Genesis Crisis: Resurgence IC

Aegis

- Lisa -

"It's good to see that you're still alive and kicking." Lisa smirked as she gave Raidon a quick hug.

As she pulled away, she gave Alexei a wary glance. "It's probably best if both of you follow me. Alina wants to speak with you."

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- Alina -

"It wasn't okay." Alina responded in a soft tone. "We displaced hundreds of families and created a situation where government aid was practically unheard of for the duration of setting up the new administration. Nothing about that is okay."

"What you don't understand is that I spent my entire life trying to fix things from inside the system, through tact and diplomacy. While an uprising might have been the first thing the Old Guard was prepared to try, it wasn't even on my radar as an option until there were literally no others left."

She sighed, leaning forward in her chair. "I still regret that my actions lead our people to the situation that they had to endure, but I do not, for even one moment, regret removing Adalia from power. The man might have been a visionary, but he was also a tyrant."

"Now," she glanced at Raidon as he entered the room, giving him a smile, "how about we discuss ways to get the Capital back, and if you still feel like trying to take over the government after the fact, you can try doing it the right way."

Nadenka

Nadenka tried her best to hold her tears of relief, but when Alexei's big hand gently reached out to her, she could not help it, but let it flow. She hold his hand with her own, but quickly she tackled the man in front of her. "You are okay, I was so.. so worried." her voice trembled, but with joy. It seems that she had forgotten that she was surrounded by heavy atmosphere, talking about future of Kaddath. In any case, she did her best to compose herself, and put a brave face once more.

"Well, what do you have in mind? I suggest that we try to disorganize their army. I still believe some old guards are willing to listen to Ariana. And I think this can only be done by Ariana alone."

Ergo Research Lab

Ariana

Ariana listened with rapt attention as Alina described the difficult decisions and consequences she'd dealt with leading up to and after the revolution she'd helped instigate. Ariana looked away, sensing Alina's passion and conviction in her words. It was a far different spirit behind her words, something genuine and pure. Ariana knew she'd never had that, knew her own motivations had never been anything other than purely self-serving.

"I don't want to take over," she murmured, bowing her head. "I just want to go-"

...home.

But no, she couldn't say that. She didn't have a home to go back to. Never much of one to begin with, and certainly not one now after what she'd done.

Alexei and Raidon entered, and Ariana watched as Alexei and Nadenka reunited. The woman seemed to radiate happiness, and Ariana felt another pang of guilt knowing they'd almost both been executed at the Old Guard's hands.

"I suggest that we try to disorganize their army. I still believe some old guards are willing to listen to Ariana. And I think this can only be done by Ariana alone," Nadenka suggested, finally turning her attention back to the others.

"Maybe," Ariana replied, a sinking feeling in her stomach. Who knew what they thought of her after her disappearance. "I'll try."

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- Raidon -

Raidon was surprised by Lisa's quick hug, and he blinked a moment before returning the embrace. "I'm glad to hear that."

It seemed as though Alina had the situation pretty well in hand right now dealing with their captives. Recently, it had seemed like Alina was more willing to intimidate rather than cooperate, but she seemed to have warmed up on that approach now. The truth was, they needed allies more than they needed captives.

"Before we make any plans," Raidon interjected, motioning to Lambda, "you should probably hear this."

Lambda stepped forward, playing the recording she'd been sent.

Spoiler:

"So that's the story," Kokonoe murmured, shaking her head.'

"Kurik is an Arusian..." Raidon said, stroking his chin. "What do we know about him? Ariana might be able to convince the Old Guard to stand down, but if that doesn't work, we might be able to get through to this Kurik. If he's the linchpin in this whole plan, that could unravel everything."

Ergo Research - Containment Suite

- Lenka -

“Oh no,” Lenka’s face seemed to only consist of her blue eyes as they widenend in surprise and her hands covered her mouth.

“He’s got Alex and he turned him into a Redcape?”

Lenka suddenly jumped up.

“I have to go tell Rise and the others right away,” she said, “They are worried sick about him.”

And before anyone could stop her, she was out the door.

———————————————————

- Ehlana -

Ehlana looked up when Alexei and Raidon entered the room. Alexei immediately went over to Nadenka. Their reunion was emotional, much more than she’d ever seen from Alexei.

He didn’t even look at her however. Ehlana cast her eyes back down. And why should he? She was the one who rebuffed him when he had only come to save her. That probably left some anger.

To distract herself, she directed her attention to the situation at hand.

“He’s not,” she suddenly heard herself say loud and clearly.

There was a pause.

“Kurik I mean,” she added and stumbled through the words, “He’s not Arusian...he’s from your country... from Kaddath.”

She knew she’d have to go on and explain further. Ehlana’s eyes looked up. She avoided Alexei. She didn’t want to see the anger or betrayal in them. Her glance only lingered very shortly on Alina and Kokonoe, not in the mood to deal with their cold stares. In the end she settled on Raidon.

As calmly as she could, she continued.
“Kurik came to us about two years ago. Much of what we know about magic strains and the Kaddathian government comes from him,” she said. “He has two strains himself and as far as I understood, Kurik was part of your military. So hopefully that means you still have a record of him...?”

Ehlana cleared her throat.

“Anyway, his blood is the basis on which the mutation was developed that creates the Redcapes and his training is also the basis for everything we learned and developed before we were sent here.”

Suddenly she looked at Ariana as if something had occurred to her. “You know when we were in the tunnel, Maxim only sent Kurik after us. There is a chance most of the Old Guard doesn’t even know you’re gone. Maybe that can be used as an advantage.”

With that, she cast her eyes back down. This was probably the most words anyone in Kaddath had ever heard her speak.

Aegis

- Alina -

Alina reached across the table and put a hand on Ariana's shoulder as the girl seemed to collapse in on herself. "Breathe." After a brief squeeze, she pulled back, allowing her hand to rest on the table again.

She turned her attention to Alexei and Ehlana. "Can either of you patch one of our broadcast devices into the Arusian network? If we could broadcast to the devices in possession of the Old Guard within the castle as we make our entrance, it could create a more chaotic situation."

Frowning, she glanced at Ariana again. "I'm not sure how they'll take the news that you're not planning to actually overthrow the government though. I'd venture to guess that'll be a different tune from the last one they heard you singing."

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- Lisa -

As Lenka dashed from the room, Lisa followed her, giving Raidon a nod as she left. Between the two of them, he and Alina could handle any sort of situation, even outnumbered. Besides, it looked like their 'captives' were more friendly than they'd originally expected.

Right now, she wanted to talk with the newest members of Aegis. Despite everything going on around them, she wasn't sure they were mentally prepared for what was about to happen, and after the last uprising... Well, she wasn't going to chance it. Before things got any more hectic, she needed to ensure they were ready for the reality ahead.

Nadenka

"I am confident that you will be able to do it, Ariana." Said Nadenka, encouraging the young girl, "Even they do not listen to you, you are doing something to change, and following what you have decided for yourself." She smiled warmly at Ariana.

"That depends on which division he was in." Said Nadenka, as Ehlana mentioned about the records, "Some records were lost as the system went through the change of administration." Then she looked at Alina, "Were you able to create an antidote for redcapes?" She asked.

Ergo Research - Containment Suite

- Raidon -

"Kurik..." Raidon murmured, stroking his chin. "If he were in the Army, then yes, there has to be a record of him somewhere."

"I'll do a search," Lambda replied.

Ariana, only partially listening, looked up when she felt a hand squeeze her shoulder. To her surprise, she saw it was Alina, who pulled back after a moment. Ariana blinked, then glanced over at Nadenka. She was right.

"No, the Old Guard won't know I'm missing," Ariana said, nodding in Ehlana's direction. "Especially the main force on its way to the capital. Maxim was planning to use me as a martyr in the chaos of the take-over, I'm sure of it. Without me there, I'm sure he's trying to decide how to change the narrative now. But..." She looked around at everyone. "If I contact the main force of the Old Guard before they reach the capital, they might stand down. At least for the moment. If he doesn't get reinforcements, Maxim can't hold the capital for long."

Raidon nodded. "Anything helps."

"We can get around the jammers," Alexei said, putting an arm around Ehlana's shoulder, the other around Nadenka's waist. "And you could probably use some Arusians to help negotiate with the rest of Arusia once the Old Guard is dealt with."

Raidon folded his arms and regarded Alexei. Already angling to help himself and his comrades avoid blowback. He was right though.

The topic turned to the Redcapes, which was something they would need to worry about if they were going in. Alex was already something worse than that, and Maxim could make more Redcapes on demand.

"I made an antidote," Kokonoe piped up, causing Alexei and Ehlana to look around in surprise. "Don't worry, I'll handle any Redcapes that come up."

"You're coming?" Raidon asked, turning to her in surprise.

Kokonoe raised an eyebrow. "They took Keynes hostage. Just try to stop me from coming."

Raidon couldn't help but smile. "Fair enough."

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- Rise -

Rise rested her head on James' arm as he worked, waiting for the others to finish up with their interrogation.

"We need to go on vacation after this," she murmured, half to herself and half to him. "Somewhere quiet."

The quiet would have to wait, however. Lenka returned in a hurry, followed by Lisa.

"What's going on?" she asked, straightening up as that familiar tension began to grip her.

Ergo Research - Containment Suite

- Ehlana -

Ehlana was listening to the conversation, keeping her eyes on the table.

Suddenly she felt Alexei's hand around her shoulders. For a moment she was startled, but then decided to look up.

At least they were on the same side now. Still, she owed him an apology. However now was not the right time for it.

"The jammers aren't a problem," Ehlana agreed. "I wonder more about how you're planning on getting in without detection."

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Ergo Research - Cafeteria

- James -

"We will," James replied. He tried not to think about what this adventure had done to his work or school career. Friends and family always came first.

"We'll go somewhere quiet and warm and with no cellphone reception…"

Suddenly Lenka appeared, followed by Lisa. Lenka looked quite distressed.


- Lenka -

Lenka skidded to a stop at the table where her brother, Rise and the others were sitting. She gave a quick smile towards Marcus before focusing on the question on hand.

"Lambda played a message from Keynes. He seems to be okay, but..." Lenka hesitated, looking somewhat sad, "but... Alex... he must've gone there because..."

Lenka closed her eyes, mustering up the strength to say the words she knew would hurt James and Rise.

"...because this Maxim guy from Arusia turned him into a Redcape. Only he didn't turn into an ordinary Redcape but something stronger and darker."

"I'm sorry," she added. "I just thought I should tell you right away."

Aegis

- Alina -

"I'm not planning to get in without being detected." Alina responded to Ehlana's inquiry.

"The only ones that will need to get in without being noticed are Lisa and James, since they'll be the ones shutting down the enemy's communications." She cast Ehlana an assessing glance before smirking. "Although I think they could use someone who knows the technology a bit better. How would you like to join them? So far, your charges only stand at breaking and entering and assaulting a senior researcher. We could probably make those go away if Kokonoe is feeling generous."

"If the Old Guard can be delayed, or even better, convinced to stand down, that will definitely give us the window we need to pull this off." Yes, with the resources she now had available, this was looking more and more reasonable.

"Kokonoe, what kind of broadcast setup do we have here? I'd like Ariana here to have a chat with as many of her followers as we can get to listen."

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- Marcus -

Turned him into a Redcape...

Marcus swallowed at Lenka's words and sank back into the chair he'd risen from as she entered the room. Alex? The guy who was terrified of becoming a monster? Geez, what wouldn't do anything good for the poor man's already frayed psyche. To be honest, it didn't do much for Marcus' either, but he couldn't allow himself to go down that road.

Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to focus on the others in the room. Surely, Rise and James would take this far worse, and given the delivery of Lenka's words, she wasn't handling it very well either.

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- Lisa -

Hearing the words a second time made Lisa's fingernails dig into her palms. Despite the fact that she was holding it together, it still hurt to hear that this was what had become of Alex. "Idiot..." She muttered under her breath before pushing the emotions down and glancing around the room, taking in the reactions of the others.

Aegis
Nadenka

Nadenka was relieved to hear that antidote for redcape is ready, what worries her was that difference of color. Then again, she probably is thinking too much?

In any case, it was good to see that two old comrades are going to fight together, and Nadenka smiled at Ehlana's direction, "Please take care of Alexei, he takes unnecessary risk... very often." She commented, looking at Alexei with affection, and a playful smile.

__________________________________________________________________

Luke

"No way...." Luke spoke out in reaction to the news, then again he breathed in and out quite visibly. It looked like he was calming down his nerves. "Well then, we should wake him up second time, right?" Said Luke, standing up from his seat, in much optimistic voice, "I mean, we were able to bring Mark back, and others back. I am confident in bringing Alex back with us!" Said Luke confidently. "Sure, we couldn't stop him taking an action without consulting us, but I think that's his charming point." Luke smiled weakly, "This time, let's bring him back, give him a little bit of beating he deserve so that his head will not forget that he got friends that he could really rely on and could depend on." Luke's eyes were lit up with fire, "I still owe him a flick on a forehead!"

Perhaps his sudden outburst surprised them, but Luke was sure that Alex would have wanted his friends waking him up from his nightmares. Just like how Mark waited for Luke, Luke was not going to let that wait be in vain.

Ergo Research - Containment Suite

- Raidon -

Kokonoe clucked her tongue and folded her arms as she glared at Ehlana. "I don't forgive easily. But..." She sighed and shrugged. "If you help me get my husband back in one piece, I guess we can call it even."

The mood in the room seemed to lighten a bit. It was no longer two sets of enemies, or captors and captives. They were becoming allies.

Kokonoe glanced at Ariana before turning and nodding at Alina. "It's not as powerful as the Capital's setup, but I can boost the frequency if I narrow the target range. Ariana should be able to give me enough information to go on to reach their fleet."

She motioned to Ariana to follow. Ariana hesitated, then started to follow. After a moment, however, she paused and turned to Alina.

"I didn't see it before, but..." She dropped her gaze to the floor. "You're good at leading."

With that, she turned and followed Kokonoe out.

Raidon watched them go, then turned to look at the others.

"If I may," he said to Alina. "I have a few suggestions of my own. Alexei should go with Ehlana, Lisa, and James for extra support. Kokonoe and I should accompany Rise, James, and the other three younger ones. Kokonoe is our best hope at neutralizing the Redcapes - and the Blackcape, or whatever became of Alex. I'll act as her guard, and help the others as best I can. They're going to meet the most resistance, so they'll need all the help them can get."

Nadenka smiled at Ehlana's direction, "Please take care of Alexei, he takes unnecessary risk... very often." She commented, looking at Alexei with affection, and a playful smile.

"Heh. Speak for yourself," he said, grinning. His hand around her waist squeezed a little tighter.

"Actually," Raidon interjected. "If you'd be amenable, we could use a dedicated healer as well. Rise is extremely capable, but we'll probably need her offensive support just as much as her healing abilities."

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- Rise -

"...because this Maxim guy from Arusia turned him into a Redcape. Only he didn't turn into an ordinary Redcape but something stronger and darker."

Rise stared, her stomach dropping like a brick. She covered her face with her hands and shook her head. No... how could this happen?

"I shouldn't have let him come back with us," she whispered, from beneath her fingers. "He wasn't ready yet."

"Well then, we should wake him up second time, right?"

Rise lowered her hands and stared at Luke.

"I mean, we were able to bring Mark back, and others back. I am confident in bringing Alex back with us!" Said Luke confidently. "Sure, we couldn't stop him taking an action without consulting us, but I think that's his charming point." Luke smiled weakly, "This time, let's bring him back, give him a little bit of beating he deserve so that his head will not forget that he got friends that he could really rely on and could depend on." Luke's eyes were lit up with fire, "I still owe him a flick on a forehead!"

Rise felt a smile working at the corners of her lips. Funny... that sounded like the kind of absurdly idealistic thing Alex would have said back in the day. And it was just what she needed to hear.

"Yeah... Yeah, you're right." Her stomach still felt twisted in knots, but strength was returning to her limbs. She stood up and nodded at the others. "Come on. No more sitting around. Let's drag him back home and teach him a lesson."

Ergo Research - Containment Suite

- Ehlana -

Ehlana raised her eyebrows at Alina. She had a snappy response at the tip of her tongue, but in the last moment decided to swallow her sarcasm.

"You're not even in charge of your own government right now," she said calmly to Alina instead. "I said I'd help and I meant it, so stop making promises you might not even be able to keep."

She looked up, facing Kokonoe's glare. "I'm sorry, I tried to kill you. It was nothing personal," she said to her. It sounded sincere and she meant it. She harbored no ill will against Kokonoe, but at the time she was just in the wrong key position. "We'll do what we can to get them back in one piece."

A few moments later, Nadenka spoke up.

"I'm sure he can take care of himself," she murmured.

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Ergo Research - Cafeteria

- James & Lenka -

Lenka had sat down after delivering her news. Her eyes wandered anxiously between James and Rise while she was folding and unfolding her hands.

James put his arm around Rise's shoulders when she buried her face in her hands. He also felt guilty, even more so now.

Surprisingly, Luke manage pull them out of their guilt trip. He was right. They needed to take action.

"How far are they with their discussion?" he asked Lisa. "Did they make any progress?"

"The longer we wait, the more like it is that the element of surprise is lost."

Aegis

- Alina -

Alina considered Raidon's words as she watched Ariana leave the room with Kokonoe. With him along to protect the researcher, she should be fine, but Alina still didn't like the idea of taking Kokonoe into the middle of the conflict. Despite the fact that she'd volunteered, she wasn't a combatant. Actually, now that she thought about it, neither were Lenka, Luke, or Marcus. If they could be expected to handle themselves in the situation, she had no valid reason to leave Kokonoe behind.

"If you're willing to vouch for him, I don't see a problem with letting Alexei accompany James and Lisa as well." Raidon's trust was hard-earned. If this man had acquired it, then he could be expected to accomplish the mission.

"I shouldn't have to tell you this, but if you let Kokonoe get hurt, I don't think Keynes will stay his hand a second time." She made sure to make eye contact as she said the words. "I do have to thank you for protecting the girl though." Alina nodded towards the door that Ariana had just left through. "She's not Adalia's daughter, but she is more than she herself actually knows."

Taking a deep breath, Alina pulled out her comm and glanced at the clock on the screen. "It's four hours until midnight. That's our preparation window."

"Make it count."

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- Lisa -

"They were still discussing a plan when I left. So, I imagine we still have a little bit." Biting her lip, Lisa centered her thoughts and turned her attention to the younger group.

"Lenka. Luke. Marcus." She waited for all of them to acknowledge her before continuing. "This is the last chance to get off the roller coaster."

Seeing that Marcus was about to say something, she raised her hand to silence him. "Seriously. Take a few minutes to think about it. There's no guarantee that any of us come back from this. If you're not ready for that, none of us will think any less of you."

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- Marcus -

None of us will think any less of you.

Maybe not, but he would definitely think less of himself.

"Can I talk now?" Marcus asked with a smirk.

When Lisa didn't cut him off this time, he continued. "The way I see it, if this plan fails, life as we know it ends anyway. So, if I have a choice between participating in deciding my own future and not, then obviously I'm gonna want to have a hand in deciding my own fate."

Scared or not, this was the right decision, and Marcus wouldn't run away from it.

Luke

"Well... I am not use to running away. Besides, I really mean it when I want to bring back Alex, and giving him a flick in his forehead." Said Luke, giving care-free smile. "Thank you for asking though, it just made my mind much determined than ever!" Then his smile becomes gentler, "I mean, we are friends right? How can a friend just stand and watch while many friends are going to risk their lives. Not gonna happen, I would rather be there to help my friends than just waiting for the news." Luke's voice was firm, and serious. Then he gave a carefree smile again at Lisa.

Ergo Research

- Raidon -

Alina accepted his proposal, and Raidon nodded. However, she offered him a word of caution, and it made him smile, even as he felt a familiar twist of guilt at the memory of Jane.

"I know," he said. "I wouldn't try to stop him either."

After Alina thanked him for his part in protecting Ariana, he nodded and glanced at the door she and Kokonoe had left through.

"Maybe she should know then," he told her. "Give her something to hold onto. All she has to work for is to undo her damage. I know from experience that isn't always enough. Sometimes, you need something to work toward as well."

He though of Arya, of the... twins. His children.

"I'll see you at the designated hour then," he told her. With a tip of his hat, he strolled from the room and headed off to find a corner for privacy. Once there, he took out his calm and dialed.

"Arya... it's me."

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- Alexei -

After Raidon and Alina finished talking, the two left the room. Alexei leaned against the wall and slid to the floor with a sigh.

"How are you holding up?" he asked, glancing between Nadenka and Ehlana. "Both of you."

Looking around at the room, he wondered not for the first time if they should have just stayed in Arusia. But then, he wouldn't have met Nadenka.

For him, it had always been his foundation that orders were orders. That was all that mattered to a soldier. But now, he had something more important than that. And going back to that lifestyle just wasn't possible.

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Ergo Research - Cafeteria

- Rise -

Rise watched Marcus and Luke as they declared their intention to follow through on this. It made her scared for them, but also proud.

"Come on," she said, standing up and taking James' hand. "Let's go find Alina."

She glanced at Marcus and Lenka, knowing this might be the last chance to make something happen.

"You should find your friend Mark and show him how much you've grown," Rise told Luke, grabbing him with her other hand. "And Lisa, you... uh... you should find Raidon. Do... sibling-in-law stuff."

Okay, they wasn't her most subtle cue, but she motioned to the door with her eyes and hoped Lisa understood well enough as she dragged the other two guys from the room, leaving Marcus and Lenka alone.

Ergo Research - Containment Suite

- Ehlana -

Ehlana watched as Alina and Raidon eventually left the room. Now it was only Alexei, Nadenka and her at the table.

She swallowed dryly. Four hours to prepare...for something. It upset her that they had so little intel and now weapons. Yeah, there was no way they would give her or Alexei a weapon.

Standing up as well, she walked over to Alexei. It was now or never and she wasn't the type to put off unpleasant things.

"I'm sorry about before," she said. "I should have trusted you. We went through so much together...but I just felt so confused after all that had happened." Ehlana sighed. "I couldn't even trust my own judgement."

"And yeah, I'll be okay." That wasn't quite true, but to work through everything that happened would take longer than the four hours they had and Ehlana didn't feel like giving another lengthy explanation. So she pushed all the emotions to the back of her mind.

Ehlana lingered for a second and then, feeling slightly awkward, turned around to leave for the next room.

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Ergo Research - Cafeteria

- Lenka -

Lenka was quiet the longest after Lisa stopped speaking. She was looking at James and in his eyes she could see that he was hoping she would say no.

Well that was something she couldn't do for him. Finally she felt like she was part of something, something she could share with her brother, if he just let her.

"I'm not going anywhere," Lenka said decidedly. "Make a choice and live with it."

"And I choose this."


- James -

James was about to ask Lenka to reconsider, when Rise pulled him up.

"Do you think they are ready?" he asked Rise when they had rounded a corner. It was clear her was referring to Luke, Marcus and especially Lenka. "I'm afraid they don't know what they're getting into…"

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Caltha - Arya's and Raidon's apartment

- Arya -

Arya was roused from her work by the ringing of the phone. Her face lit up when she recognized the number.

"Samael," she breathed happily when she answered. His voice sounded strained.

"I'm so glad you called," she said. "Are you alright?"

Luke

Luke looked back and saw Lenka and Marcus; if he leave with Rise and James, it was obvious that these two would be... ‘I see...’ Luke just realized what Rise was doing, ‘He’s lucky...’ Luke thought of it to himself. Then, he smiled, “Yeah! I think I have a lot of things to tell Mark!”

Then James said about them not being ready, Luke grinned, “James, I think you are underestimating your sister, Marcus and me. You know, just like how old government underestimated you all. We are ready, I am sure of it. Let her be her, she’s no longer a tiny bird that needs protection, but a hawk that wants to prove itself.” Luke’s view of her pretty much give it away that he was into Lenka, but he didn’t care anymore. Perhaps, after all this, he should just tell Lenka about his feeling and get the answer. Perhaps that could help him to move on.

“Anyways, I will go and see Mark. Don’t leave without me, okay?” He said to Rise and James and quickly went to see Mark.

Nadenka

Nadenka poked Alexei, “Come on, she’s your comrade and it’s been long time you had this moment to talk, right? Anything could happen, and I am not jealousy type. Go and speak to her. I had you for long time, but your comrade, she had been isolated for long time. She probably need a teddy bear.” Said Nadenka, signaling Alexei to talk with his comrade little more.

She was lying about how she’s not jealous, but she trust Alexei, and she really wanted Ehlana to see things little brighter. She also saw her past-self in Ehlana who tried to hide emotions and such, and Nadenka knew how unhealthy it is.

She could not help everyone and she would not be able to make all things right. But, she hoped old comrades could help each other out of the tunnel, and lead each other to the light.

Aegis

- Alina -

Alina raised an eyebrow at Raidon's words. The man had come so far in the last year, but he kept it to himself so easily that it was hard to notice sometimes. "Love has really done a number on you, hasn't it?" She asked with a sly smile. "I like this new you though."

She followed him out the door, but paused in the hallway, considering his advice. A part of her didn't want to confront Ariana again until she knew that Jax was safe and all of this was behind her, but sometimes, life didn't work like that.

With a centering breath, she forced her feet to move towards the broadcast room. Maybe by the time she arrived, Alina would know what to say...

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- Lisa -

Glancing between each of the three, Lisa took a moment to observe their resolve. Thankfully, none of them seemed full of bravado this time. They knew the decision they were making and the potential consequences.

Nodding to herself, Lisa gave them all a sad smile. "Then I look forward to working with you all, and good luck."

Excusing herself from the group, Lisa made her way out into the hall. Her feet moved without any real input, and her mind drifted. She would need to re-center herself before they left, but for now, she let her emotions wander from one thing to the next.

Raidon and Arya.

Rise and James.

Lenka, Luke, and Marcus.

She came to a stop outside the infirmary, listening to the sound of Luke's voice as he spoke to Mark.

Alex.

She should have known he couldn't keep himself out of trouble.

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- Marcus -

As the others filtered out of the room, Marcus rose to his feet. Anyone with half a brain could figure out that Rise had intentionally left the two of them alone, and despite his annoyance with her meddling, he was more grateful than anything.

"I have a feeling that tonight will be an evening for heavy conversations." He said with a sigh.

"Would you join me for a walk, partner?" Marcus asked Lenka, offering her a hand to pull her to her feet.

Ergo Research - Containment Suite

- Alexei -

Alexei listened as Ehlana apologized, and though he was relieved to know she no longer distrusted him, she still wasn't the same Ehlana he last parted with.

She made a hasty exit, and Alexei's gaze trailed after her until Nadenka poked him in the side and encouraged him to go after her. Alexei nodded, but for the first time in a while, they had a moment all to themselves. And he wasn't going to pass up the moment.

Pulling her against his body, Alexei pressed his mouth to hers and drank in her taste, her smell, her touch. It took all his self control to pull away after a few moments, placing his large hand comfortingly on top of her head.

"Whatever happens, I'm not going away. I hope you understand that."

Smiling wasn't familiar to him, but he could feel his lips twitching at the corners as he gazed into her eyes. Then, with a nod, he left the room to find Ehlana.

She hadn't gone far, and it didn't take much more than his hand on her shoulder to stop her.

"Hey," he said, folding his arms over his chest. "I know talking isn't something we ever felt the need to do much. But you need to let this out." Honestly, the bond between the three of them had always been more of an experience that they shared, rather than anything they spoke. It was a kind of bond that didn't need words to communicate. But words had their place, and this was a time where Alexei felt Ehlana had to put her feelings before they drowned her.

Gently but firmly guiding her to the wall, he sat her down before taking a seat a little ways from her. With a sigh, he leaned his head back and shut his eyes - not to show indifference, but to remove any sense of scrutiny or judgment. "So... talk."

-----------------------------------------------------

Ergo Research - Hallway

- Rise -

Rise smiled and waved off Luke. "Don't worry. We're not going anywhere without you. Aegis needs its blind optimist."

When Luke had left, she turned back to James, his brow furrowed with concern.

"Do you think they are ready?" he asked. "I'm afraid they don't know what they're getting into…"

"I think they're more ready then we were starting out," she said, sighing. "I know you don't like having to get more people involved - I know I don't - but we can't cut them out of this. After everything, they have a right to be here just as much as we do. And honestly..."

She thought of Alex, of what he could become, and she shivered.

"I'm not sure we can make it through without them."

-----------------------------------------------------

Caltha - Arya's and Raidon's apartment

- Raidon -

"Samael."

Hearing her voice made a peace settle in Raidon's chest for the first time in a while.

"It's good to hear you," he murmured.

It wasn't surprising that she picked up on something being wrong. She always seemed to know how he felt, and he wasn't in the best state to be disguising his feelings.

"I'm tired," he admitted. "A lot's been going on."

He didn't want to strain her, especially with the children inside her, but he couldn't continue to keep her in the dark.

"The Old Guard have made a move to take over the Capital," he told her. "Aegis is preparing to counter them. With any luck, this will all be over before dawn tomorrow, and the country will be none the wiser."

Maybe he was downplaying the severity. He'd had every intention of telling her to prepare herself just in case, to find somewhere safe if he didn't contact her within twelve hours. But when he looked into her eyes, a fire burned so hot in his stomach that no trace of doubt or fear remained.

Let the Old Guard be afraid. He was going to reclaim the Capital, and he was going to make it back to his wife and children, even if he had to cut through their entire army singlehandedly. He'd always been wary of allowing himself to return to his former mindset of steel, but maybe it had been wrong to divorce himself into two halves. Sometimes it was better to reconcile one's shadow than to bury it.

"I'll be back home soon," he told her. "I promise."

-----------------------------------------------------

Ergo Research - Broadcast Room

- Ariana -

Ariana bit her lip as she stood before the console, Kokonoe nodding off to the side. This was it. There would be no going back after this.

Her fingers shook as she hesitated, her finger hovering over the broadcast button.

"I'm sorry, Olivar. But I can't be who you wanted me to be."

She pushed the button and straightened up as she stared at the screen - at her own mirror image.

"Old Guard of Kaddath, this is High Lady Ariana Adalia. I come to you now to order the immediate stand down of all forces. I repeat, all forces stand down."

She swallowed, but forced herself to continue on. "I have led you all astray, and for that, I offer my sincerest apologies. I'm not worthy of the title of High Lady, nor the name Adalia. You've all fought on my behalf, and for that, you have a gratitude I can never repay. You believed in me... and I won't forget that. But it's time to finally let the wounds that have divided our country heal. OUR country - all of ours. It's time to put names and birthrights aside... and do what's best for the people of this country. It's time to sue for peace and join together again."

Ergo Research - Containment Suite

- Ehlana -

Ehlana stopped when she felt Alexei’s hand on her shoulder. She sat down and also leaned back against the wall, letting out a long breath.

Alexei was right, and she knew it. They needed to talk. She needed to talk, even if there was nothing Alexei could say or do.

She closed her eyes, trying to find words.

“When I realized I couldn’t finish off Kokonoe, I thought I was prepared for all the consequences.” Ehlana gave a bitter laugh and shook her head. “I was so wrong.”

“You know the plane they used to transport me with exploded?” she asked, not expecting an answer. “We fell into the ocean,” her voice broke. “I’ve never been so afraid,” she admitted. “We were on the water for… I don’t even remember for long. It’s so vast and far and there is no shelter from the sun.”

“Never in my life have I felt so small. It’s a form of landscape we can’t imagine. It just doesn’t exist in Arusia.”

“Then I found out the plane was brought down by a piece of Arusian technology,” Ehlana continued after a short pause. “I felt so betrayed. I mean I should have seen it coming, but I didn’t expect it to hurt so much.”

Admitting this was hard, but it made her feel better, so she continued to tell him what happened after she’d gotten to Caltha. Finally, Ehlana ceased to talk. When she lifted her hand to her face, her fingertips were wet. Tears. When was the last time she cried?

“So with all this deception and misinformation, I lost my own judgement,” she sighed. “But now, we’re doing the right thing, right?”


--------------------------

Ergo Research - Hallway

- James -

"You're right," James said and kissed Rise on the temple. "I should start having a little faith."

"We have a friend to rescue. Let's go prep."

He took her hand and headed off to the lab. Aside from making sure he had access to all the right software, he wanted to pick up a few things.

"What do you need aside from your fans?"

-------------------------

Ergo Research - Cafeteria

- Lenka -

Lenka looked around when everyone but Marcus left the room.

She smiled at him, looking a little nervous.

"Yes," she replied and allowed him to pull her up. "Anything is better than sitting around waiting."

------------------------

Caltha - Arya's und Raidon's apartment

- Arya -

Arya's expression became worried for a few seconds when Samael told her the news. Her faced smoothed over after a few moments and she smiled.

"I trust you," she said. "Don't forget to take of yourself, so you come back to me in one piece."

"I love you," Arya said. "Don't forget that."

Aegis

- Alina -

From where she stood behind Ariana, Alina held her breath, momentarily unable to speak around the lump in her throat. If things had been different, would she have met this young lady as a child?

As the broadcast light went out, Alina finally found her voice again, although it still sounded strained. "That was... Powerful."

"It may have been the name that attracted them, but I can see why they were willing to follow you." She had the same kind of presence as Rise did. Something about her that made people want to listen.

Alina waited for Ariana to compose herself before continuing. "For the record, I don't know why Farrington convinced you to believe in who you might be."

"However, if you want to know, I can tell you who you really are."

-----------------------------------------------------

- Marcus -

"You never have been much for sitting around, have you?" Marcus responded with a grin. "Even the day we first met, you wouldn't lay still long enough for the nurse to check you out after you woke up." They'd come a long way since then, hadn't they? It was hard to believe that they were even the same two people.

As they made their way down the hallway, Marcus tried to figure out where to begin. "That was the first time I'd ever carried someone that wasn't one of the kids from the home." He held up his hands as they wandered down another corridor. "You were just as solid as any of the kids, but somehow, you felt more... Fragile."

[OOC: I'll leave it off here for now because I imagine Lenka would probably interject about now.]

Ergo Research - Hallways

- Lenka -

"Hey, now you're exaggerating," Lenka exclaimed and grinned at him. "By now you hopefully realized that I'm not at all fragile."

They rounded another corner in the hallway.

"Still, I was lucky you were there and that you decided to care," she said and gave a small laugh. "Unlike some of the douche bags in our class who probably would've ignored me."

Her blue eyes locked on him. "Back then I was so embarrassed by the whole thing, I never really thanked you properly." Lenka looked slightly flustered.

Aegis

- Marcus -

Marcus grinned at Lenka's interjection, having anticipated it. "Now, I know that you are anything but fragile, and I have never been more happy to have been wrong."

He waved off her thanks, his expression turning a little more serious. "No thanks were required. I've never understood how anyone can be in a situation to help someone in need and not just do it. Sometimes, I wonder if my body just acts without even asking my brain for permission." Another flash of the Redcape gripped firmly in his outstretched hands flashed behind his eyelids, but Marcus blinked it away.

"In the last couple of days, you've shown yourself to be one of the strongest people I've ever known. Maybe not physically, although I'm sure you pack a pretty good punch now with all that voltage."

"It's your attitude that makes you strong though, and that isn't anything new." Marcus paused as they came to a sliding door labeled Hydroponics. After a second's hesitation, he put his thumb to the scanner, and the door opened. Being part of Aegis did have perks after all.

"We've known each other for a while now, and I've been watching you all this time." Marcus continued as he motioned for Lenka to walk into what was clearly some kind of modular, indoor garden. "Maybe it's because we were always at a distance, but I couldn't put my finger on what made you seem so bright. Now that I've gotten to know you better, I realize it's your attitude. No matter what else is going on, you have this quiet strength behind your smile."

Ergo Research - Hydroponic Garden

- Lenka -

"You've been watching me?" Lenka echoed with a laugh. "That sounds creepy as heck."

She followed Marcus into the Hydroponic garden. Involuntary she took a deep breath. The air here was definitely fresher than in the hallway.

"It's beautiful here," she said quietly, looking around. "Who knew that such a place existed in a research center."

"I appreciate your kind words," Lenka said with a smile. Her fingers twirled her long blonde hair. "I know most people see me as stubborn."

Lenka stopped to take a closer look at one of the plants. She even pulled out her camera and took a couple pictures while contemplating her next words. Suddenly she straightened up and her blue eyes looked at Marcus.

"It makes me happy that I got to know you," she said. "If you hadn't decided right there and then at the University that you were coming along, I never would've learned what a good person you are. That takes a certain kind of bravery."