“Dark Knight,” I suggested before he could say anything.
Both of them turned to look at me in surprise. Neil’s stare was, as always, sultry and stormy. Meanwhile, Luke just entered the username I’d suggestedinto the name field and added a password consisting of apparently random numbers before clicking “Register.”
Then, the actual chat window opened, and there was already one other person online.
The only person who could possibly want to talk with us.
Player 2511:Good job. You did it.
The new message notification made everyone jump. Apparently, the psycho had been waiting for us.
Luke gulped, looking unsure of what to do. Neil shook his head in surprise and rubbed a hand over his face.
“Answer him. Ask him who the fuck he is and what the fuck he wants,” he said in a furious rush. Luke immediately did so.
Dark Knight:Who are you?
Player 2511:Nah, that would make it too easy. This game doesn’t end until I say it does.
Neil growled impatiently and gestured for Luke to move.
“Let me talk to him,” he demanded, taking Luke’s seat between Xavier and Jennifer. Luke then moved to stand next to me.
Dark Knight:Tell me what you want.
Player 2511:I want lots of things.
Dark Knight:Tell me one of them.
Player 2511:Take the tape off the camera and strip.
Neil stared dumbfounded at the message, and I stared right along with him.
So Luke had been right: Player obviously had control of the webcam and could use it to spy on us. I felt a burst of disquiet in my chest at the knowledge that, in addition to being a strategist, a hacker, and a crazy person, Player was also a goddamned creep.
“No!” I blurted out unthinkingly. Neil lifted his face to look at me and immediately saw the terror in my eyes. “This is about your personal autonomy. Yours was already trampled on once before; I won’t let it happen again.” The fury in my words made it crystal clear that there was no way I was going to allow him to submit to that lunatic’s demands. Neil lookedsteadily at me for a few moments, locked in his unknowable inner world, before typing once again.
Dark Knight:What do I get in return?
Player 2511:Your little slut’s privacy. I won’t release the video.
Neil held perfectly still, his fingers hovering over the keyboard. I went white.
Our tormentor was playing dirty: He was using me to force Neil’s hand.
And the blackmail material he had provided was the perfect weapon.
I moved closer to my Disaster and slipped a hand into his soft hair, forcing him to look at me. Then I crouched down and met his eyes, strengthening the emotional connection between us.
“Please don’t do it,” I whispered.
He was shaken. He didn’t seem to be processing anything around him. His golden eyes stayed fixed on me while Alexia and Jennifer began to offer more theories about what was going on.
“This is a woman, just like I thought from the start. Why else would she want you naked?” Xavier cut in, the blood draining from his face.
“Don’t be an idiot, Xavier; it could be a woman or a man,” Luke said, rolling his eyes.
Neil was still in shock, staring blankly. I gently traced the contours of his lips with my thumb, trying to sooth him.
