said something to her.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡKImXzw7SZd
"Oh yeah. You need help with something to wear to Swelter Skelter, right?"copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡRfILf6B5oU
Ok, he must have said something to the hacker, because otherwise how would she have known all of this. Shrugging, Riley finished up the last of the pants in her laundry basketcopyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡdg4ahp4hcU
"Well, yeah. I've never gone before, and I don't want to show up being the laughing stock of the party."copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡwvi4batV9W
"I don't think that'll be a problem." Sitara chuckled, amused by her worry. "It's sort of an anything goes environment."copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡIVq7DW0QEM
"Well, that's a bit relieving."copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡ98fnZJKvbV
"If you're free after work tomorrow, meet me at Elsewhere Vintage and we can do a bit of shopping."copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡFiCFgImXlN
Riley knew the thrift store, and nodded. "Ok, sounds good."copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡTi6O1HQtCE
"Awesome. I'll see you there." The hacker said in a sing-song tone, before disconnecting the line.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡArB32v5835
"What exactly are we looking for?" Riley inquired, following Sitara through the rows and rows of clothing in the thrift store. The racks weren't organized at all by size or color, but just thrown together based on what sort of item of clothing it was. Right now, they were looking through the skirts for anything that jumped out to her.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡWZP6Zoc3qM
"I don't know, that's all up to you, girl." Sitara said, eyes skimming the racks for something she might like too. "What are you trying to go for?"copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡrE248fAqWa
"Uh…" Riley didn't know what to say. She was still almost entirely in the dark about this festival. All she knew was that you could wear whatever you wanted, but that honestly wasn't much help. There were too many options.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4QRFDm7Yk9
Sitara rolled her eyes and shook her head, putting down the skirt she'd been examining and turned to face the brunette. "Alright, looks like we need to make some decisions. If you could pick a theme for this outfit, what would you want it to be?"copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡAs5u3IuvkI
"A theme?"copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9abJdFvYRe
Sitara gestured with her hands. "Yeah, like…superhero, goddess, native, weird…what speaks to you?"copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8T4m19cvKD
Riley hadn't thought of it like that. So, maybe this was like…cosplay, in a sense. But not in a costume-y kind of way. Hmm. That made things a bit easier. But if she could only choose one…copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡB3YUzWSpGb
"Well," she started, hoping her idea wouldn't sound stupid, "I've always loved Greek and Roman mythology…" She looked over and saw the hacker nodding slowly, eyes faraway as if imagining it all put together.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡuUYP2zjdSu
"Ok…goddess it is. I can work with that." She grabbed Riley's hand and dragged her over the dress rack, searching with a newfound determination now that she had an idea to start with. The brunette joined her, a bit more excited for how it would all turn out.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡkYhsY8Bshj
"One last question." Sitara said, a mischievous smile in place. She pulled two different dresses from the rack, a floor length one that reached to the floor, and one that could barely qualify as a dress because of the lack of length and material. "How much skin are you willing to show?"copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2ZU0HO0d24
The rest of her work week went by pretty quickly, probably because Riley was so excited to go to this festival. Sitara had helped her put together her outfit, and she was really proud of how it turned out. Not too costume-y, but just enough inspiration to know what it was supposed to be.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡ31VSJ708Iq
Friday night rolled around and Riley got into her outfit. She examined the gold gladiator shoes that wrapped up her calf and thigh. The short, plain white dress was longer in the back, giving her some comfort that no one would be able to see her underwear, but was still risqué enough to attract interest. it was adorned with dozens of cheap, dangling jewels and tassels. The plastic laurel they'd made on the 3D printer at the hackerspace, painted gold, sat in her hair, which was straightened and flowed down her back.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡjO3jpaMr2G
All in all, she liked what she saw in the mirror. This Riley was adventure-seeking and a bit more…open with who she was. Maybe this whole festival would help her break her shell a little, especially around the DedSec team.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡCXl7codz5J
Speak of the devils, her phone vibrated, Marcus letting her know they had arrived to her apartment. Instead of all driving separately, they'd decided to go together. Marcus said it was to help them all bond. She had a feeling it was so no one could leave early. Grabbing her phone and house keys, she was out the door in no time.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡEmLlt9lvQ5
"Hey!" Marcus called from the driver's seat, raising a hand when she descended the stairs. "Looking good, Riley!"copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡeb8vYftuPA
"Thanks." She said, smiling proudly. Sitara sat in the passenger seat, nodding in appreciation of her own handiwork. The side door of the van rolled open, revealing Josh. He shimmied over so she could take the seat there, and she shut the door behind her.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡjHyBzRY6Y2
"Hey. Nice outfit." She said to Josh, who was rocking a pretty rad mullet and bandana. He smiled a little in response.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡDew8bniwjU
Wrench popped his head out from the very backseat, his hood now sporting a spiky mohawk down the middle. "Whatever you do, don't call him MacGyver." He whispered, an amused expression on his mask. Josh turned around to glare at him, obviously not fond of the nickname Wrench had decided to give him.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8uIMjpJSOf
"Alright, gang, settle down back there. It's a bit of a drive and I don't want to have to turn around." Marcus joked, throwing the van into drive and sending them off towards the exit to her apartment complex.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8UAYIoqxIx
"Whatever you say, Dad." Riley couldn't help but reply. Marcus raised a brow and glanced at her in the rearview mirror.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7QQho6RmT1
"Don't talk back to me in that tone of voice, young lady."copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡH69YWw4zwI
Wrench laughed and leaned forward again. "Are we there yet?" He asked in an annoying voice. Riley joined in, smirking devilishly.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡwTyUbJUE4C
"Anyone want to play I-Spy?"copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡYLPuUYAnDJ
Josh closed his eyes and sighed, obviously not amused. "Please drive faster."copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ywrPkzdTx
The sun had still be hovering over the horizon when they left San Fransisco, but by the time they made it to the desert, it was blatantly night time with stars shining bright in the sky. Away from all the light pollution, it was quite a sight to see. Riley found herself just watching them as they kept driving.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7MA9FdHMXW
Marcus took an exit off of the main highway, and Riley could see a large encampment with torches and tents off in the distance. They travelled along a dirt road for several minutes to get there, finally parking in a large marked-off lot where over a hundred other cars were. This thing was a lot more popular than Riley expected.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡTPq8j170Co
They slowed to a stop in one of the spots. Riley stood to the side and waited for the others to pile out of the van. After Josh, Wrench squeezed out from the back seat, standing straight once he cleared the door. Her eyes widened, seeing his full outfit for the first time. He was wearing a sort of football-style armor, with wide shoulder plates. The spiked man-thong was not at all what she'd expected. She looked away rapidly, her cheeks probably flaming red by now.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡmfeMaxQZkL
Thankfully, nobody really noticed, too enthralled by their surroundings to pay her any attention. The entrance to the festival grounds was a large, wooden gate-like structure. Torches were places on the insides to mark the path, and the gang all walked towards it. Beyond that, hundreds of tents and RVs dotted the grounds.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9LTC2ruULM
"Here we go!" Wrench said, looking around in anticipation. He turned to Riley and grabbed her hand. "I'll show you the best parts. Come on!"copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5446LKUgzT
"O-oh, ok?" She allowed herself to be dragged ahead of the others by the hand. She glanced back, seeing a knowing smirk on Marcus' face, while Sitara and Josh were looking elsewhere and paid her no attention.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡnQjJORRqF9
People danced and milled about the place. Riley began to feel a bit better about her outfit. Some people were dressed in furs and spandex, jeweled beads and sparkles all over their bodies. One woman wasn't even wearing anything from the waist up, a few mardi gras beads hanging around her neck but otherwise nothing else.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡV3xYliU1uR
"Check this out!" He said, pointing ahead of them towards a giant, lit-up statue in the center of the grounds.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡappWG7Zpid
"What is that?" Riley asked, squinting a bit to try seeing it clearer. It appeared to be the head of a big dragon, but it seemed so out of place. Although, now that she thought about it, 'out of place' seemed to be a running theme for this whole festival.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡj8LslmJtE5
"It's the hacking challenge." He explained, turning a happy expression towards her. "Each year it's something different. Like, last year? A giant unicorn. Coolest thing ever."copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1XHsHX86Ht
"Sounds like it." She smiled, walking beside him. She still had a hard time not looking down at his spiked, uh…well, she just had a hard time keeping her eyes in an appropriate place. Plus, the tattoos that looked self-administered were distracting too. The scratchy 'WRENCH' tattoo right in the middle of his chest kept catching her eye. She just hoped that he didn't notice. It already felt like a permanent blush marked her cheeks. No need to make it worse.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡGuoQbLjkug
Trying not to make it obvious she was only half paying attention, she gestured to the statue again. "Are we participating this year?"copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡHJzXASit4G
He gave a shrug. "Eh. Maybe. I'm sure Marcus will try to rally us into joining. That's just what he does."copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡAVYygtPhOK
"He just wants the group to stay together. You can't blame him." She added, knowing he probably intended for this festival to get the gang back into the spirit of things.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡQb3VqCSTcg
"Oh, I know. I don't blame him for it. I just can't match his unending positivity sometimes." Wrench admitted, sending her a quick wink out of the corner of his eye. Riley laughed.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡZxQd6ieZjX
"You're just a big ball of pessimism? Is that it?"copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡJYr67Ififk
"You know it." Came his sing song reply.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡXtIbnUBq93
After she'd gotten a good look at the statue, Wrench lead her through the rows of tents that surrounded it, exploring Swelter Skelter to get her familiar with the place. Some tents had their own personal radios set up, where people danced or talked casually to each other around. It was a very comfortable and carefree environment, one that Riley could appreciate.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡpUa4ayNq9O
"Isn't this place great?" Wrench asked with question marks in his eyes, waving a hand around them to indicate all the tents.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4NKOkJXwdp
"Oh yeah." She assured, giving him a wide smile. "Thanks for showing me around, by the way. I'm sure you'd rather do your own thing."copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡI88ejzWudE
His mask became two exclamation points. "I'm still having fun. Besides, we've got all night to enjoy this place. You're fine."copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡRig1eElEGY
Riley felt a warm sensation in her chest, knowing that Wrench didn't mind tagging along with her to show her the place. And that he was having fun spending time with her. It boosted her confidence and, just a little, gave her hope.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡUNY7QkQYOj
"Take that disgusting PDA shit somewhere else, you losers." Someone said, gaining both of their attentions. Riley didn't recognize the person, but Wrench apparently did because he sighed and crossed his arms.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡw6mKrO7toe
"Lenni." He said with obvious distaste, the exclamation points rapidly flashing into annoyed slashes. This 'Lenni' must have been someone in the hacker community, otherwise why would Wrench care about them? She was dressed in a corset and skirt which brushed the sand. She took a drag of her vape, blowing it rudely towards their faces.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡr5Ox64s8NS
"What's up…uh…DedSec's mascot, right?" She grinned, shrugging like she didn't give a damn who he was. Riley frowned, completely caught off guard by her rude demeanor and hurtful words. Lenni must have seen her staring, and gestured to the brunette. "And what are you supposed to be, 'Walk-of-Shame' Barbie?"copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡy5zazb0njH
Wrench stepped forward with angry slashes. Riley, who normally wasn't too quick to come up with quick replies to things like that, actually had one in mind, and she gave a chuckle. "I have your wardrobe to thank for inspiration. Just a little less slutty is all."copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡplojtgyTMl
"Nice!" Wrench whispered, throwing her a fist bump.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡlxI1xT6HFX
Lenni raised a brow, unimpressed. "Yeah, yeah, cheerleader. You laugh it up. When the time comes, you won't have a reason to laugh about it."copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡiMDy8G0CRe
"Is that a fucking threat?" He hissed, getting a little closer into her personal space. She stepped back and held up her hands.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡpU17uinTuG
"Woah, woah! Swelter Skelter's neutral ground, bitch. You can't do a damn thing here. DedSec wouldn't want to lose face by being kicked out of the festival for fighting outside the arena, now would they?"copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡgM4w6RYnmY
Wrench grumbled and retreated back beside Riley. Sitara would have a field day if something like that happened. DedSec was already in hot water with this whole Dušan thing. Wrench didn't want to make it worse that it already was.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Eh2W8BMzK
"You sure do like to talk shit when there's no risk of retaliation, don't you?" He said, a strange tone in his voice. She wondered what he had in mind. "Just remember that DedSec has gone after you before and won. We'll do it again."copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡO6JXu2swpT
"Ooh, I'm so scared. DedSec's gonna get me." Lenni mimicked in a childish voice with waving fingers, then deadpanned. "Shaking in my fucking boots."copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡfnX2fjKjCf
The conversation had devolved into a glaring fest, and Riley tugged on Wrench's arm. "Come on. You haven't shown me the rest of the festival yet." She said, hoping it would gear him into leaving.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡDh6oStsHUr
He stared at her a few seconds longer, but she merely grinned back, knowing Wrench was just itching to throw a punch. "Yeah, I haven't. Let's go." He told her, turning and walking towards the arena.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡRpokjIvDNE
They both heard Lenni yell after them from behind. "That's right! Turn tail and run, DedSec bitches! Not so tough when you're not behind your computer screens, are you?"copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡzw5ZrrtAVO
Wrench clenched his fist at his side, but Riley laid a calming hand over it. "Just let it go. She's obviously trying to rile you up."copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡkRFVDIVcDX
"Yeah, well, it's working…" He muttered darkly with angry slashes on his mask. copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Fef6jAP7U
"Who was that anyway?"copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡovTWr6GLWC
"Lenni. Leader of Prime_Eight."copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡwsWewalCol
She'd heard of the group before, but hadn't really run into them as of yet. But if Lenni herself was any first impression, she didn't want to have anything to do with them. Wrench was obviously still pissed, however his hand did relax in hers after walking a ways, and she finally let go. She could have sworn he reached for it after hers pulled away, but then it swung naturally at his side. Damn. Maybe her brain was imagining things.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡCcnJ4cjbjz
They spent some time walking around the place, with Wrench pointing out the best tents for food, and which ones to avoid. More than one they heard the erotic moans of sexual activity in nearby tents as they passed and they both tried ignoring it as best they could. The thought felt awkward in each other's company.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡK84Jom4eUf
Eventually, they wrapped around to the opposite edge of the festival grounds, and Riley began hearing manly yells and the cheers of a crowd. "What is going on over here?" She ventured to ask. Looking over at Wrench, she noticed the happy expression had returned, and he perked up excitedly.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡxUAZAP4ilW
"The best part of Swelter Skelter!" With that, he grabbed her hand and dragged her closer to where all the commotion was. A large, geodesic metal dome with panelling over most of it stood in front of them. A crowd had gathered around the portions that were open.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡiEXvJ6VBgt
Sounds of pain and triumph came from inside the dome, and the crowd cheered again. Wrench guided them to the other side, where less people were gathered, and brought them up to the edge of the dome.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡcrGKkLj1OZ
Inside, two men dressed in makeshift 'armor' slowly circled each other, swords brandished at each other. Both were bruised and intent on catching the other off guard.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9UnMi0nH9W
"This is the best part of Swelter Skelter?" She asked incredulously. As she spoke, one of the men lunged forward and tried swinging at the other, but his opponent sidestepped out of the way and kicked the other guy in the chest, sending him tumbling to the ground. Riley winced. That looked painful.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡXODlYLdcF8
"Yeah!" Wrench shouted, clapping his hands together and cheering the violence on. Then, he turned her way. "Hell yeah. It's called The War Room!" He shouted over the cheers of the crowd.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡA1j0KjOMPy
"Do you ever participate?" She asked over the noise, seeing he was dressed rather similarly to those in the arena.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡmDX7vYfhhN
"Sometimes!" He gave a wink, before turning back to the fight. One guy was able to pin the other to the ground, and was landing punch after punch into his face.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡ91j9nSHxne
Normally she wasn't one for wrestling shows or anything like that, thinking it wasn't all that entertaining, and mostly just for show. Hell, half of these programs were probably scripted. But seeing a real fight like this so up close, with the crowd around her jumping and screaming and bloodthirsty…it was surreal. She found herself yelling in encouragement for them to whack each other after too long, feeling a strange surge of satisfaction when one guy attacked the other.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡiU7elCuPnV
Finally, one guy had enough, and stayed down after being smacked squarely in the face by one of the swords. He lay still, and the crowd cheered the victor. He held up his hands, yelling his battle cry into the air. The referees helped drag the unconscious fighter out of the ring, and someone else took his place. A scrawny guy who looked half the size of the victor.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡJLOpwqj13X
"He is so going down." Riley said, shaking her head certainly.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡaUt9mfvpIt
"Yuup. He's got no chance." Wrench predicted.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡCWRmMLzHBC
The battle commenced, and the little guy tried skirting around to a side that might favor him more. However, the dome had nothing in it besides them, and the victor waited patiently for him to make his first move. He was cocky, which could be a weakness, but the smaller opponent clearly didn't have all that much strength. Why had he entered to begin with?copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡiw87fSC7eV
The smaller one lunged outwards with the sword, trying to catch the bigger guy off guard. He seemed to somewhat, staggering him backwards a few steps, and he laid on the attack.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡqmXPpvIvgr
"Come on, motherfucker!" Wrench screamed, pounding on the metal bars eagerly. Riley joined in, eyes glued to the action.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡrBCO2z4P7V
The bigger guy seemed to recover from his initial shock, and began advancing with his own attack. The little guy had one advantage. He was smaller and much quicker, able to escape his grasp easily. The bigger guy had a hard time landing any sort of substantial hit. And then, the smaller guy tripped, giving the bigger opponent a perfect opening to backhand the sword straight across his face, sending him reeling.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡgdpLZt8n9q
"Woo! Mama said knock you out!" Wrench cheered.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡVsAXk48FUS
"Give 'em hell!" Riley called, pumping her fist in the air.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡvwSGD76nJG
Marcus walked up beside them, silently watching the match. "This isn't a fair fight." He stated, eyebrow raised in observation.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡmcp8os7m7T
"Oh, it's so not fair. Little guy's gonna get the shit kicked out of him. But that's what makes it fun, right? We like to watch the little guy take his lumps." He gestured to the arena as example, where the little guy was struggling to kick his way out of a chokehold the bigger guy had put him in. The crowd was going wild.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡg8tgayJfBB
"Yeah…I mean, so he can get back up on his feet again and overcome…right?" Marcus smiled hopefully, spreading his hands in a silent plea for agreement. Riley tilted her head, squinting a bit. This sounded awfully familiar.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡmLllQQHBXd
Wrench crossed his arms and cocked a hip, his mask switching to an accusatory expression. "You're trying to turn this into a metaphor for DedSec, aren't you?"copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡXpD5T0Rre0
Marcus chuckled and shrugged, knowing he'd been caught. "You got me there."copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡEa4MoVq9QC
Wrench sighed and shook his head. "I mean, if you want to keep DedSec going, I'm right there with you. But…" he turned and pointed at the smaller man inside the ring, who was struggling to stand his own against an onslaught of attacks from the bigger man's sword, "if you're putting your metaphor money on that weirdo? No. He's going down and staying down."copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡJCmaKekwWQ
Riley saw Marcus look into the ring, then nod his head, conceding the point. "Yeah, it's a long shot." He paused and pointed at him. "Hey, are you joining us for the competition?"copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡg0uIwAM7jK
"Yup, I'm down."copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡhVDD7rjuAa
Riley saw him gesture to her, cocking his head in the same question. She shrugged. "Of course. What would Swelter Skelter be without the hacking challenge, right? Sounds like an important tradition, anyway." She answered, sending a slanting glance Wrench's way. He perked up in a happy expression.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡrOS7msBGLJ
"Sounds good." Marcus said, clapping his hands together, walking backwards away from them. Then he gestured between them both. "I'll meet you in the center before it starts."copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡF9F8zps71J
He faded into the crowd, and Wrench turned towards Riley, his happy expression returning. "So, how's it feel to officially be part of DedSec now? We don't ask just anyone to compete with us, you know."copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡZaEU3BixuW
Riley felt a surge of warmth, and smiled. She could feel her cheeks going red. "It's…really nice. I'm glad that I'm part of a group like you guys." The brunette looked up towards Wrench earnestly, holding his gaze.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡniIV1s6rzu
He gave a nervous laugh, finally looking back towards the arena. "Me too."copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡ992lFx77qy
Wrench and Riley watched a few more rounds of the arena fights, before heading off towards the dragon sculpture for the group picture when the announcer initiated the final call for competitors. They found the others already standing the by dragon, and ran up to join.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Xu1Ra2TjW
"Alright people, gather up. We need a group shot." Marcus said, holding up his phone on a selfie stick. DedSec all bunched up together. Riley found herself wedged between Josh and Wrench. The masked hacker had an arm draped over her shoulders, the other flashing a peace sign.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡYEGzxKxBz9
Marcus posed, holding the stick out to get them all in the picture. "Try to look pretty for the camera, huh?"copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡG4d2hkv7WI
"Always." Wrench promised, causing her to laugh. Riley sported a wide smile, and held it until the phone clicked. They all separated, relaxing after striking their poses.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡFibPdOraXN
Marcus put away the selfie stick and rubbing his hands together. "Ok, looks like the challenge is starting. Josh." He said, pointing to him. "Get on those numbers and feed it answers. Wrench, you've got the Jabberwock. Get it wired up and ready. Riley, I need you to run interference on our rivals. Slow 'em down."copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡfM1vLM2T4h
They each nodded, content with the taste they were given. He held out his fist, and they all bumped their own against his. "Sitara and I are gonna hack this thing. Let's get it, DedSec!"copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡRdUdwEwO4Z
They all cheered, moving off to get into position.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9qFq45wLIi
The challenge honestly wasn't that hard. Riley spent the whole time sending junk code into their rival's lines, causing their systems to reset multiple times. She laughed to herself, hearing them off in the distance cursing and groaning. Obviously they weren't too happy with their lack of progress.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡWFwPMP5UNN
In the meantime, Marcus was using the drone to try getting to nodes from above, giving them an advantage. Wrench worked on the Jabberwock itself, unlocking it's inside mechanics so they would properly function once it was hacked. Sitara helped slow down the reset codes, giving Marcus more time to work. And Josh was running dialogues of code, allowing them access into the system. It was all a well-working system. The team was amazing together.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡK1KXUtg0OU
As soon as Marcus got all the nodes aligned and hacked, the dragon came alive. Steam shot out of the scales along its back, and flame flared out of its mouth for a dozen feet. Riley jumped, not expecting quite a spectacular reaction. The announcer came on again over the sound of cheering.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡxHYk4sfIqj
"The Jabberwock challenge has been solved! Congratulations, winners!"copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡfpWlDC0TWR
DedSec formed up again at the mouth of the dragon, watching as it lit up and roared. Wrench was backing up a few paces, his hands wide. "Uh, guys? Back up, guys. It's gonna catch on fire. Back up!"copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡEORjCR1d7i
This others did as told, but Josh looked confused. "Wait, how do you know?"copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡVFBSqX22a2
He pointed at the mouth. "Because it has to catch on fire. It can't not catch on fire!"copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6UVoNhCvo1
Riley smiled, enjoying his reasoning. Within moments, the mouth was shooting out more flames, directly over their heads. The heat was almost painful, and they shielded their faces from it.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡ78zH1hA98s
"Told you!' He shouted.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡfyrojVdxOZ
Marcus slapped Wrench's shoulder several times, smiling wide. "That is dope as fuck!"copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡw3xFEmYt1o
"The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame!" Sitara called, waving her hand in a dramatic flourish.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡex0vcfWui8
"WHO ARE YOU?" The dragon roared, and DedSec all responded.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡAw4Sjcn7QU
"I'm Josh!" "Sitara! Hi!" "Wrench!" "I'm Riley!"copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡODE7hhUR6C
"That's good, I'm Marcus! Who are you?" He called.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡSCzVk87kmD
"I'm Ray." Said a male voice behind them. Surprised, they all turned, seeing a man dressed in what appeared to be a ringmaster outfit. His face was painted with black bleeding eyes, and he wore a top hat with goggles on his head, covering a head of brown dreadlocks.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡiMBOpfamro
He stepped between them, forward towards the dragon. "I should have put more juice in it's-"copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡir1Oj1r6mC
The flames shot out again, making his jump back out of surprise. He waved it off and turned back towards them, holding up a little bag. "Hey, you kids wanna feed your heads?"copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡjH9NqP0OTt
The group was silent, watching him begin to walk away. "Two ounces of sacrosanct mindfuck!" He added, waving it a little behind him.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡM7SN8QW0pl
Riley met the gazes of the others, and they shrugged, finally heading in his direction.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡnHpI8eRgLR
The others eagerly took from the bag of shrooms that Ray offered them, but Riley paused, staring at the bag in uncertainty. Wrench sat beside her, gently tapping her shoulder.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0hLefwKB9l
"You don't have to if you don't want to. Nobody's gonna make you take some." He offered quietly, knowing that her history with her mom could still be a sore spot. She stared into his mask, knowing that it was true. No one was making her do anything. Riley didn't feel any pressure whatsoever.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡjAntsmNBab
And yet the strangest part was she kind of wanted to try them. She'd hated the effects hard drugs had had on her mom, but Riley was tired. Honestly, just so tired of all the working she'd been doing, all the effort and focus put into taking these companies down…she could use a break.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡRP2255Th7Q
Wasn't it healthy to make questionable decisions sometimes? A single person couldn't be sensible their whole lives. Why not do something stupid just for the sake of doing so? She might regret it in the morning. She might regret it for her whole life. But that was life. Why not? Riley finally shrugged, smiling a tiny smile as she took from the bag Ray offered. Wrench watched silently, finally taking from the bag himself.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡPYIOW5olxw
Riley timidly ate the shrooms, unsure of what to expect. Wrench reached up to lift his mask, and she respectfully looked away. The others all sat there waiting for it to take effect. Sitara and Marcus discussed the challenge with Ray, and Josh sat there with his eyes closed, maybe waiting for the shrooms to kick in.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡGbg1hIJBML
It took about a half hour, but Riley finally began noticing the effects. Lights were a little brighter, and colors were more vivid and 3-dimensional. As if popping out in her face. "Woah…" She muttered, slowly turning her head and inspecting her surroundings.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡtb85OxMUY3
Beside her, Wrench sat and slowly waved his hands in front of his face, as if trying to push whatever he was seeing out of the way. She giggled, scooting over closer to him. "What do you see?" She asked.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡt7f5LiUlzg
"Stars." He said quietly, still trying his best to push them out of the way somehow. "Sooo many stars…"copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2DJ8K5qgcA
"Wow…I see…" She squinted, watching before her eyes as Wrench morphed and changed into something else. A horse, with a black flowing mane, and white, glowing eyes. But just the head of a horse, nothing else. In fact, the horse was studded with the same spikes Wrench wore, lining its body. Incredible.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡLjvexjw7bI
Riley reached forward to brush her hand through its mane, gently feeling the hair. It was so soft and…copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡItFPEuLH8z
"People, I am going offline now. See you on the other side…" He muttered to the others, laying down on his back with his legs slightly bent in the air. He reached up towards the sky in a strange position. The horse head slowly went away, and he was back to being Wrench again. She realized she was slowly petting his hood.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡKyt5RT0Z1n
"I see Riley is feeling it, alright." He said in amusement, but she was only half paying attention.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡcg9apwVrJY
"Did I forget to mention that these boomers had a little acid bath?" Ray said with a grin, watching the young hackers all have their little trips. Riley frowned, trying to understand. Acid? Was that going to ruin her brain? She needed that.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡgJ23I1Fc2g
Her attention was dragged back to her surroundings, which were now multiplying and shifting in many different colors. As her vision moved, so did everything else with it, in an endlessly kaleidoscoping effect. It was dizzying and amazing. She lacked the energy to care that it was starting to hurt her head, instead totally focused on the many colors and their vibrancy.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡNaJxz6bRrr
"I found Waldo." Wrench muttered beside her, pawing up at the sky. Was he trying to reach Waldo? Riley couldn't see him. Where was he?copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5SPxK11o7u
"Where?" She asked, laying down beside him and searching as well. All she saw was the infinite stars, and the way they twinkled and danced above her. Oh, how they shone and twinkled. Just like the song. Hey, maybe that was what it meant.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡP8zjjIGPr8
"There!" He pointed somewhere random in the sky, and Riley followed his finger. One of the stars looked to be a different color than the rest. Slightly more red. He must be there! It was red!copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡk8E2lF4X04
"You found him!" She slurred, giggling at the sound of her own voice. After several minutes, Riley registered the fact that Marcus and Ray stood up and walked off somewhere, leaving only her and Wrench sitting around the fire pit. Her head lolled to the side, and she looked at Wrench again. Only it wasn't Wrench.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡHfCv897oWg
It was her mom. That black hair was unmistakable. Riley's smile faded. What was she doing here? Why was she here? Wasn't she in Brooklyn? Was this Brooklyn? It wasn't San Fransisco. Where was she?copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6qa0r9Lf3A
Riley's mom slowly looked over at her and frowned. "You always disappointed me, kid." She said in a harsh whisper, which echoed around in Riley's brain. She placed her hands on her ears, not wanting to hear it. The sound still wormed its way into her hears, and she shut her eyes.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡKgemXpzk7z
She could feel tears brimming behind her eyes, her face growing hot from both embarrassment and fear. How had her mom found her? This wasn't supposed to happen.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡBEL0kEb93M
Riley felt the sensation of hands on her face, and she reluctantly opened her eyes, thinking it was her mom, but it was Wrench. She took a breath, glad her mother had left. Glad it was only Wrench beside her. He cradled her face with both hands, kneeling over her with his mask close to her face.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡaJuIGfS3Xm
"Stars…" He muttered, gazing into her eyes. Riley wasn't sure what he was talking about, but the way he stared at her so intently…it made her shudder in strange anticipation. The lights in his mask were so bright. The only thing she could see. He lowered his forehead until it touched her own, resting there for a long time.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡRmMGOLd3Wo
As she stared, his mask flickered between several different icons, as if he were feeling so many things at once he didn't know which one to display. Riley felt her breath stutter when they became hearts, but they flickered back over to asterisks, and then hashtags. Never staying on one for too long. But the hearts still consistently came up. Over and over, flickering through the different ones.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡh9fRUiUXHr
Neither said a word, but Riley couldn't have found something to say even if she wanted to. Her heart was pounding in her chest—was that the shrooms or their closeness?—and she felt on fire. If she looked down at her arm, it would probably be on fire.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡdeYSA2C5D3
After several moments of them breathing heavily—Riley couldn't tell if it was from the extreme heat of the fire, or their raging emotions from the shrooms—Wrench rolled over to the side and landed on his back, reaching up towards the sky again. He groaned, letting his head fall back into the sand below.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡ52o9xN2Epw
Riley was feeling tired. How long had they been awake? The moon was still out, but now on the opposite side of the sky. When had it gotten there? The colors were still shifting and changing and morphing in her vision, but they were beginning to lessen, little by little. Riley could barely keep her eyes open. And before she knew it, everything went black, and then there was nothing.copyright protection296ＰＥＮＡＮＡiVViQ0678F
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