Code | ✓

code | 6

Chapter Six: Taking Action

***

With her friend's address now discovered and the two on their way to his house, following a map wired to be a car's GPS, they were in motion. Axel was still alert by what he saw, but holding hands with Paiten definitely calmed his nerves slightly.

He was glad she was still by his side - he used to consider himself an untouchable force, someone to be reckoned with, but it could all be smashed so quickly beneath his fingers and he didn't even realise it. Thank goodness for Paiten, because without her he'd be a blithering mess.

"So," he began, desperate to get out of the awkward silence they were embalmed in. "This Connor guy. He legit?"

Her head turned to the side as she raised her eyebrow at him. "Meaning?"

"You know. Is he like you or like the opposite?"

Paiten pursed her lips together and he could tell this was just something she did to hide back her smile. However, this reaction was enough to make him smile, with Axel's expression now resembling one a kid might wear on their birthday.

"Yeah, he's legit. We used to do the whole coding thing together until he decided he wanted to program games and left my side to work for some company." Paiten explained, turning her gaze back in front of her.

"Sounds like an asshole."

"No, actually. It was a pretty sweet deal. I urged him to take it."

This Connor guy better be good. Both Paiten and Axel's plans rested on his abilities. Though, a few seconds later, she began telling him all the different adventures he went on, and how his hacking abilities were so intricate he could probably hack into the FBI and not leave a trace.

"Obviously he wouldn't," she made an effort to point out. "But I'm just saying he could."

"Obviously." He reiterated with a grin.

They then began talking about their lives and what it was like growing up in their conditions. In fact, to make it more interesting, Paiten suggested they turn it into a game; guessing what the other went through to bring them to this position.

Axel was hesitant, not wanting to reveal the demons of his past, but upon convincing the blonde girl, he finally gave in.

"All right, I'll go first." Paiten announced, then stared at him for a few seconds. "You're into crime, so I'm assuming your upbringing was either one of two things: you had it rough growing up or you're a bored rich kid. Seeing as though you don't even have enough money for a McDonald's or enough to bail yourself out of trouble, I'm going to make a further assumption that it's not the bored rich kid theory."

Axel couldn't help but smile. "You'd be right in making that assumption."

"So I'm going to go with the rough upbringing. Either you had an absent parent or one of them was a piece of shit. Maybe both. Am I right?"

He laughed softly to himself before he nodded. "Yep, you're completely right. My dad was never around - to be honest, I hardly even remember him - and my mom couldn't give a shit about me. First chance I got I left. Haven't looked back since."

People often pitied Axel for his life. Practically having no parents, his life was a tragedy to onlookers. But having been raised that way, he knew he wasn't missing out on much; even if his mother sobered up one day and realised she had a son to take care of, Axel knew he wouldn't go back.

He grew up independent, and to him, that was enough. He didn't rely on people—not usually, anyway. Paiten was an exception. And yes, perhaps that meant he got involved with shady people. But at least he knew it'd always be his own choice influenced by his own decision-making.