Work Text:
2 Weeks After Trevor’s Escape
“That’ll be 30 dollars, miss.”
“Okay, thank you. I'll pay with credit card.”
As the old shopkeeper pulled up the machine and typed the value, Angela looked around the small and messy convenience store she was in.
Some days had passed by since Trevor's escape, and she didn't expect her life would get so busy after it. Running here and there to find a lawyer, signing contracts and many other things because of how deep in trouble she got with the law with some of the things she did during the time she was helping Trevor… like hacking Arcadia security systems and breaking into private buildings… Thankfully, Walton Media did not look to file an arrest warrant against her, because they knew that doing so could expose some of the company’s operations and schemes too. So she hasn't heard a thing from them yet.
Right now, Angela finally had a moment to push these worries aside. It would take a little longer for her life to return to normal, but it seemed like the dust had started to subside for her. And there was nothing better to try to return to her routine than taking an hour off her week to buy some necessities.
“Here you go.” The shopkeeper lifted up the machine so she could pay.
“Thank you so much.” Angela answers after putting the card back in her wallet, turning around to leave. Before leaving though, she catches a client side-eyeing her awkwardly, with a book in her hand.
Angela stared back shortly in confusion, until she noticed that the book being held was no other than her boss's stupid book she released recently. The cover showed Kendra and Angela side by side, with Angela’s clear face of disgust stamped on it. Realizing that, she broke eye contact as fast as she could, and uncomfortably rushed out before she could receive any questions.
“Angela, are you sure that the technology you guys have here… are the same as the ones in Arcadia?”
“Yeah dude, same thing. It’s just… more modern looking, I guess, and maybe it has just a few more useful add ups, but nothing much.”
“What’s this on the fridge then?”
Immediately she hears an “ow!” and the sound like glass pebbles hitting the floor of the kitchen.
“Trevor what did you do!?” Angela gets up from the sofa immediately and sees Trevor with his hand withdrawn, looking at the ice dispenser at the door of her fridge. Ice cubes were all over the floor.
“Ow…! What… why does that exist!?” Trevor rubbed his wet hand, annoyed “Oh, press this button and get blasted with ice cubes! That is stupid.”
Angela approached with a smirk, picking up an empty glass “Because you're not supposed to put your hand there, tonto. You gotta use a glass!”
She proceeded to press the glass against the lever of the ice dispenser, now with the ice cubes falling all inside the glass. She then removes it.
“Ohhh…!” Trevor’s face brightens with surprise “Uhm, yeah, that… does make more sense. I didn't know it did that.”
“Yeah, then don't fiddle in my kitchen without telling me first! Now let me get something to wipe this–”
Angela is interrupted by the tune of her cell phone ringing, the groovy sound coming from the sofa, where she was sitting down.
“Ah shit, maybe it's the lawyer. Hold on, let me pick up that first.”
“Hey… Ange…”
She looked at Trevor before she could pick it up. He looked somewhat distraught.
“Are you… actually still using that song as your phone… ringtone…?”
“Well, yeah. I mean, I really like it…”
He scoffs “...Haven’t you gotten sick of it by this point?”
Angela’s brows arched in confusion “What… no? It's just the instrumental.”
Trevor sighed.
“Know what… nevermind.” He walked away “Let me wipe this.”
She looked at her cellphone, feeling guilty. Angela knew he didn't like the song, though didn't think it was a huge deal. But he would complain or grunt whenever he heard the ringtone. Must be because of the bad or traumatic memories he attached to that song…
She said under her breath “I'll change the ringtone, alright?”.
He didn't answer, probably because he wasn't able to hear her. Angela moved on, and picked up the call.
The moon was shining brightly in the dark, starless sky. Still, it didn't beat the light of the outdoors that flashed through the windows of Angela’s apartment. She'd watch them for a while, but then get annoyed seeing Vivian’s face plastered everywhere, and advertisements for their new announced show, “Escape From Arcadia”. These brought Angela haunting and stressful memories, so she would occasionally lower her blinds to quit getting distracted.
She turned on her computer to check her email and any other news that might deem interesting. She checked her socials, and noticed a notification from a community group she had joined. Specifically, an unofficial group for Breakout supporters, that she had joined back when the Breakout members got in contact with her.
[ The leader of Breakout, Number 6, has now released a new statement regarding Walton Media’s newly announced series “Escape From Arcadia”. ]
Angela felt a shiver down her spine, wondering what Vivian was up to this time by releasing a statement through her fake alias. She hesitantly opened the linked video.
“We come to reiterate that Breakout has no involvement with Walton Media or their recently announced series “Escape From Arcadia”. There is not a hint of veracity for these rumors, as they go against our personal objectives to dismantle Walton Media’s reputation and expose their crimes against arcadians. We will not allow these rumors to spread and harm our initiative, and you should not believe in them either.”
Angela couldn't help it but stare at the screen with a scornful look. Despite everything, Vivian still tried hard to make Breakout look like a legitimate activist group, brainwashing everyone else to join for a cause without progressing at all. She was disgusted at the lengths Vivian went to keep Walton Media safe.
But Angela did not expect what would be the next thing to come up.
“With that said, we also state that we never had any involvement with an individual gone by the name of ‘Angela’, said to have a part in the announcement of Walton Media’s new series. For what we may know, she could be a Walton Media employer looking to harm Breakout’s reputation, and any claims regarding her having been related to the group are profoundly false.”
Angela's fist packed into a punch.
She closed down the website immediately and kicked herself back in her chair, staring down at the floor.
‘Kovacs, we are counting on you.’
Remembering those lines filled Angela with overwhelming rage. She remembered the pamphlets, Breakout reaching out to her for her help, their laid out plan for her to follow, Number 6 calling her, guiding her, saying they were counting on her to succeed, risking what she had, what Trevor had, his life and sanity, so he could escape. Then she remembered discovering the lies, their real plans, Vivian’s plan to announce their new series “Escape from Arcadia”, and how Breakout was nothing but a lie. A lie crafted by Vivian truly, and a plan that'd benefit no one other than her audience and her company.
And Angela was a part of it. She let that happen.
She got up from her chair, almost stumbling. She walks towards the poster next to the stairs, with the original fugitives of Arcadia. She immediately spots Vivian– no, Emily. She was fed up with their lies, and right now for her, that rage all came crashing down.
“¡¡¡HIJOS DE PUTA–!!!”
Angela violently rips out the poster from her wall, rippled pieces of the poster dropping on the ground. Upstairs, a voice could be heard from the bathroom.
“... Angela? What is happening!?”
She saw the Breakout pamphlet and documents over the table, and she immediately crumpled them up, tossing them hastily on the ground. Her own hands grab her head, messing up her hair as she lets out a distressed grunt. All the noise spooked Tally, who went under the stairs to hide behind her cat tower.
Trevor came rushing out of the bathroom, hair soaking wet, then down the stairs, with an alarming expression “Angela? Angela! What is going on!? Are you okay?”
“ ¿¡Soy sólo una tonta para ti!? ” Angela yelled, not paying attention to Trevor “ ¡¡Estos malditos PENDEJOS, vayan a arder en el FUEGO del INFIERNO!! ”
“Angela, please!” Trevor approached her, awfully scared and worried “Calm down!! It’s okay!”
It was the first time Trevor saw her exploding like that, and he was really confused and lost what to do. It was actually very intimidating.
“¡Trevor, cállate !” She pushed away his hand who tried to reach to comfort her “No! it's NOT okay!!”
Then her hands covered her face, letting herself drop and sit down on the sofa. She lowered herself, laying her head on her knees.
“Ange…” He muttered, visibly worried and upset.
He didn't know what to do, so he just sat by her side and waited for her to get less tense. For that moment, she was dead quiet, and he couldn't tell if she was actually crying because he couldn't hear any sobbing or sniffing.
After some time, Angela spoke, without getting out of that position.
“I fucked up.” Trevor heard through her muffled voice.
“What do you mean, Ange?” he replied confused “Did something bad happen?”
“No… Everything.” Her fingers tensed up at her face “I am such an idiot…”
“Angela, that isn't true…” Trevor’s voice lowered, in agony for his friend. He let his hand rest on her back.
“I just…” She finally lifted up her reddened face a little “Ugh… I can't believe I was lied to, all this time…”
“I know, I understand.” Trevor answered sincerely.
“I'm so… so sorry, Trevor… this is all my fault.”
Trevor shook his head, with a sting in his heart “No, Angela… You have nothing to apologize for! Nothing was your fault!”
“…I'm supposed to be smarter than this!” She fully lifts her head up, and faces Trevor “And stop saying that! You know I was playing out on Vivian's plan all along!”
“But… you didn't… know.” Trevor stumbled through words. He looked down.
Angela sighed, and she let her body relax by laying down on her back.
“...Breakout made a statement today. They claim to not know me and that I was just another one of Walton Media’s grunts.”
“Oh… I see.” Trevor replied “But you're not in trouble, are you?”
“Not yet…” She answered along with another sigh.
They stood still, Trevor fiddling with his fingers, trying to think about what else to say. But Angela speaks again.
“Trevor, you didn't deserve to go through all that shit.” She exhaled “But willing or not, I took part in it. You shouldn't be too lenient towards me.”
“Stop it, Ange.”
She lifted herself up to sit down again “I'm telling you!” She grunted “Can't you see? You're all messed up, physically and mentally! And I allowed that, I allowed you to go through that shit and it could have gone worse!” She lets out a stressed laugh “You could have almost died! I made you jump through buildings! You almost got hit by a car, and you actually CRASHED a car after I unnecessarily forced you to drive through a jingle zone that made you severely distressed, leaving you scarred for life and oh…! I thought that playing some stupid song lyrics would be a silly way to make you realize your life was a lie but all I did is make you traumatized by it and hate whenever that stupid song plays anywhere! And it was my doing! I pressured you to do all of that shit when your life wasn't even at stake! I completely fucked up, I–”
Angela stopped her rambling when she turned to look at Trevor. He was sobbing, and beside his sad watery eyes, he also got a running nose.
“I-I don't hate that song, Ange! You can…” His cracked voice was interrupted by a sniff “...You can listen to it if you want to sometimes…”
“...What?”
Trevor was much more emotive than Angela previously thought, and didn't expect to see him so shaken by her ranting. She sighed, now feeling bad for making him cry like that, and approached him to give a tight hug.
“Forget it man… I'm just… really stressed out these days…” Angela rested her head on his shoulder “I'm sorry, I lost my temper completely.”
Despite sobbing and sniffing, Trevor replied “I-it’s okay… it happens… we’re both like that.”
Tally had finally appeared again, approaching with curious meows, caring for her owner. Angela notices her, and pulls back to pick her up. She cradles her in her arms as she lays her back at the side of the sofa.
“...Lo siento cariña, ¿te asusté?” Angela softly speaks, her eyes glistening.
The cat answered by rubbing her head against her hand and purring. Angela lets out a soft smirk, succeeded then by a painful expression, her lip curling up as she lets out a shaken exhale.
“...Por favor, perdóname…” She whined, hugging Tally as she closed her eyes, tears escaping as she softly whimpered and sobbed. Trevor looked down to the floor, letting her pour out her emotions, without him disrespectfully staring.
It was the morning of the next day, Trevor had woken up early (as he usually does), and chose to not bother Angela from her needed slumber. She then wakes up at 10:30AM, and quickly gets ready to leave to do another errand.
“Heading out again, Ange?” Trevor asks her as she passes by with a handbag.
“Yup. The grind never stops…” Angela sighs, but let out a warm chuckle right after “Just kidding, but yeah. Thankfully I will be back soon today too.”
“Yeah, right, that's good. Oh, and…”
Before Angela leaves, Trevor walks towards her, and gives her an unexpected big hug.
“Oh, uhm… what's this?” Angela asked, confused, but comfortable with the sudden warm gesture.
“I know we didn't talk a lot yesterday after… that incident, and you probably moved on from it but…” He exhaled “I just wanted to let you know I don't blame you for anything, at all. You were the only one who looked out for me all this time, and it's all thanks to you that I left Arcadia safe and sound. And I couldn't be more glad for it.”
“Trevor…” She mumbled, with no words to say. Trevor continued.
“And… look. You don't have to change your ringtone, it's fine. I will get used to it, it's not that bad. Probably very soon I'll be laughing at it too, just like when I remember my touching memory of when I missed my trip to Cometland–”
Angela pulled away chuckling, wiping a singular tear from her eye - Okay, okay, Trev, I get it… hah!
He chuckled back, letting her free from his embrace, then smirked sincerely.
“You think you'll be okay?” He asked softly.
She lets out a satisfied sigh “Don't worry, I'll be fine. Okay?”
He nodded, allowing Angela to go on with her day. Before she leaves, she calls. “See you at lunch, then?”
“At dinner, you mean?”
“Hah, shut up! Don't go burning down the kitchen without me!” She laughs warmly as the door closes behind her, leaving a satisfied Trevor to go on with his day.