Genesis Crisis: Resurgence IC

Forest - Ergo Research Lab
- Lenka -

Lenka stared after Luke. She’d only seen him quiet and polite and this sudden outburst was very unlike him. What was going on with him? Suddenly she felt a little guilty. With all this happening, she hadn’t really had a chance to talk to him. After all, his best friend had been transformed into a monster. That had to be affecting him.

And now this. Jax wanting to talk to Luke for some reason. For now, the interrogation of the captured woman didn’t seem as important anymore. So when Rise asked her to find Luke, she nodded willingly and left the room.

Where could he have gone off to?

Lenka followed the corridor to the sleeping quarters, but no one there had seen him. So she turned around and started searching in the other direction. Eventually she stepped outside after a researcher told her that they had seen Luke head outside.

She came to the parking lot, probably a few minutes after Luke had wandered off into the forest. When she saw that he wasn’t anywhere in sight, her eyes wandered to the edge of the forest. Great, if he had wandered in there, she could search for hours, not find him and then even get lost herself. Still, she had to start somewhere, so she began to walk along the forest edge.

After walking for a while and slowly losing sight of the research lab through the trees, she suddenly heard a faint voice. Was that singing?

Curiously she headed towards it and sure enough it was Luke.

“Luke?” she asked, her voice clear and loud, and stepped into the clearing.

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Ergo Research
- James & Ehlana -

Ehlana looked calm as Luke began yelling in her face and her expression didn’t show any distress. Apparently simply saying words didn’t impress her at all.

Almost as an afterthought she added in a whisper. “You’re wrong. You don’t know any of my kind.”

James watched Luke’s outburst with surprise which was only increased by the computer alert about Luke's apprehension. He was glad Lenka decided to go and talk to him. She would know what to say.

Now he could focus his attention back on their captive. Lisa and he brought her to the room Kokonoe suggested.

As calm as Ehlana had been before, now she showed some signs of distress. Her eyes shot around the room, seeing that it was void of any equipment and the walls were completely white with bright lights at the ceiling. Growing up in a place where darkness was everywhere, being in this small, clinically bright white room actually caused her heartbeat to quicken. She felt exposed and fidgeted in her chair, trying to calm her breathing.

“Why don’t we all step outside for a minute,” James suggested quietly. “So we can have a sound strategy. I don’t want to make a mess of things.” He also wanted to make sure Lisa could handle this, but it wasn’t something he wanted to discuss in front of their captive.

He watched Ehlana, but she avoided his gaze, keeping her eyes firmly on the ground. She hadn’t said another word, but he was still curious. Her accent sounded similar to the one from the bear-man, Alexei.

Aegis
Luke Jaron

"Away from-"

"Luke?"

Luke stopped his song as he heard the familiar voice calling him, and the voice was loud enough to alert him that she was very near.

Luke eyes drifted to the place where the voice came from and soon enough, she was there. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be with others?" Said Luke, his voice still had frustration and hostility, his eyes still had cold stare; however, Luke quickly closed his eyes, shook his head, face-palmed and sighed. "Sorry, I didn't mean to sound rude." his voice had some warmth, warmth that he himself thought lost it when all members of Aegis were being nice to the culprit who tried to kill his friend. He sighed again, thinking back of what he did back in the lab...

"So, what brings you here?..." Said Luke, trying to force a smile.

____________________________________________

Arusian

"I don't care! My friends are injured and one of my friends need special attention-"

"Doc, but-"

"Don't 'but' me, soldier! I am a doctor and I am not going to let the invisible threat stop me from saving lives."

Then another soldier came to the picture, "Let them through, besides, doctor here saved many lives, she is recognized war-hero. She is not bound by that order."

And just like that Alexei, Belobog and Nadenka was on the personal boat and they were on the way to the mainland.

Nadenka stopped in the middle of the way, then she turned to Alexei and Belobog. "Both of you, stay still. Mediarahan." Before both could protest, her magic circle disappeared and took its effect. It Healed injuries of Alexei's and Belobog's, even though, Belobog did not need much as Alexei.

Nadenka started the boat again, and the boat headed its way again to the mainland. "So, where to? With me, just like you saw, you guys could go wherever you desire without troubles."

Belobog stared at her and looked at Alexei again, "What now? Are we going to take her with us?" He asked as Alexei was the one who always called shots.

Aegis

Lisa remained calm as they transported the prisoner from the lab to what Kokonoe described as a ‘high-risk containment room’. The stark white walls were somewhat unnerving, but aside from how clinical it felt, this was a far cry from the relative dungeon Lisa and her sister had inhabited.

At James’ request, they stepped outside the room, and Lisa breathed a sigh of relief. “Considering the circumstances, I probably shouldn’t ask, but can we heal her before we start?” She glanced at Rise to judge her friend’s response. “There’s a difference between oversight and negligence. Besides, the blood dripping from her chin is kinda creepy.”

————————————————————————

Council Chambers

With a sigh, Alina sank into her seat, feeling even more worn out than she had only an hour before. “Let me start by saying the reason I called this meeting was to brief you all on and discuss potential countermeasures to this morning’s incident before it happened.”

“Unfortunately, it would seem someone beat us to the punch.”

She glanced in Raidon’s direction. “Jax already has a unit looking into where the leak came from, and once found, that information will be handed off to Raidon.”

“In the meantime, I suggest we figure out how we want to handle this.” She paused for a moment, glancing at each of the faces around the table. “I’ll be honest with you. The vast majority of the information is accurate, aside from a few things that have been embellished.”

“Since the Council was unable to meet before now, I have already assigned a team to investigation and containment, but their progress has been hindered by an unknown force.” She nodded to Keynes, who took a deep breath and rose to his feet.

“We managed to capture a single Redcape yesterday, and it is currently under observation at Ergo. However, during the capture, a small force of combatants attempted to interfere. We are unsure of their origin at this time.”

“Approximately one hour ago, that same group of combatants infiltrated Ergo and attempted to eliminate the evidence. We have a single member of their team in custody. Her questioning is currently pending.” With a nod, he sank back into his chair.

Ergo Research

Rise looked away from Lisa's gaze. She didn't like seeing people hurt, but healing the enemy the were supposed to be interrogating seemed counterproductive.

Still... She and the others always had their memories of fighting against the Army in the back of their minds. They didn't want to become the kind of people who would torture and mistreat others to further their own agenda. They'd won Jax and Alina and Jane over with kindness and decency.

It was easy to remember Jax's distress at being forced into a role he didn't. To remember Alina's conflicting loyalties between honor and duty. To remember Jane being broken by leading a life where she felt she had no out.

Who knew what this woman's situation was.

"Okay," Rise said. She headed back inside the room and stopped in front of the captive. It was easier to avoid the cold eyes watching her and focus on her hands as she folded them in prayer. The magic circle appeared around her hands, and she held them out toward the woman.

"Diarama," she called. The moderate wounds on the captive's body vanished, but fatigue and soreness would probably still remain. Rise didn't want to fully restore her; if she managed to escape somehow, they didn't want her in prime shape.

————————————————————————

Council Chambers

Alina seemed to handle the situation well, but Jax wasn't sure how easily the Electorate would swallow it. Minister Winters, who had kept her eyes locked on Alina during her entire speech, spoke the moment she could.

"I must express some disbelief that the situation was handled as responsibly as was warranted," Serena said. "In a situation as serious as this, we could surely have issued an emergency meeting. I would never presume to accuse your intentions, High General Grey, but it could easily be viewed as a power move to circumvent the Grand Council and hide damaging information."

She inclined her head to one of the other Electorate, who adjusted his glasses.

"If these reports about the nature of the Redcapes is true, there are very serious implications about the nature of magic strains. I believe it may be necessary to reevaluate the umbrella covering strain silencing."

The silence in the room became thick and uncomfortable.

"Perhaps," Roland Durmail, the Electorate representative from the South, said as he stroked his white mustache, "it would be better to first ascertain what the situation with the captive is."

He looked over at Jax, waving a hand.

"Surely, Chief Mathis would agree that relocating the captive to police headquarters in the capital would be the most prudent course of action. I'm not certain a research laboratory is the proper environment for interrogation."

Jax had to admit that Durmail had a point. He looked over at Alina.

"I second Minister Durmail's proposal. I intended to travel to Ergo Research in any case to assess the situation. I can arrange to relocate the captive as well."

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

Arusian

Alexei had been fairly certain that this Nadenka woman would betray them as quickly as possible, but he hadn't had any other options available. To his surprise, she managed to get them past the blockade and off toward the mainland.

"We'll take her with us, for now," Alexei told Belo. She had her uses, and he had to admit, he was curious to hear what her story was.

"For now, head south toward Peterny," he told her. "We'll tell you more when you need to know."

Ergo Research Lab
- Lenka -

Lenka wasn’t at all fazed by Luke’s less than warm reception and still stepped into the clearing and approached him.

She decided not to break the bad news immediately and instead wanted to make sure he was feeling okay after his rant.

“I came to see how you were doing,” she said and smiled. “You seemed pretty upset and I thought maybe you wanted to talk about it. I know things have been kind of crazy and that you’re very worried about your friend.”

——————————————————

Ergo Research
- James -

A notice appeared on James’ tablet and his expression became a bit confused. “I thought we ordered a lockdown in traffic?” he asked. “Then why was there a private boat allowed to leave….?”

He sighed. “I will check in with Lambda and security to see what is going on,” he said, “Will you guys be alright with her?”

Their captive seemed securely bound in an isolated room. He was sure both Rise and Lisa could handle her.

“Just see how much information you can get from her,” he suggested. “If she’s not cooperative, we’ll just lock her up and talk to her again tomorrow after we’ve had a chance to catch up with Jax and Keynes.”

He squeezed Rise’s hand and gave her quick kiss before she went inside to heal Ehlana. He wasn't sure if he approved of this, but Lisa did have a point. They couldn't very well let her die of her injuries.

"You'll be okay," he said to Lisa and squeezed her shoulder. "You're not alone here."

When he turned the corner to head to the port, he was already on his com.

"Lambda, meet me at the port."

——————————————————
Arusians
- Ehlana -

Rise came back in but instead of saying anything, she began a conjuring motion. After a few seconds Ehlana recognized it.

She was here to heal her?

Ehlana’s eyes widened. They didn’t need to heal her. There was nothing wrong with her. All her injuries would heal fine on their own. She didn’t want this. She wanted nothing to do with all this magic. And she certainly didn’t want it to be used on her.

Her eyes, almost panic stricken, looked at Rise. Her breathing quickened when Rise approached her and she cringed back as far as possible, almost bringing the chair off balance.

“Stop!” she called out when Rise was about to cast her healing magic. She closed her eyes, turning her head away.

Of course during her training with Kurik she had been exposed to a fair bit of strain use. And she knew that it was mainly science based and rationally explained, but the actual conjuring and casting of the magic still made no sense to her and it still freaked her out. Especially all the spells that dealt with the mind and non-physical manipulation made her deeply suspicious of anyone using them. Over time her suspicions had lessened with Kurik as she had come to know and trust him.

She couldn’t understand this. She had tried to kill at least three of them and yet they were still here, trying to heal her. Why? She’d been here for about 20 minutes and they had yet to ask her anything substantial or tried to find out who she was working with or how she had gotten into the facility.

Did they not make the connection to the incident yesterday with the Redcape in the gorge? And it was very unlikely that they had not encountered Alexei outside. And he must have gotten away, because everyone from Aegis had come back rather quickly once the jamming device was shut off. Or maybe they had killed him? Ehlana hoped that wasn’t the case.

Ergo Research Lab
Luke Jaron

"Talk about what?" Said Luke transparently, then sighed, "Two years ago, I lost my ordinary life thanks to Majin and my strain" Luke's eyes drifted to his hands, clenching them as the memory of that day came back to him.

"Since that annoying day, I had been running away from the army and I fought Legion to help others. That two years ago, however,... I had no one." It seems that memory of those years are not so bright as Luke's eyes became saddened and looked lonesome than before.

Luke sighed, "Mark helped me a lot when all these fighting was over. He was the very first person to invite me back to normal life..."

Luke smiled weakly, as he continued  "And perhaps, my only friend I was able to make when I got back from that hellish life..."

Luke stood up, dusting himself off, it looked like he had judged he had talked too much already "I know you have good intentions, but really, why are you here? Did something happen in the lab?"

Luke asked Lenka gently than he did before, probably a sign that he was feeling better? Or was pretending?

In any case, it looked like he was not entirely ready to open up what he had to go through two years ago. But, his body language was quite soften than before.

To be fair, Luke wasn't sure why he was telling this to Lenka; she was still a stranger to him and telling the stranger about even a summary of what he went through two years ago was not the best idea.

_______________________________________________________

Arusian

Nadenka gave nod of affirmation that she knew that place, and where to go; the boat continued its journey.

Belobog, on the other hand, crossed his arms. Not so sure if he should respond to this with positive attitude or negatively.

However, he could see the bases of why Alexei made that choice. They were running away and they needed something cover their tracks and her status as war-hero makes her exception to the rule of restriction in that regard. Furthermore, less likely her action would be recorded as it would look not important as other vessels leaving the port.

The enemies would be having hard times tracking them, and it is likely they might just ignore it as they would be less interested in war-hero who just happens to be just visiting with her 'friends', and went back because one of them needed serious care.

Besides, she did not make it clear of where she was going. That said, this woman was way cleverer than Belobog originally thought.

"Alright, we should be there and leave the port without troubles. I will follow your lead when we are on the ground. I hope you have a way to get to your primary destination." Said Nadenka, implying that she would go with them...

Council Chambers

Alina's lips twitched at Serena's words, but that was the only sign of emotion she offered the woman. Annoying as she may be, Serena wasn't necessarily wrong here. "This is the emergency meeting. I accept full blame for it not taking place before the information was made public this morning, but at the time I learned of it, the matter didn't seem to be nearly as pressing as it has now become."

Pausing for a moment to compose herself, Alina considered her next direction. There were several things that needed addressing, but the order did matter. "I agree that the prisoner will be a valuable source of information, but until that information has been obtained, it's best that we have a plan in motion, if for no other reason than to suffer a repeat of today's confusion."


"I suspected that one of you would bring up the issue of strain silencing again." She cringed at the idea, but considering the circumstances, she couldn't fault her audience for going there. "While I still believe that the issue shouldn't be broached before the public, we do need to consider that we apparently have a very high level leak on our hands. With that in mind, it's possible that the information might reach the public anyway, and that would be damning to all of us on some level."


"So, you must understand it is with great reluctance that I call this vote. After a one hour recess to consider our options, we vote on whether or not to uphold my previous decision. Consider your options carefully. Once we let the cat out of the bag, there's no putting it back."

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Aegis

Lisa turned and gave James a weak hug when he put his hand on her shoulder. "You've got more faith in me than I have in myself right now."

"Stay safe out there, friend." She gave him a tentative smile before following Rise back into the containment room.

To her surprise, she was greeted by the captive's scream for Rise to stop. A quick glance at Rise told Lisa that she was simply preparing a healing spell. Did the woman think Rise was going to hurt her?

"Relax." Lisa said, sounding more calm than she felt. "She's not going to hurt you."

Swallowing against the bile rising up the back of her throat, Lisa forced out the next sentence. "That's my job..."

Ergo Research

Lambda stood at the port, waiting silently for James to arrive. He had not specified the nature of his predicament, but she was certain it pertained to the intruders who had evaded them not long ago. If they had caused more mischief, the blame would be hers. She should have stopped them easily.

——————————————————

Arusians
- Ehlana -

Rise gave a start as the woman cried out in panic as Rise prepared to cast, and she almost screwed up the spell.

"What did you do that for?" Rise snapped once the healing magic had done its work. Did the woman not knowing a healing spell when she saw one?

"Relax." Lisa said as she walked back into the room. "She's not going to hurt you. That's my job..."

Rise shot Lisa a look. She'd thought if anyone would fight against the idea of torture, it would be Lisa.

"Lisa, you don't have to do that," she murmured.

——————————————————

Council Chambers

The Council rose and nodded in turn to Alina before exiting the chamber until only Raidon, Keynes, and Jax were left with the High General.

"For what it's worth," Raidon said, saluting her. "You handled that well."

"I agree," Jax sad, once Raidon had exited the chamber. "But do you think we'll have enough votes to hold off a decision on strain silencing?"

——————————————————

Arusian

Unfortunately, the Arusians had left behind the vehicle they'd commandeered at Ergo. They might be able to steal a vehicle, but that wouldn't go unnoticed.

"You Kaddathians have those trains, right?" he said. "Does one go down to Peterny?"

It would be public, which could be dangerous if the Kaddathians managed to put out identification on them. But it might be their best shot.

Ergo Research
- Lenka -

Lenka looked quite upset when Luke began to tell his story. She could tell by his demeanor that this affected him quite a bit. His eyes had a very sad look and his hands tightened into fits.

“I had no idea,” she said quietly and took his fist into her hand until he relaxed it. “It looks like you have been through a lot. I’m sorry you had to go through all this, but I’m glad Mark helped you see the light again.”

She stood up with him and grabbed his shoulders to make sure she had his full attention. “And trust me, the best people I know are trying to help him. Kokonoe, James and Rise and all the others are the best at what they do. If anyone can help your friend, it’s them. You just have to believe you’ll get your best friend back.” She smiled at him. She fully believed what she said.

When Luke turned the topic back to questioning why she was here, Lenka stepped back and looked a little uncomfortable.

“Well…” she said, “There was a notice that Jax wants to talk to you…well more like an order. And you are not allowed to leave until he arrives. So they asked me to find you and get you to come back inside.”

She watched him carefully, wondering what his reaction would be.

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Ergo Research
- James -

“Thanks for coming,” James said to Lambda when he arrived at the port, still trying to catch his breath. “I had a notice that a private boat left the port.”

“It may be nothing, but I didn’t want to leave it unchecked,” James explained and walked into the office of the port authority. There were two soldiers in there, the same ones who had let Nadenka and the Arusians leave earlier.

James was looking unusually grim. “Why was the boat allowed to leave the port?”

The soldier shrugged, apparently not very impressed by James. Why should he care what this young man had to tell him. Obviously he wasn’t in the military and just because he had a signed slip of paper that granted him authority, didn’t mean he had to respect him.

“The order came in and we locked down all traffic to and from the island. Then a doctor came with two friends, one of whom was in need of medical emergency treatment,” the soldier explained slowly with an annoyed undertone. He didn’t like having his authority questioned. “So we let her go through. She is a recognised war-hero. They awarded her a medal for saving lives.”

James pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to concentrate. “Okay. Then please tell me that you have the IDs of her two passengers and a destination for her boat.”

The two soldiers in front of him glanced at each other and one of the shrugged. “There was no time for that. She said one of her friends was in critical condition.”

James was speechless for a few seconds. How did they get to the point where protocols were so grossly ignored?

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Arusians
- Ehlana -

Struggling to calm down, Ehlana pressed her lips together. She had instantly regretted calling the word stop, but involuntary as it was, it was too late now. She had just handed them leverage over her on a silver platter that they were fully prepared to exploit by the sound of it.

Ehlana forced herself to calm down. Who did they think they were? Ehlana still couldn’t quite take them seriously, knowing about Aegis what she did. Those girls were barely as old as she was. What would they know about torture?

She was breathing a little easier now. The effect of the healing spell had actually made her feel less exhausted and relieved some of the pain.

“Oh yeah?” Ehlana asked in response to Lisa, her voice laced with acid. “Shouldn’t she be more qualified for that?” she nodded towards Rise. “I mean what are you gonna do? Breeze me to death with a gentle wind?”

Aegis

Lisa couldn't help but grin at the woman's snide remark. "Did you hear that?" She asked, giving Rise a slight nudge. "She's got jokes." From the pouch at her waist, Lisa pulled five metallic balls, and after a moment, they spun into the air, organizing themselves into a pattern that Marcus would be all too familiar with.

Click, click, click, click.

They began to slowly slide back and forth in a Newton's cradle. "You're wrong though. I'm uniquely qualified in a way that no one else in this lab is."

She turned her gaze to Ehlana, trying to keep her face as impassive as possible. "A couple years ago, I was where you are now. So, I know what works, and I also know what lines I won't cross. But more than that, I know what lines I don't have to cross."

Turning towards the door, Lisa waved for Rise to follow her. "I'll be back when it's time for lunch." She called over her shoulder. As the door shut behind them, sealing Ehlana inside the stark, white room by herself, the rhythmic clicking continued, echoing through the enclosed space.

Arusian
Belobog & Nadenka

"Going public? Are you crazy?" said Nadenka, "You guys probably have fought some of them in the day light." Belobog frowned at Nadenka's remark, "So what? They would probably want to hide what we have done. Besides, they don't know us." Nadenka sighed, shaking her head, "You guys have no idea, do you? Two years ago the government tried everything to hide crucial information. If this new government do the same thing as it did before, the impact it would bring to the community is not going to be good at all." Nadenka, looked at the foreigners, curling her lips. "It means whatever you did back there could be already opened to all other camps, soon they would be making public announcement and such." Belobog shrugged his shoulders, "I doubt they would do so. In any case, you have better idea?" Nadenka curled her lips, using her military status won't do good and renting vehicle was not good idea at all.

It looked like this was only way...

"Fine, but come on, let's get you two with some what better clothing. Let me do the talking and buying. Both of you need to look like from Kaddath, or else taking public transport is no go."

Unlike what she said on the boat, she started to lead them, signaling them to move quick. "Come on, we have to hurry up and buy things. The sooner we get those, the sooner we would get on the train." She said with little annoyance.

Belobog curled his lips, "Are we going to follow her lead?" He asked Alexei.

________________________________________________________

Aegis
Luke Jaron

Luke some how felt his face turning little red as Lenka had her hands on him, and later as she had her hands on his shoulder as they stood up together, he could not directly look into her eyes, but he was able to say "Thanks." and gave a nod.

Good thing that he was not fully aware what was wrong with himself and was able to ask the question of why she was there.

The confidence of her voice suddenly was shaken as she answered that question, and that even brought his eyes that somewhat tried to avoid direct contact, quickly drifted to her posture and her eyes. His eyes were able to catch Lenka's uncomfortable emotion and saw her stepping little back.

Luke could definitely tell that she had softened up why she was here. The emotions he had before was washed away as soon as he heard 'Jax' wanted to talk.

"I see..." Said Luke, stepping little back, "...So, you are not really here... because you are..." Luke short sighing and rolled his eyes,"of course... an order to bring me back..." Luke could not help, but feel little disappointed. Lenka who sounded so genuine to him about not to lose hope...... Perhaps, she was not genuine after all? She probably said all those things to just bring him back?

Luke sighed once again, "I won't run. Let's go back." The warmth in his voice was missing again, and he walked passed Lenka without saying any other words. However, perhaps, he was still an idiot... he did not try to outrun her anything, or lead her stray or whatever. But, he made sure he took the path that it was easy for Lenka to follow him to the facility.

He also glanced back to check if Lenka was doing alright in following him, even though he was trying his best not to look back to check on her.

Ergo Research
- Lambda -

Lambda allowed James to conduct the investigation of the two soldiers, but her patience with them was beginning to thin. It was clear that James was stunned by the complete abandonment of protocol.

"Can you, at least, verify their appearance?" Lambda inquired, her normally gentle voice now hard. Her eye glowed bright red, and it transmitted a projection from her optical data bank of both Alexei and Belo.

"These two individuals are wanted by order of the Chief of Police. If you cannot provide more useful information, then we must assume you are complicit in their escape."

Jax would probably not be quite so rash, but these two didn't need to know that.

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Aegis
- Rise -

Rise didn't find their captive's snarkiness nearly as entertaining as Lisa seemed to. But Rise was more focused on the small metal spheres Lisa had removed from her pouch, which moved on their own to form a Newton's cradle. The constant clicking didn't take long at all to become irritating.

Rise was relieved to see that Lisa wasn't intending to do anything physical to their captive, but judging by the woman's reaction to magic, something physical might be more kind.

"Yeah, coming," Rise said, giving one last look at the woman's face before following Lisa out. They headed up to the control room where Kokonoe was.

"You're one cold customer," Kokonoe told Lisa when they'd entered. "I think that clacking would drive me crazy, even if I weren't afraid of magic."

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Arusians
- Alexei -

Alexei didn't bother to answer Belo. Actions were worth more than words, so Alexei simply followed after Nadenka to their destination. Belo seemed predisposed to dislike her on principle, but Alexei didn't feel quite so harshly toward her.

She probably would be a liability later, but for the moment, she was useful. And given the fact that she was here doing this at all with them made her intriguing as well.

Ergo Research
- James -

“Yeah, that could’ve been them,” one of the soldiers said. It slowly dawned on them, that they might have messed up.

“No, actually, I’m sure it’s them,” the other one confirmed. “They left here a little over an hour ago,” he said, trying to sound helpful while he checked his log. “Their boat was a private charter, the doctor checked in the boat number when she arrived,” he added and handed James a piece of paper.

“Did it ever occur to you that she might have acted under duress?” James asked, grateful that Lambda was here.

“She didn’t seem like she was under duress…” one of the soldiers objected.

“I don’t f*cking care if she seemed like she was under duress or not,” James was more than upset now. He was downright angry, “You ignored direct orders and possibly let two hostile intruders walk out of here with a friendly handshake. I want you to get in touch with the mainland port authority and order a thorough search of all vessels arriving.”

He could see the solider was about to object again. “And yes, even if the High General herself is arriving. No exceptions,” his voice was still furious. “And then you’re going to go inside and alert all coastal police stations to your doctor war-hero and her two friends.”

James took a deep breath. He couldn’t believe they had gotten away so easily and if they were smart, they wouldn’t head for the main port, but aim for something smaller with less security.

He sighed. “This blows,” he said to Lambda. “I had hoped we could still stop them, but I’m afraid they could be anywhere by now. Can you check in your database, if the boat has a tracker on it?”

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Arusians
- Ehlana -

“I really don’t care,” Ehlana murmured and watched as Lisa began to line up a series of metallic ball in the air. Soon rhythmic clicking sound filled the room.

Lisa and Rise left the room and she was left to her own thoughts. Well, whatever Lisa was trying to achieve with this, she wouldn’t allow it to work.

Ehlana simply closed her eyes to block out most of the light in the room and used whatever little slack her bonds gave her to get comfortable. If that’s what you could call it under the circumstances.

Next she aligned her breathing with the sound of the Newton’s cradle.

Breathe in.

Click, click, click, click, click.

Breathe out.

Click, click, click, click, click.

Breathe in.

Click, click, click, click, click.

Breathe out.

Click, click, click, click, click.

Breathe in.

Click, click, click, click, click.

Breathe out.

Click, click, click, click, click.

With every breath, she focused on relaxing her body and eventually her exhausted body allowed her to drift off into a sort of half-sleep state with the sound of the Newton cradle dimly in the background.

To be honest, the sound was actually kind of comforting. Complete silence would have been more eerie for her and the clicking distracted her from delving too deep into her own thoughts that would certainly try to worry about the situation she was in. Capitalising on the fact that she grew up in a society that lived underground, complete silence was hard to achieve, she was used to background noises, whether it was a power generator or a manufacturing plant.

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Ergo Research
- Lenka -

Lenka giggled when Luke stepped past her, clearly not happy about the news she brought. Even though the situation was serious, she just couldn’t help it. His remark was too comical.

“You realize that if they thought you would run, they wouldn’t have asked me to come, right?” the amusement was still clear in her voice.

She followed him back to the lab, quietly thankful that she didn’t have to lead the way. Though they weren’t far from the parking lot, Lenka knew herself well enough. There was a possibility that she would’ve taken a wrong turn.

“C’mon, Luke, you’re not mad, are you?” she asked, trying to catch up. “I mean, how bad can it be that he wants to talk to you? Do you think it’s because of what happened two years ago?”

Arusian
Belobog & Nadenka

Belobog sighed as Alexei went ahead, it looked like they were going to follow her lead.

Nadenka led them to old clothing market, and chosen clothes for them to wear; it was plain clothes, but it definitely made them look like a local.

Belobog wanted to protest about Nadenka's taste of colors, but as Alexei followed Nadenka's suggestion, he did as well.

What surprised him the most was that they even bought wigs, and this woman, Nadenka, herself disguised herself.

"Were you some kind of spy?" Belobog asked Nadenka as they looked ready to take the train to go further.

Nadenka ignored his question and signaled them to hurry up. "We can catch up about each others' life after we get away from here."

She led them to the train station with ease and what they had to do was to buy the train tickets. Nadenka hoped there weren't any orders issued... Or this was going to be another bumpy ride...

_____________________________________________________________

Ergo Research
Luke Jaron

Luke sighed as Lenka sound much cheerful; he was not so sure what to say or even how to handle her. Perhaps, he should let her just speak alone all the way to the lab?

But, he could not... His stupid mouth could not stop replying for some reason... "Right...Or maybe they are testing me, you know, to find some reasonable excuse to chase me again." Said Luke coldly, and as they passed certain point, Lenka said something and he couldn't help himself, but reply.

"Mad? No, but I am little bit disappointed." Luke glanced at Lenka again, unwillingly, to check if she was catching it up to him alright. "And just talk...?" Luke sighed, shook his head. "Let's hope he is going to just talk..." His face managed to smile little. It was quite funny... the idea of police just talking to him... "But if not, I am going to run and probably going to live this annoying world by myself again." Luke came out from the woods, dusting himself off leaves and whatever it might have come out with him as he exit the thick woods. Luke's eyes quickly drifted to Lenka; for some reason, Luke had unconsciously chosen the path that required a lot of balancing skill. In  the end, he unconsciously wanted Lenka to have some hard time at getting out of the woods. Luke was surprised about himself as well, he never knew himself being little mischievous. "And you have no idea of who I was two years ago." Luke extended his hand towards Lenka who was following him behind, to help her out if it was necessary.

Luke smiled weakly, "And perhaps, it's better that way." They should be out to the parking lot of research lab and returning to the others should be easy.

Somehow, Lenka had weird effects on him and he could not grasp why. It looked like his disappointment of her that he had earlier seemed toned down as well.

Luke shrugged it off, "We are here. Let's go back, and hope they are not ready with cuffs for me."

Aegis

- Lisa -

"What is it with you people?" Lisa grumbled as she observed Ehlana through the viewing glass. "I think the rhythmic clicking is comforting."

Unfortunately, after a few moments, it appeared that their captive felt the same. Not that it mattered. She had intended to unsettle the woman, not torment her. With a wave of her hand, the balls came to a halt, hovering in complete silence. The control she had over her magic let her do this indefinitely. So, there was no real concern of the balls falling to the floor, where the woman could slide them to trip someone.

"We can't keep her in there forever though. I'd hoped to get something out of her by lunch, but Jax may have to have someone else do the hard work." She swallowed, looking away from the bound prisoner. "I don't have the stomach for real torture."

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

- Marcus -

Something was choking him. Marcus' eyes shot open, and he reached for the arm circling his neck. All he found was his shirt, but it was pulled tight against his throat. An unusual weight sat on his back, and he turned his head to get a better look. A pair of golden-brown eyes stared back at him.

"How did you get in here?" He grumbled, reaching up to remove the child's hands from his shirt so that he could breathe more easily. Had she grabbed onto it so that she could climb up on the bed?

"Play." Was the only response she offered, and he chuckled as he rolled over, depositing her on the bed.

"Isn't it your nap time?" Marcus sat up, stifling a yawn. "It's definitely mine."

"No nap. Play!" The little girl held her arms up towards him. Surely, she didn't expect him to pick her up, right?

"Let me see if I can find a better playmate for you." He pushed himself to the edge of the bed and began pulling on his boots. The familiar feeling of his shirt digging into his throat warned him that the little girl was once more attached to him. So, he swung an arm behind his back, scooping her onto his shoulders.

She giggled and latched onto his ears, causing him to wince, but he left her there until he was finished with his boots. "Alright, let's go see who you belong to."

The girl bounced on his shoulders in response. "Ride!" Fighting a smile, Marcus made his way through the door and into the hallway. Unfortunately, he didn't even know how long he'd been asleep. So, that left him no idea of where the others would be.

Ergo Research
- James -

Lambda turned to face James, her mouth set in a thin line.

"I'm afraid that if the boat was, indeed, a private charter, then it will not contain standard military tracking."

She looked off into the distance, thinking.

"However, using a high-level Army doctor is a two-edged sword. It enables them special privileges, but it will also make for any easy trail. If we keep news of the escapees quiet, they might not realize we're on to them and continue to make use of her. If they do find out, common sense dictates that they dispose of her to cover their trail."

She turned back to James and offered a small smile.

"You did well there," she said. "You would have been good in the Army."

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

Arusian
- Alexei -

Alexei grunted as he finished dressing himself in the clothes Nadenka had picked out and donned his wig. The clothes felt restrictive, and the long, grey hair felt like he had a mop on his head.

"Were you some kind of spy?" Belobog was asking Nadenka as they paid for their clothes.

Nadenka ignored his question and signaled them to hurry up. "We can catch up about each others' life after we get away from here."

She led them to the train station, where a line was already queued up to buy tickets. Public transportation was managed by the Army, and two soldiers were posted nearby the ticket station. Alexei turned to Nadenka.

"Will they ask for ID?" he asked. That would be a big problem.

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

Ergo Research
- Rise -

Rise didn't like the idea of torture. It didn't feel right to her. She hoped Jax would feel the same, even if it meant a more difficult time persuading their prisoner to talk.

"Kokonoe," she said, turning to the researcher. "You're the only one who can work on that cure for the Redcapes. Leave this to us."

Kokonoe raised her eyebrows, but after a moment, she nodded.

"All right. Try not to screw up."

She left the room and headed back for the lab. Rise sighed and faced Lisa.

"I'm going to talk to her. Just talk. Monitor things from up here, okay?"

She headed out from the observation room, down and around the corridor, and went back into the room where Ehlana was held.

"Hi," Rise said. There weren't any other chairs, so she folded her skirt and sat on the ground a few feet away.

"So, you seem to know about us," she said. "Do you know who I am?"

Ergo Research
- Lenka -

“Now you’re just being overly dramatic,” Lenka said and rolled her eyes at him. “The police are not supposed to be the bad guys here. I’m sure it’s just a misunderstanding.”

She had finally caught up with him just as they exited the woods. The last few steps she almost danced along a fallen tree trunk and then hopped off, landing lightly and gracefully on her feet.

“This is very cryptic. One day you'll have to tell me who you were two years ago,” she said, sounding a little impatient. His cryptic little remarks were really frustrating.

They stood at the parking lot, the entrance of the lab within sight. She laughed at his gloomy attitude and grabbed his arm.

“C’mon,” she said and pulled him lightly with her as they walked towards the lab. “I’m sure it won’t be that bad.”

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

- James -

The soldiers had hurried away to comply with James’ request.

James was going through his tablet, trying to find the files for Nadenka. They needed to know as much as possible about her, because if they couldn’t find her soon, it either meant she had helped them voluntarily or that she was dead.

“You’re right,” he agreed with Lambda. “We’ll try to keep their escape on the down low. Maybe that will lead them to be more careless.”

He sighed and gave Lambda a small smile when she complimented him. “Thanks, but that only lasts if there is less than five people in a room,” he said. “Any more than that and I want to crawl into a hole. Besides, I have too many of my own ideas. Being the Army would keep me…would keep me too busy and distracted, I guess.”

“Let’s go back,” he suggested. “I want to remove their machine from the parking lot before somebody decides to do something stupid with it.”

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

Arusians
- Ehlana -

The clicking stopped.

The abrupt change startled Ehlana and suddenly she was wide awake again. Her eyes shot towards the door, but no one seemed to be coming it. Her eyes glared up to the viewing glass. Sure enough they were still standing there. Watching.

The apparent non-effectiveness of the Newton’s cradle was probably why they had stopped it. Ehlana sighed and leaned her head back, closing her eyes again. Even with all distractions gone, she tried not to focus too much on the silence that was trying to unsettle her mind.

She curled her fingers, opening and closing them to ensure they wouldn’t fall asleep despite being bound tightly to the chair.

Eventually the door opened. It was Rise and she was alone. Ehlana tensed in anticipation, but instead of doing anything, Rise sat down on the floor and asked her a simple question.

Ehlana looked at Rise, her eyes not glaring, but rather curious. What brought this on? She considered her options trying to decide if she wanted to answer and if so, did she want to answer truthfully?

“Your name is Rise,” she finally said calmly, choosing to reveal some but not all of what she knew.

Ergo Research
Luke Jaron

Luke could have stand strong and made himself not pulled by Lenka, but for some reason his body let her pull him.

Perhaps, her laughter and her action of grabbing his arm caught him off guard? He was not so sure. In any ways, it made him feel really uncomfortable. Then again, he was following her lead and let her lead him to the research lab.

However, when she said his experience with police won't be that bad Luke shook his head, little annoyed how she keep on hinting that Luke himself was being over-dramatic. Even though, he must admit learning songs, poems and reading novels made him speak somewhat more than he used to. Okay, probably his new hobbies made him dramatic...

"Yeah, sure, police gently speaking with criminal... I would love to see that happening..." He commented as he followed her. It was then he realize he was a war criminal. Luke bite his lips, "I am definitely going to run if they decide to cage me just like last time..." Luke said it to himself, a promise he made himself two years ago.

He was not sure this was a really good idea; he just hope Lenka was not there if he had to escape...

___________________________________________________________-

Arusians

"Don't tell me you guys don't even have fake IDs..." Said Nadenka somewhat in disappointment; "You guys are in Kaddath, how could you not have fake IDs?" Nadenka spoke to them in somewhat whisper so they would not be heard and would not look too suspicious.

Nadenka sighed and gave Belobog and Alexei male ID cards from her pulse. She did not look too happy about it; however, even then she gave it to them.

"I want them back when this is over...."

The male ID cards were his and he made them few for Nadenka; she asked him, why does she need one. The man replied to her, 'so that you can get away'. The man smiled, and she smiled back at him....

"The ID cards should be fine, the photo itself won't be too troublesome, I tried to disguise you both somewhat close to it..." She quickly added, getting herself back to the reality. "Give a lame excuse and it should be fine"

Belobog curled his lips, "Like what? I starved too much?" Nadenka shrugged "That works too"

The ID cards pictures look pretty unclear of the man who actually was; whoever the owner was, he was pretty good one in making it sure no two ID cards would look the same.

What Alexei got was a guy with less scar, but it definitely matched his hair, the wig, somewhat to his eye colors. It looked like he could get away with the lame excuse why he looked different. Like he had been living in mountain or some sort.

Belobog was not kidding when he had said to Nadenka that he should just say he did not eat well as the person in the picture looked fatter.

Nadenka looked at her alias, and smiled weakly. "Maria Lovesong," She pointed at herself, "Nick Grump" she pointed at Belobog, "Jack Bearman" She pointed out at Alexei. "Don't look at me like that I did not name those alias. It should still work, I made sure they do."

However, she hoped they did not come to the point of using those IDs... They were made so that she and he could escape from army one day to have fun... Not to runaway, but just to take a short break from the army's watchfulness....

However, that was not going happen any time....

Aegis

- Lisa -

"Nice pep talk." Lisa rolled her eyes at Rise as Kokonoe left the room.

She offered her friend a sad smile and nodded towards the glass. "Yeah, I think I'm good with up here for a bit. It's still hard to not see myself sitting in that chair."

As Rise exited the room, Lisa moved to the window, watching the exchange from her vantage point. The woman in the chair seemed to be caught off guard by Rise's appearance. Good. She might reveal more if she was unsettled. Hopefully, they could at least get her name. Simply referring to her as 'the prisoner' didn't feel right.

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

- Marcus -

After taking a few random turns in the complex, Marcus found himself back near the main lab. Hadn't someone mentioned a nursery in this area? If so, that's probably where the toddler on his shoulders came from. How in the world she made it to his room, completely unsupervised, was still a mystery, but that was the personnel's problem once he handed her off.

"Momma!" He flinched at the squeal, which immediately preceded a slap on either of his cheeks and the little girl pointing towards the approaching Kokonoe. Well, that was a surprise...

"I assume this is yours?" Marcus asked, gesturing towards the little girl, who he was still holding in place with his other hand.

Ergo Research
- Lambda -

Lambda followed James back to the parking lot where the device had been left. She frowned at the sight of it and would not approach closer than a few meters.

"I do not like it," she said, frowning. "I'd just as soon destroy it."

Surely, Kokonoe and the other researchers would want to look at this foreign piece of technology though.

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

Arusians
- Rise -

"Your name is Rise," the prisoner said. So, she did know then. Rise nodded.

"That's right. Do you mind telling me your name? Your real name?" she asked. "I'd like to have something to call you other than 'the prisoner.'"

If she was on the grid, a name could be a dangerous tool. But Rise had a feeling whoever this woman was, she wasn't in any file the Army had.

"You're afraid of magic," Rise said calmly. She looked down at her hands, remembering the prisoner's reaction as the Dia spell was cast on her. "Why is that?"

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

Arusians

"We were never supposed to be seen," Alexei growled under his breath. If they'd done their job right, fake IDs would have been pointless. No one had counted on them failing, least of all him.

Nadenka sighed and gave Belobog and Alexei male ID cards from her pulse. She did not look too happy about it; however, even then she gave it to them.

"I want them back when this is over...."

She'd be lucky if she walked away with her life when this was over, but Alexei didn't bother to voice that opinion.

"The ID cards should be fine, the photo itself won't be too troublesome, I tried to disguise you both somewhat close to it..." She quickly added, getting herself back to the reality. "Give a lame excuse and it should be fine"

Alexei stared at the ID card. The pictures was vague and unflattering, but it didn't really matter, so long as it got them on the train. But, really, Jack Bearman?

The officer inspecting IDs gave them a critical look, particularly Belo and Alexei. He narrowed his eyes, lips pursed, as he verified the ID scan. It checked out, so he reluctantly waved them forward.

"Get new IDs made when you arrive at your destination. These could use some updating," he said, handing them back. "Particularly you."

He jabbed a finger in Belo's direction as they passed. Alexei nodded, holding his breath until they made it onto the train. As long as there weren't any unexpected stops and security checks during the ride, they should be in the clear.

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

Ergo Research

- Kokonoe -

"Momma!"

Kokonoe looked up at the sound of the squeal and stopped outside her lab door. Marcus was standing there holding Millie, who was reaching out for her.

"Millie, you know you're not supposed to go exploring during lockdown," she said, scooping Millie out of Marcus' arms. Millie reached for the lollipop peeping out of the pocket of Kokonoe's labcoat. Kokonoe sighed and handed it off to her.

"By the way, thanks for the assistance earlier," Kokonoe said as Millie sucked happily on the end of the lollipop. "Not the fastest on the uptake, but, well, you got the job done."

Ergo Research
- James -

James raised an eyebrow at Lambda when she stopped a little ways away from the device.

“It’s harmless now,” he said. “I disconnected the power source and I took out the core.”

He looked it over once more and nodded satisfied.

“I understand if you don’t want to carry it,” he said and offered, “We’ll leave the area closed off and I’ll get some technicians to pick it up and transport it to Kokonoe’s lab. The sooner they can examine it, the sooner they can work on countermeasures.”

Then his com beeped. It was a message from the mainland. James looked relieved when he read it.

“Finally some good news,” he informed Lambda, “Apparently the woman, that our prisoner was impersonating, has been found. She’s being taken to the hospital. So far they couldn’t get much out of her, but she will definitely survive.”

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

Arusians
- Ehlana -

Ehlana felt conflicted when Rise asked for her name. Her mind told her that revealing any information was dangerous, especially if it was related to Arusia. As far as she could tell, no one was yet aware that she or any of the others weren’t actually from Kaddath.

Would giving up her name change that?

Probably not, after all there was no record of her anywhere. However she was still apprehensive about it. One thing would lead to another and in the blink of an eye she could’ve revealed too much.

What if she died here?

Ehlana cast her eyes down, the silence dragging on. She didn’t want to end up in a nameless box.

“Ehlana,” she finally said and then pressed her lips together, shifting uncomfortably. It was a calculated risk. However, she had no intention of answering Rise’s other question.

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

Ergo Research
- Lenka -

Lenka glanced at Luke, unsure how serious he was about his statements.

“When this is over, you and I should have a talk on having a more positive outlook on the world,” she said while they walked inside.

When she left them, James and Lisa had transported the prisoner into a containment lab. Since she didn’t know where else they could be, Lenka headed that way.

Sure enough, after a few minutes of searching they came across the observation room where Lisa was. Inside the containment lab, they could see Rise, who was talking to the other woman. Lenka was thankful that they hadn’t walked into a torture scene.

“Where is everyone else?” Lenka asked Lisa. “Do you know where Luke should wait for Jax to arrive?”

Arusian
Nadenka & Belobog

Belobog nodded in the response and moved along with the group and as they got into the train, Belobog breathed out, and he stared at Nadenka, annoyed.

But that annoyance did not last long as she sat on her seat, looking at Belobog and Alexei. "So, I know I am going to end up dead when you guys finally get there." It surprised Belobog as she said it so casually, "Why not share some light? Who are you and what are you doing here?"

Belobog curled his lips, it looked like this woman did not really believe what he had already told her. Maybe he should just kill her and set her up like she's asleep.

Belobog had a rope that could easily chock her to death, why not? "You are really testing our mercy, woman. I could kill you right now and pretend nothing happen."

Nadenka shrugged, "Be my guest, but you are going to leave a trail if I am found dead." Nadenka replied coldly, and confidently. She looked at Belobog's companion.

"My name is Nadenka Orlov." She eyed at the man who came out from the wood with Belobog, "I know well enough that you guys could kill me any time. But, I want to know why you guys are going all these troubles. For what reason?.... I want to know..." Belobog bite his lips, he was definitely against with what woman had implied. She was implying that she wanted to meet rest of the people of importance. "I could finish her right now and get rid of extra luggage." Belobog said to his comrade, confident with his skill.

___________________________________________

Aegis
Luke Jaron

“When this is over, you and I should have a talk on having a more positive outlook on the world,”

"If I am not busy running, sure." Said Luke, and it did make him smile little. He never thought that there would be another human being who would say something similar to him.

However, that statement made him remember what he had said to Mark as Mark made such statement to Luke. 'Perhaps you are living in different world from mine.'

"Or perhaps, you too, are living different world from mine..." He muttered, and sighed, "Whatever, you lead and I follow."

When they had reached where Lisa, Rise and prisoner were, he was surprised they were still trying to be nice to the enemy. Luke's eyes could not help, but be cold toward Lenka who looked relief how the enemy was being treated and Lisa who looked more like protecting prisoner than guarding the prisoner.

Luke's cold gaze drifted to the prisoner and Rise, it quickly made him realize that he was really living in the different world from them. In their world, they were trying to be nice, trying to convince and perhaps even try to amend, while in his world, he only saw death, torturing others for information... The world where one has to kill to survive or be naive and be killed....

When Lenka asked Lisa where he should wait, "Yes, please tell me quick," Luke added, "I doubt I am needed here anyway." He refrain from saying how he really felt... How angry he was...

They were still treating the person who tried to kill his friend as a human being, while his friend was struggling to live by each second...caged and slowly dying... Perhaps that prisoner sped up his death?...

The more he thought about it, the hatred continued to pile up. "If you have no idea, I would be in one of the guest room." Said Luke, going to the exit.

Ergo Research
- Rise -

Rise smiled as the prisoner finally gave her name.

"Ehlana," she said. "I've never heard that name before. It's pretty."

Ehlana ignored her other question, but Rise wasn't surprised. Getting the name was something, at least.

"Can I tell you a story, Ehlana?" she asked, adjusting her legs to make herself more comfortable. "You know about Aegis, and probably Legion and the Army too, from back then. But you probably don't know everything. I'd like to tell you about a few people I met."

[OOC: Have Luke stop short to listen to Rise's story, Nex. I think it might help him get some perspective]

"One of them you'll get to meet soon," Rise went on. "His name is Jax. He's Chief Mathis now of the Military Police, but he used to be Legion's Red Rider. We met him in Kappas when we were on the run. We got into a fight, trying to stop him from blowing up Helios Weapons Development. Some of us wanted to kill him. He was one of Legion's Riders, after all. But I refused to let them hurt him. I saw something more in him than just Legion. And when we had nursed him back to health, we found out that he was only helping Legion because they were holding his sister hostage. If we hadn't looked past what he seemed and reached out to him, his sister's body would be hanging in a sewer somewhere, never having gotten to see her big brother one last time. And I wouldn't have gotten to know one of the bravest, sweetest, most selfless men I've ever known."

Rise glanced back at the viewing glass, wondering if anyone besides Lisa was now back there.

"And we met Alina. I don't know if you'll ever get to meet her. She was Commander of Terra Firma then, but now she's High General of Kaddath. I didn't like her at first. I was all for killing her when she threatened us. I hadn't completely learned my lesson yet. I didn't know how she was struggling to keep the Army from going off tracks, trying to keep if serving the people of Kaddath the way it was meant to. I didn't realize how she was struggling with the guilt of trying to be a loyal soldier while living up to her father's legacy. But Jax believed in her, and I believed in him. And as I got to know her, I found out what a strong and amazing woman she is. If Jax hadn't been able to see past her ties to the Army, we would never have succeeded in restoring Kaddath to what it is."

Rise shifted in place, her eyes falling to the ground. It was never easy to talk about this part.

"And then there was Jane. High Agent Jane Doe. I know you won't get to meet her, because she's dead."

She was glad that Keynes and Kokonoe had already left. It made this easier to talk about.

"She came to us, wanting to help our cause. I trusted her right away. I saw a mother I hadn't had in a long time in her. She did so much to help us, but a lot of us still couldn't see past her ties to the Army and Legion. Some of us refused to trust and believe in her. None of us knew the struggle she was dealing with inside, how she'd had to kill everything about herself to fit the mold of one of Kaddath's High Agents. And when it looked like she'd betrayed us, we all went off after her feeling hurt and betrayed. We didn't realize she'd gone off to plea for us, to try to save us from the Army. In the end, we lost faith in her, and because of our blunder, she... she died. Helping us."

Rise wiped at her eyes before turning to face Ehlana.

"I made a promise to myself after that. That I would never judge people on their loyalties or their positions without knowing their full story. That's one reason I could never join the Army, even now that there's good people in charge. I never want to have to put loyalty to the Army or any cause over people and seeing the good in them."

She stood up and dusted off her skirt.

"Maybe you're like Jax, or Alina, or Jane. Maybe you didn't have a choice in this, or maybe you don't know where your real feelings lie when loyalty and duty are involved. Maybe you've never been given the choice to find out. Or maybe you are just a bad person. I don't know. But until I do, I'm going to treat you with decency, and if anyone thinks otherwise, they can come to me."

Rise tried to smile as she forced her feelings back in check. She hadn't voiced that promise to anyone before, and the emotions it brought back were stronger than she'd realized.

"So, what do you want for lunch?" she asked.

Aegis

- Marcus -

"I'm just glad that neither of us appears to be any worse for wear." Marcus responded as he deposited the squirming girl into her mother's arms. "You've got yourself a real troublemaker there." He nodded towards Millie before glancing down the hall. None of the others appeared to be with the researcher though.

"Where did everyone else get off to? I don't think I've been asleep for long, but it's hard to tell without any windows in the hallways. Everything in this place is the same shade of artificial light."

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

- Lisa -

Lisa turned to Lenka and Luke as they entered. The later's presence meant he'd been brought in peacefully. Good. She hadn't known him long, but he'd already been through enough. Whatever reason they might have for detaining him, she hoped it wasn't too serious.

"You're welcome to stay here." She gestured to a group of chairs off to one side, probably meant for scientists observing experiments. "But I think Rise has this handled." Lisa turned her attention back to the prisoner, Ehlana she'd called herself.

"If you'd rather not watch, you're welcome to return to your room." She offered Luke a weak smile. "Unfortunately, I'll have to escort you if that's the case. We don't know why Jax wants to talk with you yet, but rules are rules."

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

Council Chambers

- Alina -

"I'm glad you could make it on such short notice." Alina wrapped her arms around Lecarde, giving him a friendly hug. "It really has been too long, old friend."

She took a step back, giving him a wry smile. "I do wish this meeting had happened under better circumstances, but unfortunately, I'm in need of your help." Alina waved down the hallway, indicating that they should walk together. "I've heard that you work wonders on troubled youth, and I'm hoping you can do the same with one of my council members. Her heart is in the right place, but her approach to things is too direct for politics." She couldn't help but grin at her own words. "Honestly, she reminds me of myself several years ago, before I learned how the world really works."

Aegis
Luke Jaron

Rise started to share what Aegis went through; the encounter with Legion's Red Rider, the encounter with current high general and encounter with spy of grand army...

Long story short, Aegis, the group that started the movement to give birth to new Kaddath, was only successful because everyone put their heart together and moved past through the differences.

They had the understanding that the old Kaddath and the Legion lacked; they understood the importance of unity of hearts, and unity in diversities.

They were able to make the movement successful, not because the individuals in Aegis were powerful, but they were able to unite different people under one banner.

One banner that represented faith of each other, hope for the better future and perhaps love for everyone.

Luke, he clenched his fist. "...cause you guys were never pushed in to the hell where you have to look after oneself." Luke commented, not loudly, but perhaps one who was nearby him could hear what he just said.

Luke had to run alone, he had to fight alone, and he had to survive alone. He had been chased by army, he had been chased by the Legion and he even was chased out by the people he had helped.

He never had a single soul who tried to dug him out of that hell hole; he never had a person to call as comrades or allies... He always had to fight alone, help others alone and that solitude made him who he was two years ago.

And after that such hell was over, he met Mark, a beautiful soul who decided to show him beauty of the world. For the first time, Luke met a person with a soul who tried to help him to come out from the hell pit. Mark kept on saying that Luke had only saw one side of the coin, Mark wanted to show him the other side. Mark had given him new life goal, a goal to be someone to reach out to the people who had seen the dark times, to become wounded healer...

After meeting Mark, Luke started adjusted to the new order, new Kaddath, new world. He was able to become close to his family once again because of Mark, he was able to function somewhat normal because of Mark, He was able to appreciate because of Mark....

But, now, Mark was in the state of losing his life; a soul who finally came to show him other side of the coin.... who was showing him the other side of the coin....He was about to die....

To make it worse.... He was not going to die as a person, but a monster.... A caged monster.

"If you'd rather not watch, you're welcome to return to your room." Lisa offered Luke a weak smile. "Unfortunately, I'll have to escort you if that's the case. We don't know why Jax wants to talk with you yet, but rules are rules."

And that statement triggered Luke.

"So, the prisoner who wanted to kill the researcher and my friend is okay to be treated such and I, who risked life to help you to catch my own friend, is to be escorted and to be detained..."

Luke's voice was cold, and his gaze lost warmth. He pressed the door to exit "I want to walk to the guest room alone. Or am I a prisoner and a criminal, too?"

Luke exited the place, slowly starting to make his way to the guest room block.