Survival is Crucial

Ash in the Sun

"My name is Bull, nice to meet you." The African American man who was with Jack before said in greeting, shaking hands with a nurse behind a lobby counter. "I'm a friend of a Nixon Driver Jr., can you tell me where he is?"

"Third floor, he should be five rooms down."

Bull nodded to the nurse, heading down the hallway over to an elevator, Bal standing quietly inside. Bull pressed a button to bring him to the third floor, noticing the man who hadn't left yet, "Sorry, did you want to get out?" The doors closed before Bull could hold the elevator doors open, cursing under his breath as the elevator had begun to make its way up.

Bull had expected some sort of stench to come off from Bal's body due to him looking homeless, but instead, he gave off the smell of vanilla. Bal's lips parted for a moment before closing again, "I'm just hanging out, so you don't have to worry."

"You're loitering in the elevator?"

"Not much to do if other people took my job."

"Job?"

"Well... what I said isn't entirely true since I'll be free to do my job once we hit the third floor."

"Alright..." Bull couldn't help but keep glancing at Bal, "What's your name?"

"I don't have a name."

"Uh... what do people call you then?"

"Balrog."

"Hmm..." Bull made an uncomfortable expression before pressing against the opposite wall to the one Bal had leaned himself against, making sure to keep facing in his direction the entire time.

"What're you looking at?"

"You're the Balrog, right?"

"You're a fool."

The doors to the elevator opened as they stopped on the second floor, someone else entering before the elevator continued going up again. A young man situated themselves in between them, looking down at his watch as the doors to the elevator closed. Silence filled the enclosed space that they found themselves in until the doors to the third floor finally opened, the man in the middle leaving first before pressing all of the buttons to the elevator, both Bal and Bull attempted to stop the man before he slipped past both of their hands, sticking his tongue out as the doors had begun to close.

Bull stuck his foot in the elevator door, stopping it from closing before the young man threw a needle into Bull's foot, causing him to recoil back into the elevator, and once again, the doors had stopped closing due to Bal's influence this time. Bal pushed the elevator doors open, walking onto the floor.

Bull clicked his tongue, deciding to stay on the elevator for now. "I'm not getting involved with that," He said aloud before pulling the needle out from his foot, "f*****g bastard."

A quiet staredown - Bal let out a sigh before the young man shrugged, backing into a small counter, the young man cursed under his breath as his back touched the counter, "I f****d myse-" He cut himself off as he found himself at the end of a pistol, hidden under Bal's clothes. "Man..."

"Quietly leave, or die here."

"I'll leave." Sweat ran down the young man's lip as he left, going down a flight of stairs near the elevators.

Bal sighed once again, leaning against a wall, gun pointed to the elevators, still hidden under his clothes.

The ding of the elevator could be heard as it opened, a couple of people pouring out from inside as Bull situated himself in between the elevator's doorway.

"Go back down that elevator and don't come back."

Bull pursed his lips, "Well, f**k me then."

"Your answer?"

Bull sighed, "I will fight!" Bull lunged forward, dipping to the ground a few centimeters away from the elevator, getting shot multiple times before sliding across the ground, possibly dead. The sound from the gun came off as a snapping sound due to a suppressor, leaving people who heard the sounds nearby without any suspicions. Bal quickly left the area, leaving Bull's unconscious body in the middle of a hallway.

Bal encountered Marshall as he was heading to Yua's room, "Did you make sure to avoid cameras?"

"Blindspots."

"Nice," Marshall chuckled, slapping Bal's shoulder, "We'll be with Nixon."

Bal nodded before entering Yua's room.

Bull, barely conscious, pulled himself off of the ground, his legs shaking as he winced in pain. "Fuck... my back." He looked to the ground behind him, looking at the streak of blood he had left behind. "I should find a doctor."

"Sorry, I can't let you get the bounty!" A long metal nail-pierced Bull's neck as the young man from before came back from the staircase. "Sorry, bud."