Genesis Crisis IC

Bunker

He looked at her, his expression serious. It had changed her, he could see it in her eyes. The resolve.

"It suits your cause," he simply said and followed her back into Lisa's room.

She was right though, her reasons clear and even though he liked her hair better the other way, this made her seem more grown up, more mature.

Lisa was still crying and he envied Will a little bit, who fled the room quite soon. James stood there, helplessly and unsure what to do. He decided it would be best if he left as well. "I'll try to find out what I can. Call me if you need anything," he said and retreated out of the room as well.

__________________________________________________

Prisoner Convoy

"Don't joke about that," she said, a little upset. "One day they will give you a concussion."

However, her words did nothing and when the next situation arose, Darcy made another comments that earned him another hit. Arya grabbed his arm and her fingertips turned his face to the side so she could survey the damage. It wasn't too bad …yet.

"Do you do this on purpose or are you one of those guys that just can't help it, but say what's on your mind?" she asked quietly and looked around at the guards to make sure they were out of earshot.

__________________________________________________

Military Compound

"I must've missed that class in college," he replied and grabbed the hand she reached up with. He softly kissed her fingertips and then let go of her so she could unlock the door.

It was a fairly simple room, army standard and he must've lived in about a hundred of these rooms. "Should I feel honored now?" he asked back teasingly and stepped close to Lizzy again. He winced slightly when he moved his side, but it didn't stop him from quickly pulling her down onto the bed with him.

"I'm sure they can spare you a few minutes longer," he said huskily, his eyes looking over her body hungrily and in a quick motion he kicked his boots off. Lizzy was on top of him and he could feel pain radiating from his side as he kept her weight on his chest. His hand wandered up her back and into her hair and he lifted his head to kiss her.

The kiss, however, ended sooner than he wanted when more pain shot up his ribs. Snow winced and gently pushed Lizzy to the side. "Yeah, okay. This hurts," he admitted and slowly sat up. Carefully he pulled his shirt over his head and dropped it on the floor. "Why don't we continue this when I feel a bit better?" he asked playfully, despite the pain and leaned back into the pillows.

Actually now that he was lying down somewhere comfortable, he had a hard time staying awake and his concentration kept slipping away.

Bunker

Rise bit her lip as Lisa tried to frantically beg with her to save Arya, as though she had the power to do something about it.

"Lisa.. even if we knew where she was, I don't think we could possibly catch up to them before they reach Caltha," she said gently. She didn't voice the opinion that if they had left straight from Peterny they might have caught up to them. As it was..

"Now, lie still so I can try to neutralize this tranquilizer," Rise said, easing Lisa back onto her pillow. Bringing her hands together, her right hand balled into a fist and her left hand covering it, as though in prayer, she chanted the Posumundi spell before bringing her hands up to Lisa. The greenish light covering them bathed Lisa in an eerie glow as Rise put her hands to Lisa's heart. If she could remove the tranquilizer from there, the clean blood should pump through the body and push out the drug.

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

Jax felt rather bad about it, but he couldn't help but chuckle at Alina's words.

"You can be a little dense sometimes, you know," he said, gently tapping on the side of her head with his knuckles. "What do you call us? We're your friends."

He knew it wasn't easy for her to trust people, especially since her initial welcome had been less than cordial.

"And if no one else, you can count on me," Jax added in a softer voice, grasping her hand. "I said as much, didn't I? That I'd be your ally no matter what anyone else says."

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Prison Convoy

"I think I just like pissing people off," Darcy said with a wink, followed by an immediate wince as he rubbed his bruise.

Suddenly, the door opened and in came the rag-tag remnants of the police squad, lead by its new police chief.

“Dekker?” the head officer said, approaching him. “Where are Commander Chastenay and Chief Raidon?”

“Commander Chastenay is indisposed,” Dekker said, brushing past the man. “As for Raidon, there’s a new chief now.”

The man was silent for a moment before nodding slowly. The rest of the men, following suit, quickly stood and snapped to attention.

Bunker
-Alexander Dranos

Alex clenched both of his hands, and make a quick stand. "No. I cannot be a loser like this.... I cannot let Jane sacrifice go waste." Alex closed eyes slowly opened and expelled another long breath. 'Jane wanted to bring the change; she wanted to end this conflict once and for all.' Alex stood up, "Another promise from this hypocrite boy, Jane. I will do what I can to end this conflict and bring system down for good. It would leave the world chaos, and may be more deaths in future. But, I am not going to let this faked peace to go on."

Alex picked up his katana and closed his messed up room's door. Alex tightened his jaws, then he started walking towards the training hall. His stomach didn't roar for food but for some exhaustion and Alex knew where he could get that.

Prisoner Convoy

Arya rolled her eyes and chuckled. "Why does that not surprise me?" she asked.

The smile disappeared off her face when the doors opened and more police officers filed in. They were just close enough to hear the conversation taking place and over the course of it, Arya paled. The cold truth sunk in, but she refused to acknowledge the words. Raidon and his family had always been Chief of Police, right? He had told her so himself. What terrible thing happened to end that reign?

Forgetting all caution and procedure, she stood up, not quite steady, and walked over towards the Dekker and the head officer. "What in the world happened?" she asked, trying to keep the worried tone from her voice.

___________________________________

Bunker

James joined Will in the kitchen, but he was feeling too edgy to sit down. Instead he went over to the counter to make himself a cup of tea. Tea had always a way of calming things down.

When the water finally boiled, James poured it into a cup together with a tea bag and turned back around to Will.

"So what are we going to do now?" he asked. "They will never leave us alone now."

For once he was worried, everything around them seemed to be breaking apart. His initial search for Arya had not been very conclusive and even if they left right now, would they be able to reach her in time? Or let alone be able to save her?

Bunker

Lisa seemed to wither a little when Rise told her that there was little they could do, but she had already known that much. A part of her had just been looking for something to hold onto, something to hope for...

As Rise's magic surrounded her in healing light, Lisa tried to relax, to let go of everything on her mind. She wasn't sure if it worked or not though. Even after the magic had faded, she still felt drowsy. Maybe there was just too much of the stuff in her system...

No, the soldiers had said something about this...

The reason they'd been hesitant to give her so much of it... Something about withdrawal...

"I'm sorry..." Lisa breathed, turning her eyes to Rise. "For the way I left. I didn't mean to drop it on you like that, but I had to do it..." Her eyes slipped closed for a moment, sleep almost taking her again. "Can you forgive me for it?"

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

Alina frowned at Jax's laughter, looking perplexed. "I haven't exactly done anything to warrant your friendship, or that of the others... Actually, I think I've done the exact opposite. I don't even know why the lot of you even let me stay."

She gripped his hand, which he'd taken hers with though. "Thank you though... For everything. Without you around, I don't think I would have made it." As if suddenly realizing what she'd said, Alina's cheeks flushed, and she turned her gaze away uncomfortably. Her hand continued to hold his though. Even if she wasn't sure how to accept the comfort he offered, right now, she needed it.

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

Will lit a cigarette as James entered the kitchen, and he sat in silence, simply enjoying the flavor of it until James spoke. "For today? We rest. Some of the others need it to go on." He took another long drag of the cigarette before exhaling a cloud of smoke. "After that? I'm not sure yet. It depends on whether or not we're all willing to stay the course. Something has to be done to resolve all of this. Whether or not we're the ones capable of doing it is what has left to be seen."

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

Military Compound

Lizzy wasn't sure whether to smile or frown when Snow pulled her to the bed. On one hand, she didn't exactly dislike the implications of the situation, but at the same time, she did have responsibilities to attend to. Still, she couldn't exactly resist him. The man was intoxicating.

"Yes, you should feel very honored." She whispered right before their lips met in a brief kiss. It was over quickly though, and she slipped from the bed, allowing Snow more room to breathe comfortably. "Sure." Lizzy replied, leaning over to give him another gentle kiss. "Don't keep me waiting too long though."

Whether from the pain or just being plain tired, Snow seemed to drift off without giving her a reply, and she smiled over him as she reached over to place her fingers on his wound again. This time, she put more effort into her magic, taking her time to mend the fractured bones beneath the skin. When she finally took her fingers away, the bruising was already fading, and he was clearly breathing more easily in his slumber.

"I do wish you'd take better care of yourself my heart." She whispered, so as not to wake him, and Lizzy gently kissed his brow before getting up to leave. He would know where to find her when he woke, and her students were probably slacking off, talking about her 'relationship' instead of training...

Bunker

Kokonoe entered the kitchen, unusually muted and reserved. She sat down at the far end of the table, avoiding looking at the James or Will or Alex, before finally speaking up.

"Where are the others?" she asked, sounding a bit uncomfortable.

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"I'm not sure if this is even working," Rise sighed, releasing the spell. Lisa didn't seem to have improved much.

"Hey, maybe Kokonoe might know something about it.." she wondered, then realized that Lisa still didn't know about Alina and Kokonoe having joined them. She'd have to make sure to clear that up when she got a chance. Lisa seemed more preoccupied with her sister at the moment, however.

"It's okay, Lisa," she said, giving the other girl a squeeze of her hand. "I understand."

Rise felt a pang of sympathy for the other girl. First Jax's little sister, then Jane, now Lisa's sister.. It just wasn't fair.

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

Jax still couldn't figure out why Alina didn't understand why they let her stay with them.

"You're a good person," he told her, smiling. "It's obvious. And we all want what's best for Kaddath. There's no reason we shouldn't work together."

The squeeze of her hand and her tender words made him feel a strange warmth.

"You're welcome," he replied softly, then cleared his throat. "Come on, we should get something to eat."

Still holding her hand, he pulled her up from the bed and led her to the door, making sure she couldn't resist.

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Prison Convoy

"Arya!" Darcy hissed, trying to grab her before she could get away. It was too late, however, and she'd already made her way toward Dekker and the other officer. Muttering a string of curses, Darcy got up and rushed after her, though not before she already managed to ask the new chief about Raidon.

"That doesn't concern you, filth," Dekker spat, smacking Arya across the face. Then he seemed to recognize her after a moment.

"I know you.. You're the traitor that Raidon gave so much special treatment," he said smirking. "Well, if you really want to know, I'll tell you. The great and mighty Kaiser got beaten by a bunch of no-names. And now he's lying dead in a pool of his own blood."

Darcy had reached Arya now and, after making sure the hit was not bad, tried to move her back to her spot. He felt the impulse to mention that these same "no-names" had managed to rough Dekker and his men up as well, but he didn't want to bring any more harm down on Arya.

"We're moving out now!" Dekker barked, urging the other policemen up. "Let's get these scum back in the transports."

"But Commander Chastenay.." the other officer tried to say, but Dekker shot him a look.

"I'm the new chief now! You obey my orders!" he barked.

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

Taurus Barracks

Lymond gazed at Squad 34 as they filed into his office, ranging from indifferent (in the twin's case) to outright hostile (in Lancar's case).

"Well, it's my old squad," he said, smirking. "Since you guys were the ones who dealt with the supersoldier situation before, you'll be tasked with the rest of the cleanup process."

He tossed them the mission orders, then waved them off.

"Now get going. I have things to do," he said impatiently, lighting a cigar. Lancar nodded stiffly, then marched from the room, motioning the squad to follow.

Prisoner Convoy

Arya stumbled, but managed to stay on her feet when Dekker hit her. Pain spread in her face and she blinked the tears away that tried to form in her eyes.

She stared at Dekker for a few  seconds, unable to believe what he said was true. "But…how…" she stuttered and suddenly felt weak and her straight posture disappeared when her shoulders dropped. Without objection, she let Darcy guide her back to her place in the line.

"I can't believe it," she said, her voice clearly distraught, as they stood back in line. "He was famous for his combat skills. I don't understand how this could have happened."

They began to move towards the transporters, but Arya did not really notice. She was too pre-occupied with her thoughts. These grave news made her feel confused. Why was she sad? Why did it affect her so much to hear that Raidon was dead?

Arya was honest enough to admit her sadness, despite everything she went through after he took her prisoner, he had always been calm and just, treating her with respect. Raidon had made her feel like a human being and on occasion like someone special.

Dekker however scared her, he behaved differently…he seemed much more inclined to physical outbursts, like she just experienced firsthand and his attitude towards any prisoner was pretty clear from the start.

_____________________________________________

Bunker

James nodded in agreement and took a sip of his tea. Instantly he cursed and put the cup down. Idiot, he thought, you just boiled this, what did you expect? Of course it's hot.

"Let's hope we can see it through," he replied and looked up when Kokonoe entered the room. She didn't really look like she had slept much either.

"Uhm, well Jax went to get the Commander. Rise is still with Lisa, trying to get the drug toxins out of her system. Lisa is pretty upset about her sister being sent to execution," he paused to let it sink in and then continued. "And to be honest, I haven't seen Keynes yet," James said and sad down at the table as well.

"How are you doing?" he asked her and kept looking at her to see her reaction.

Daemond

"More of the super soldiers?" Daemond stated rather worried, as he walked out of the office with the rest of the squad, breaking the silence he held in the presence of Lymond.

Those things were monsters, and it was difficult enough to handle one of them. But handling more? It almost seemed like a death wish to him. But what else could he say... It was true that they were the only ones with combat experience with these things.

"Well, the one we fought didn't seem that smart, hopefully the others follow his example." Daemond stated to lighten up the mood a bit, as he stretched his arms above his head.

Aera

"I didn't hear much from the scientist after the mission, so we can't be too sure.." Aera replied with a rather concerned look in her faded eyes with her caught in deep thought for a few moments. Her eyes drifting downwards until she turned to look at Xennox with a curious gaze.

"Do you know anything?" Aera quickly stated before he could react to her, as she looked at him with a bone chilling stare that showed she meant strictly business and nothing more.

Bunker
-Alexander Dranos

Alex started common weight lifting and running; he had to make himself tired, or else he felt like he was going to explode because of his inner rage.

Alex knew so well; he had been there, just raging and rampaging like a mad dog won't get anything done. He had to be strong and determined  of what he was going to do.

"I will make it happen, or will be the beginning of this fire that would burn this conflict once and for all." muttered Alex, firmly.

=================================================

Xennox Xylon

"Not really...  but it seems like the first one we saw was a failed experiment..." said Xennox carefully with his blank face.

The cold stare from Aera was something he didn't expect, but Xennox reacted as if it didn't matter. He was telling the truth and that was all, if she didn't want to believe it.... Xennox couldn't blame her. To her, Xennox was still a stranger and to hear her family news from the stranger... Well Xennox thought about what he felt when he learned such news from the researcher and it didn't make him feel comfortable.

"But if the failed experiment was such of a monster... I do not think other experiments would be an easy target to handle. So are we the only squad that's going to be deployed? I thought I made my report very clear..."

Bunker

"I don't think it's your fault that it isn't working Rise." Lisa mumbled, only barely conscious now. "Now that I think of it, one of the guards that kept giving me injections said that the dosage wasn't good for the body."

She yawned suddenly, and her limbs seemed to have gone limp again, including the hand holding onto Rise's. "I think one of them said it caused prolonged abnormal sleep patterns if used in excess..." Her eyes were drifting a little closer to closed with each passing second. "I just feel so useless..." The last word was barely a whisper, and no more followed it as her chest rose and fell in slumber once more.

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

Alina almost allowed Jax to pull her from the room, but she let go of his hand at the last second, pulling away. "Let me clean up a little first at least." She said softly. "You can go ahead without me. I'll be there soon. Promise."

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"Yeah, let's hope... Because none of us really have much of a choice at this point." Will frowned, crushing the remains of his cigarette into the ashtray on the table. All of them would need to be resolved though. If even one was unable to give everything for it, then the entire group could fall apart...

Bunker

"Same as always," Kokonoe replied to James with a shrug. After all, what did she have to be bothered by? It wasn't her fault. She tried to warn them about Jane. She never asked for Jane to die...

Jax and Rise entered the kitchen, sitting at the table in silence.

"Alina will be joining us soon," he said, breaking the silence.

"Is she okay?" Rise asked, putting her personal feelings on hold. Jax nodded and smiled, seemingly grateful for her concern.

"Yeah, she will be. And Lisa?" he prompted. Rise sighed and shook her head.

"I'm not sure how to get the tranquilizer out of her system, other than just wait, but.."

She trailed off before looking at Kokonoe, wondering if it was a good idea.

"Do you think you might know how to counteract it?" she asked the researcher, who seemed distracted.

"Hmm? Oh yeah, I'll take a look," Kokonoe said vaguely. Rise bit her lip, wanting to say more, but she had to accept it at that.

"So, what do we do now?" she decided to ask instead, voicing the question they were probably all wondering. Jax shook his head, unsure what to say. The sad fact was, without Keynes, they had very little direction.

"I wish Keynes.." Rise began to say, but stopped. There was no telling how long it might take him to get over this. There was an awkward pause before Kokonoe suddenly got up, heading out of the room. Rise assumed it was to go see Lisa, but the very uncomfortable look on the researcher's face indicated otherwise..

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Taurus Barracks

The squad reached the airship and headed in. Lancar was obviously trying to remain calm and in control, but was visibly aggravated. He handed the papers over to Daemond before sitting down in one of the seats.

"You mind reading those to the squad so we know the mission orders?" he asked, not watching to see if Daemond followed through.

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

Prison Convoy

The doors to the outpost opened suddenly, and a voice came from the entrance.

“Anyone who has to shout that they’re the Chief isn’t worthy to hold that title.”

Dekker and the prisoners turned and saw a familiar figure standing in the doorway.

Familiar? No, there was nothing familiar about him. His uniform was torn, the collar stiffly bound under his chin now hanging open from missing Prisma. White bandages covered numerous wounds on his body. His cape and hat were missing, but somehow he seemed even more imposing than before.

“No... How did you survive?” Dekker whispered, staring at his former superior, Samael Raidon. He appeared to see no point in responding and merely pulled out his katana, moving into his stance. The policemen hesitated, looking between Raidon and Dekker.

“Well, what are you waiting for?” Dekker growled, turning on them. Raidon’s eyes narrowed, and for the first time he spoke.

“They’re hesitating because they know that no matter how damaged my body may be, it’s still enough to take you all down.”

After all, it was never his weaponry or skill that made him great. No, it was his will of iron, his steely resolve.

Dekker flushed with anger as he shouted, “Get him!”

The policemen rushed forward, weapons raised. Raidon’s katana flashed through the air like a comet’s tail. Blood splattered with the sound of tearing flesh. Where did it come from: the one who swung the sword or the one who received it? Though policeman after policeman crumpled to the floor under Raidon’s sword strokes, his bandaged become more steadily dyed with red with each swing of the blade.

In a moment, Dekker realized that he was the last of his men standing. Shaking and white with a mixture of fear and rage, Dekker rushed forward, sword held high as he let out a loud cry.  Almost effortlessly, Raidon blocked the downward swing with one arm before forcing Dekker back, knocking him to the ground. With his sword knocked out of his hand, Dekker trembled as he stared up at Raidon.

“Are you going to kill me now?” he whispered. Raidon stared at him as though he were an unpleasant smear on the bottom of his shoe.

“And have you forget this humiliation so soon? Not likely,” Raidon answered, swinging his leg back and bringing it crashing across Dekker’s face, knocking him senselessly to the ground.

All was silent for a few moments as the prisoners, immobilized with shock and fear, gazed at Raidon. What did he want with them? Was he their savior, or their executor? Moments ticked by before a solitary word broke the silence.

“Go.”

With those words, the prisoners in front took a few tentative steps forward, then suddenly dashed toward the exit, the others surging in their wake. Darcy and Arya, at the back of the group, were able to watch as Raidon stood tall and unflinchingly as the last of the prisoners passed by and through the exit. His eyes sought Arya for a moment before he began to cough blood and collapsed to his knees.

Hopeless... it had been hopeless. A senseless impulse. He'd done everything in his power - beyond his power - to rescue Arya. But the answer still evaded him. He felt nothing. Nothing but disappointment before his head fell to the pavement and his vision became black.

Darcy felt a momentary flicker of sympathy before hurrying past the dying man.

“Come on, let’s go,” he called to Arya, pausing to look back as he stood at the exit.

Prisoner Convoy

"No."

It was a simple word, but from her voice it was clear, she would not change her mind. Her eyes looked over to Darcy almost apologetically when he passed Raidon and asked her to come. She could see that he wanted to ask again and shook her head slightly, motioning for him to go.

That moment, when her eyes locked with Raidon's grey eyes. The moment seemed to last forever and for a second she felt as if he was the only person in existence and for a second she could see it… his true being revealed for a short moment. The ice that usually kept them from showing any emotion was gone for the blink of an eye before it returned.

She felt concerned, relieved and glad at the same time. It confused her at first but then she realized what the feeling was...that warm feeling rising up in her chest, making her feel as if everything was going to be okay and tears began to collect in her eyes, threatening to brim over and blur her vision.

Suddenly, he collapsed on the ground and the spell, that his piercing eyes held over her, broke. Without thinking twice, Arya hurried forward and kneeled down next to him. There was so much blood. Her hands shook slightly when she felt for his pulse, almost as if she felt afraid that he would vanish if she touched him.

His pulse was still going strong, but she could see that he kept losing blood fast. Helplessly, she looked around until her eyes fell onto the jeep Dekker had arrived it. Of course, it was standard army issue, everything she needed was in there.

"Please don't die," she whispered, working now without hesitation. Even though first aid and medical help was not her field of expertise, she had seen her share of wounds during her time in the military. Carefully she peeled his ripped shirt off and started to take care of his wounds, especially the ones leaking through the bandages. Her cool fingers gently touched his body, feeling for any fractures while her eyes kept returning to his face, hoping he would open his eyes.

_______________________________________________

Bunker

As expected Kokonoe did not share much of her feelings, but James let it go. Who knew what was going on in her head, maybe he didn't want to know.

While the others came in, James kept drawing a circle around his cup until the dreaded question about what they should do now came up. He looked up and shrugged slightly.

"I'm inclined to agree with Will," he said. "We need to rest. Some more than others." His dark blue eyes wandered around the table before they returned to his cup of tea. "And then…," he shrugged. "We need to decide what will be next. Are we able to continue this with everything we have or is it breaking us faster than we can end the conflict?"

There was a hard tone in his voice, something that showed he wasn't planning on backing down, despite everything that happened. Yes, he made the decision to be part of this a long time ago and it was not something he planned to back down from.

Daemond(Airship)

"Of course sir!" Daemond stated quickly rising his eyes from before, as he met the lieutenant's eyes to see the grim and rather annoyed look in his eyes, as Daemond promptly grabbed the paper moments later.

Daemond diverted his eyes from Lancar's gaze and towards the paper.  It appeared the paper was full of a bunch of poorly backed up information about the super soldiers, but as Daemond's eyes slowly scrolled down the paper he reached the information that Lancar wanted him to say.

"Here it is, it seems one of the super soldiers were seen escorting a man in similar garb to the researcher we rescued." Daemond stated, as he let the information soak in for a bit, turning back to the paper with a concerned look in his eyes "Our main priority is to kill that super solider."

At that moment, Daemond pulled out a sheet that was poorly placed in the orders and rather wrinkled at the same time, almost like whoever handled it didn't give a care about.  Quickly placing the sheet on a table in front of him, and creasing out the various wrinkles, was a map of the various super solider sighting in the area, red dots symbolizing their targets and a white dot symbolizing the researcher's last known location.

"It appears that the red dots lead in this direction." Daemond mumbled, as it lead to one of the stronger bases of the legion that their small squad would never be able to pierce.

Aera(Airship)

It was annoying to not see the map, and Aera wasn't about to use her angel eyes on something trivial as this.  However, she could hear enough about the situation to notice one thing from the noise Daemond made as he traced his finger over the map.  It was path leading somewhere, almost like the super soldiers were planning something.

"They're probably protecting the route from ambushes, so that researcher must be pretty important considering they have the super soldiers watching it." Aera mumbled in annoyance, as she figured this would lead to a few different explanations.

Either, there was small platoons of legion who were controlling the super soldiers or those soldiers really did have some intelligence inside of their brains.  Though, there was still a more concerning matter that Aera had to deal with right now..

"Is something bothering you sir?" Aera asked in a concerned but still professional tone, as she shifted her gaze towards Lancar to see how he was doing.

Bunker
-Alexander Dranos

Alex continued his training, trying to burn every single rage inside him; every hate he felt for the world and the situation he was in.

Alex dropped to the training floor, panting heavily. The weight in his arms and legs felt heavier, and one by one, Alex released himself from the weight. Alex eyes steadily stared at the ceiling, then get up a moment later.

"I have to make sure everyone is doing alright... I am not the only one whose going through this." muttered Alex, "Got to be strong, Alex.... you got to be...." Alex went to the shower room to take shower, a quick one to wash his sweat. As the cold water started to touch his skin, he felt like the water was trying to cool his temper. "There is no backing down...  Aegis has to make the people know what's really going on..."

=================================================================

Xennox Xylon
-Airship

Xennox sat quietly, and stared at the window.  Xennox was so sure that his report definitely mentioned that one squad barely defeated one super soldier. Yet, here they are...

The army decided to send one squad and that squad is where Xennox was and where his little, no, young sister was. Xennox fist clenched gently, 'That Lymond guy.... I am starting to dislike him....' thought Xennox.

Bunker

"Speaking of rest..." Will muttered as he pushed himself to his feet. "I know one idiot that probably isn't getting any right now." He stopped in the doorway and sighed.

"Rise, you want to come along for this? We're probably gonna have to kick his ass, and he listens to you more often."

"Are we having some sort of intervention?" Alina asked as she stepped inside the room. She still looked like she could use a good night's sleep, but aside from that, she'd managed to clean herself up fairly well.

"Something like that..." Will replied, the corner of his mouth twisting up in a crooked grin.

"Well, don't let me stop you." She said, pulling out the chair that Kokonoe had vacated a few moments before and sitting down. "I do have a story to tell you all though, if you care to listen." Alina swallowed nervously, and her eyes drifted to Jax as she looked for the courage to tell it.

Bunker

Rise sighed at the mention of an idiot not resting. No doubt Alex was masochistically taking all of this out on his own body.

"Yeah, I'm coming," she muttered, following after Will. She paused, however, as Alina entered the room, telling them she wanted to tell them a story.

"Sure. We'll be right back," Rise said, trying to offer a friendly smile before heading after Will to the gym. As expected, Alex was muttering to himself and pushing himself beyond healthy boundaries.

"Alex, give it a rest," she sighed, sounding more weary than annoyed as she intended. "You need to get something to eat and relax."

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

Jax watched Rise and Will leave before turning back to Alina and offering her a smile.

"Glad you're out and about," he said warmly. There was a moment's pause before he realized James was still there. Clearing this throat, he turned to look at the other man.

"Hey, James, have you been able to get any news then? I'm interested to hear if the Army's making what happened yesterday public news or not," Jax said, scratching his chin.

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

Kokonoe stopped in front of a door and swallowed thickly before entering without knocking. She might lose her resolve if she stopped to think what she was doing. Besides, she wasn’t asking for permission anyway.

In the dimly lit room, Keynes sat like a corpse. His expression was vague, dead and faraway. She stood in the doorway, purposely avoiding looking at him. Her mouth was drawn taught, and her neck stood out rigidly.

She should feel happy.

Her legs began to move, her feet carrying her toward him.

She should relish in his pain.

She reached the bed and sat down beside him, eyes fixed on the floor.

She should want to hurt him, like he -

She swallowed, nails digging into the palms of her hands as willed herself to speak.

“Let it out,” she said, her voice toneless, callous. “You can’t afford to sit here and feel sorry for yourself. There’s a room of kids out there that are lost without someone to guide them. Without you. She made a choice. You have to too. So let it out, and let’s be done with it.”

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

Prison Convoy

Darcy watched Arya treat Raidon, determined not to let him die. He sighed to himself, running a hand through his dirty blonde hair. He'd known.. he'd known it would be like this. But still, it was hard to believe she could really -

"He's got a fever," he pointed out, having walked back up to stand behind Arya. "We need to get him somewhere he can rest and bring down his fever. If we stay here any longer, they'll recapture us and him."

Grabbing Raidon around the torso, he indicated for Arya to get his legs and carried him inside Dekker's jeep, laying him across the backseat.

"Come on, get in," he said, motioning to Arya as he slid into the driver's seat. "I know a place you can hideout with him. It's not far."

Starting up the engine, he put the jeep into gear and sent it screeching out of the outpost, heading toward the last town they had passed.

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

Taurus Barracks

Lancar nodded absentmindly as Daemond communicated the orders. The twins snatched the map away from Daemond and began to study it, muttering between themselves as they poured over it.

"What? Oh.. it's nothing," he said evasively, feeling annoyed at Aera's perceptiveness and angry at himself for being annoyed with her. "Anyway, we should all rest up and prepare for when we arrive. It shouldn't take too long."

Jeep

Arya looked up gratefully when she heard Darcy's voice. In all honesty, she had not expected him to stay, but she was glad he did. Her next worry would have been to get out of here, in fear that reinforcements would come.

Grabbing the first aid bag, she climbed in the jeep and held on tight as they sped away from the army outpost.

"Thank you for not leaving," she said, knowing it probably went against everything he usually did and the nothing good could come from this for him. He showed more courage than she gave him credit for. "Where are we going?" she asked.

She looked at him earnestly for a few more seconds and then diverted her attention back to Raidon. Darcy was right, he was running a fever. Arya climbed from the passenger seat to the rear and injected Raidon with a anti-infection agent. It burnt unpleasantly, but it was an effective way to clear up any blood infections.

Next she used some ice spray on a cloth and put it over his forehead to cool him down.

While Darcy drove the jeep, she sat down next to Raidon's motionless figure in the back. He still looked pale and she anxiously felt his cheek to see if the fever was still burning him up. With a gentle touch, she moved his blood stained hair out of his face.

"This was not supposed to happen, was it?" she whispered and stared out the window while the landscape sped by.

___________________________________________

Bunker

James watched Rise leave, still it was hard to get used to her new looks. It took him a few seconds to snap back to the situation in the room and realize that Jax asked him a question.

"Well, they're upset, but they're keeping it tight. No information was released outside of the army network. And even in there they have restricted access," he said. "Everything related just became red hot and they're watching it like hawks."

He looked at the Commander and nodded. He'd be willing to hear what she had to say. These past events probably changed her, and they definitely made her more human in his eyes and he was interested to know more.

Alexander Dranos

Alex stood up slowly from where he was, he dusted himself. "You are right." Said Alex gently smiling at his friends. "We all should take a break and think about what to do." Alex voice was gentle, yet, firm. "Jane would have wanted us to make sure this conflict ends forever." Alex picked up his katana. "How's Keynes and Lisa? Are they alright?"

Airship (Army Squad)

The airship began to shake, as it came down towards the ground to land in a clear and open area with healthy trees in surrounding it. Though, the vibe the surroundings gave was anything but light and healthy, as the darkness in the trees gave off an ominous vibe just due to the fact a monster could be waiting for them inside.

“I’m dropping you off here; the last airship was destroyed by those things, so I’m going to keep my distance.” The pilot stated, as he looked back the various annoyed members of the army, specifically evading the gaze of the more threatening ones “We’re just a tad bit west of the first sighting of the super solider in the path, so you should run into your target if you head east.”

Airship (Aera)

“How should we advance sir?” Aera stated in a rather concerned voice, as she glanced over the lieutenant.
It wasn’t the forest that intimidated her, she relied on her hearing after all, but with Lancar the way he was it would be dangerous for a mission like this. Well, for the time being she would make a suggestion that should work.

“With my advanced hearing I think we should stick together, because I’ll be able to hear any of the incoming super soldiers rather easily since our target is the researcher, after all.” Aera stated with a nod in agreement with herself, as she waited for a response.

Airship (Daemond)

“Though, shouldn’t we have someone split up? If we miss the researcher, we’ll have to rush through the forest to get to him which will alert the entire lot.” Daemond stated with a hint of despair, as he didn’t like this mission in the slightest. It was too risky, as one bad move could have them heavily ambushed and this entire mission also seemed rather fishy.

Cash and Carrie would be good candidates; they’re used to going alone so they could maneuver past the super soldiers and check the front while the main team sneaks through the bulk.

"Do you think you two could handle it?" Daemond quickly suggested, as he pointed towards the two of them.

Bunker

Will rolled his eyes when Alex caved into Rise's wishes immediately. "Well, that went better than expected." He muttered.

"Lisa's still out of it, and Keynes hasn't left his room since last night." Will replied to Alex's question as they made their way back to the kitchen.

Alina seemed to be lost in thought when they returned, but she quickly returned her attention to them when she realized that the table had become crowded. Once again, she glanced around nervously, but after a few deep breaths and several sips of coffee, she leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table so she was closer to all of them.

The look on her face was pained as she began, but with every word, her voice seemed to gain a little strength.

"I'm honestly not sure where to begin, but I guess I'll start with the facts."

"Obviously, our current administration has some 'issues'. I tried to remedy them from within the system, but as you can see, my attempts were in vain."

"For Jane, it was the same. Even though we sometimes bent the rules, we never broke them. That's how my father raised us, how our father raised us..."

She paused for a second, smiling sadly. "Our family has always been considered honorable. That was one of the reasons for what Jane became I think. You see, she was my father's child, but her mother was a woman that my father was with before he met his wife. He didn't even know that Jane existed until I was already born and named heir to the household."

"If her existence had been made public, the family's image would have suffered greatly. So, instead of making her heir, our father quietly adopted her. He was trying to do right by her, but I think that actually hurt Jane more than it helped. You see, she never quite belonged on the estate. That's probably why she became an Agent, to get away from the awkwardness at home."

"Needless to say, my father wasn't pleased with the decision, but since it had already been made, he took Jane into his service. Where I was the honored child, given all of the family's rights, Jane was always in the shadows, and father pushed her as hard as he pushed me, maybe harder, to ensure that she was the best at her job. The difference was, although he pushed me, he also offered me emotional support. Jane didn't have that. She only had the next mission, up until she stopped coming home at all..."

Her eyes drifted from one face to the next, looking at their reactions. "I couldn't even cry out for her when she died yesterday because it would have broken the oath I gave our father. Never was I to reveal Jane's association with our family in front of anyone connected to the administration, even in death, I must honor that oath, even if it meant I couldn't hold my sister in her dying moments, even if that meant I had to bury her without her ever knowing how much I cared. So, to honor the memory of my sister, I'll do the one thing the rest of my family couldn't. I will fix this, no matter how many rules have to be broken in the process."

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

Keynes wasn't even aware that anyone else had entered the room until he felt the bed dip from Kokonoe's weight. As if barely registering her presence, he brought the bottle in his hand to his lips, but there wasn't even anything left in it to drink. There hadn't been for hours, it was just an empty motion that brought him a small measure of comfort.

"It's not myself I feel sorry for..." He said vaguely, letting his arm go slack but continuing to hold onto the empty bottle. "I'm still alive."

Was he really though?

"If they need someone to lead them, then you're a better choice anyway. You were always better." Keynes brought the bottle up again, and for the first time realized it was empty. Frowning at it, he threw it at the wall, where it shattered, leaving a pool of glass on the floor.

"I can't say I didn't deserve this..." He said softly, his eyes looking at an image beyond the wall in front of him. "I've caused so much pain for the ones I loved. Can I even say I truly loved them?"

He was silent again for a moment before continuing. "I think I loved her, but part of me says it was all a lie, that I was just using her, the same way that they all used her. That part of me says I was trying to fill a void that I created when I walked away from my first love, a void that I had no right to fill since it was of my own making. Is that really love? Was the first really love either?" His voice was hollow, broken.

"I don't even know how to feel anymore..."

"What scares the hell out of me is that I actually welcome the emptiness though."

Bunker

Rise rolled her eyes, smiling slightly at Will's words.

"Yes, a little too easy," she replied, following after them. As they entered the kitchen, her eyes fell on Alina once again. The recent circumstances had changed her way of thinking, but she couldn't help but feel a small, dull throb of jealousy.. inadequacy at the sight of the other woman, particularly when Jax gave her an encouraging smile as she started to speak.

Rise honestly didn't know what she had been expecting, but it certainly wasn't this. Her voice seemed to catch in her throat as she processed this information. Jane.. Jane was Alina's half-sister?

Jax placed a hand reassuringly on Alina's and frowned with convinction.

"Alina.. if you really want to do something, I think now's the time to finally make a statement for Aegis. The people of Kaddath need to know there's people out there fighting for them, not their own gain."

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

Kokonoe had to disagree. She'd realized back when Millie had died that those who had passed were not the ones to mourn for. After all, they were gone, where nothing else could hurt them. It was those left behind that had to deal with their aftermath of their passing.

It was a testament to how far gone she herself had been once when she didn't flich at the sudden throw of the bottle, the loud splinter of shattered glass. No, more than that, she was too stunned by what she was hearing. No, this was not at all what she had expected.

When she had seen them return, Jane's lifeless body in his arms, she'd felt guilt, pain, and hatred at the sight of his face.

It hurt.

She hated it.

It hurt.

She hated that woman.

It hurt.

She hated him.

It hurt.

She hated herself.

He was crying over that woman..

That woman with a gentle, pleasant disposition.

That woman with a beautiful face and silky hair.

That woman with elegant poise and a lovely body.

That woman who was everything she wasn’t.

That woman who had done what she never could.

Jane Doe. He had cried over her, when he’d never once…

But she was wrong. She could now see how wrong she was. He wasn't crying for Jane. He was crying for himself.

Disgust. Disgust welled up inside her, eclipsing everything else.

"You're pathetic.." she whispered, standing up. "I can't believe I came here to actually comfort you for losing her. You don't feel sorry for her, any more than you felt sorry for me. You just feel sorry for yourself."

She crossed over to the door, wrenching it open and stepping into the doorway.

"Cut the crap about welcoming the emptiness and the abyss. You have no idea what it's like to be alone."

He thought she could lead. He had the nerve to voice such a thing, when she'd never once been able to make a friend. When she'd only manage to get close to one person, only to lose him without a word..

"Get off your sorry ass and help those kids. Be a man for once in your life. If you can't do that much, then just go."

She slammed the door shut, leaving him alone with those words.

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

Jeep

"Don't thank me," Darcy muttered, rubbing his temple. "I must be nuts to do this..."

He glanced back in the rearview mirror as Arya tended to their unconscious burden. Why she would look at him with those eyes was beyond him..

"A safehouse," he replied after a few moments, checking to see if they were being followed. "A friend of mine owns a shop with a secret backroom. She's let me hide out there a few times when things were hot."

They drove the rest of the way in relative silence, only punctuated by quiet, fevered grunts from Raidon, his brow furrowed in pain.

They entered the town, trying to avoid too much attention. Fortunately, their destination was on the outskirts of town, away from prying eyes. As they pulled up, Darcy jumped out and once more grabbed Raidon around the middle, letting Arya take the legs as they carried him in the back door. At once, a woman appeared - a pretty woman in her mid-twenties with long brown hair and a beauty mark above her lips.

"Well, I don't see you in years and you shop up with a half-dead man on my back step," she said, raising an eyebrow at Darcy. He sighed and indicated Raidon with a jerk of his head.

"Long story, Celia. I'll explain later. Can we use the room?"

Cecelia sighed before motioning them in. Fortunately, she did not appear to have any customers that day, so she was able to take them right up the stairs. When they reached the top, Cecilia slid a picture aside, and the wall in front of them opened enough for a person to slip past. Darcy went first, carrying Raidon in. The room was small, but spacious enough to accomodate a bed, a small desk, and a chair.

"You should be safe here. Knock on the floor three times if you need to get out," Cecilia said kindly to Arya, returning a few moments later with some first aid. She shot a look at Darcy, as though reminding him that he owed her an explanation, before slipping out and leaving the three of them.

"Well, I guess this is it," Darcy said, rubbing his neck. "It's better if we split up and I take the jeep. Avoid detection that way.."

Again, he felt the impulse to tell her that this was crazy, that she was aiding the person who had condemned her to death but.. Well, he had come back.

"I just hope you know, there is the possibility he won't.. feel the same way," he added quietly, looking concerned.

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

Dekker sat with an ice compress pressed against his head, teeth aching from being ground together. The remnants of the police force after Raidon had gotten through with them were attempting to get the situation under control. But casualties, wounded, and no prisoners... it was looking bad.

"He couldn't have made it here by himself," he muttered. His men looked up, confused.

"Sir?" they inquired.

"Search through his records. Find anyone he may have contacted recently. I want him found."

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

Army Squad

Lancar realized he was doing a rather terrible at job at leading the squad right now, but he couldn't manage to clear his mind right now to focus on the task at hand. Fortunately, Daemond seemed to be handling it rather well.

"Yeah, sure," Cash shrugged, looking at his sister for confirmation. Carrie nodded, and the twins stepped away from the others. Lancar looked up at Daemond, nodding for him to take the lead.

Bunker

James listened quietly, mesmerized by her story. Even if he wanted, he couldn't walk away from it. This was certainly revealing and it explained a great deal, for instance why Jane was so good at what she did and why sometimes, though rarely, she did have a sad look in her eyes, that he always attributed to other things.

Yet, even now, he couldn't see the resemblance between Jane and the Commander. They were completely different in appearance as well as disposition.

"I had no idea…" he murmured and his hands kept playing with the empty tea cup. "That was quite the revelation," he added and looked at Alina.

"Be assured, you won't have to do it alone. We're all here to make a difference, now even more so than before," he said and looked at her for a short second before his eyes drifted away again, focusing on his cup.

___________________________________________

Safe House

Arya unstrapped the first aid bag from her shoulder and turned around to look at Darcy. This, the house and the nice woman was not something she expected to see when Darcy spoke of his friend and the secret back room. Everything was so tidy and inviting.

She walked up to him and stood there for a second just looking, unsure what to say. "Thank you," she whispered and threw her arms around him to give Darcy a hug. This was harder than she had imagined it and she could feel tears collecting in her eyes.

A few seconds later she took a step back. "I know," she answered his concern. "However it doesn't matter. He didn't deserve to die after what he did." Her voice was warm and passionate and she meant every word of it.

Arya gave him another long grateful look and then turned back around, walking over to Raidon. Checking the bandages, she replaced a few, applying a green paste, that was among the first aid Celia brought in, directly on the wounds to speed up the healing process.

After replacing the cooling cloth on his head, she walked over to the small cabinet and grabbed a small bite to eat and a glass of water. When she was feeling better, she sat down next to him on the bed and exhaustion from all the stress caught up with her. For the first time she could relax, she could let go of her fear that had haunted her the past couple days.

Her head rested on her knees as she watched Raidon sleep uneasily, her thoughts wandering back to the moment they met.

Bunker

Keynes didn't respond to Kokone's accusations. How could he when she was right on every count? Or at least she had been until she said he had no idea what it was like to be alone. No, he knew that all too well, especially now...

Maybe a part of him had realized at some point that he could have gone back, but that had been too long ago. The wounds were too deep now, and they had been left alone to fester for far too long.

He could only laugh bitterly after she slammed the door shut behind her. Tears wouldn't come any longer though. He'd already used them all up. "Don't you see?" Keynes asked the emptiness around him. "Trying to be a man was what ruined everything in the first place..."

For several moments, he sat there in the darkness, just staring at nothing. In his mind there was turmoil though. What if he was wrong? What if him trying to be a man hadn't been what ruined it all? Maybe, just maybe, it had been his failure to follow through with the course instead. If that was the case, could he afford to not follow through with the course now?

No, it didn't matter for him. He was already an empty shell. First Kokonoe, and now Jane. Keynes was very good at destroying the ones who had loved him. Already he had failed far too many people. He couldn't do the same with Rise, with Alex, or any of the others.

Sighing his resignation, Keynes pushed himself from the bed and looked in the mirror. His eyes were bloodshot, and the stubble on his chin was thicker than usual. "You look like shit man..." He mumbled as he reached for a razor.

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

Will let out a low whistle when Alina finished her story. "Now if that doesn't just turn everything upside down, I dunno what will..." He said, getting up to refill his coffee cup.

Alina gave Jax and James grateful looks, but she shook her head at Jax's recommendation. "I'm grateful for all the help you've given me, and I look forward to continuing to rely on all of you, but right now, I'd make a poor figurehead. Even if the people love me, they can't blindly trust me at the moment. I don't mind making the speech, but we need something to prove we're on their side first."

"I might be able to help with that." Keynes said as he walked into the room. Will gaped at the site of the other man, almost dropping his recently refilled coffee cup to the floor, and Alina looked a bit worried by his appearance as well.

In addition to shaving all but a thin line of stubble that ran along his jaw, Keynes had also buzzed down the hair on his head, which actually made him look much younger, surprisingly. Of course, it also made him look a lot more intimidating.

"What are you lot staring at?" He snapped as he crossed the kitchen to pour himself a cup of coffee. "Do you want to hear what I have to say or not?"

Alina cleared her throat, trying to process this as the same man from yesterday. "I'm willing to listen." She said, glancing at the others in the room to see how they were handling this.

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

Military Compound

After making sure Snow was resting properly, Lizzy had made her way back to the dojo, and despite snide remarks from her students, she was making good progress with them today. They seemed to be getting things right more often than before, and she wondered if her hellish training during the previous days was the cause, or if they were pushing themselves so they could be done faster and leave her alone with Snow.

Well, either way, it wasn't so bad that they were improving. Maybe she'd make proper recruits out of them yet...

Bunker

Kokonoe had reentered the kitchen after checking on Lisa, mostly unnoticed as she sat back at the end of the table. She'd only caught the end of Alina's speech, but it was enough to put the pieces together. Still, that was only of minor importance to her at the moment. She was more preoccupied with the thought of -

"Keynes.." Rise said, blinking in surprise. Kokonoe looked up slowly, astonished to see the transformation from the man she had seen not that long ago. He looked hardened, fierce, determined.. And she had to admit, the buzzed head was a good look for him.

"Let's hear it," she said, voice surprisingly unaggressive, as she lit a cigarette. Eyes swiveled to her momentarily in surprise before turning back to Keynes. Jax nodded, and Rise smiled encouragingly.

"Yeah, what do you have in mind, Keynes?" Rise said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ears.

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

Safe House

Darcy returned Arya's hug, feeling himself deflate. This was going to be harder than he expected as well.

"Take care," he said softly, giving her a swift kiss on the cheek before turning and heading out of the door, shutting it behind him without another glance.

It was some time after Arya had sat down to watch him that Raidon's gave a grunt, his eyes fluttering open.

"What.." he groaned, trying to move. Such a thing was impossible in his condition, as he quickly discovered. It ached. Everything ached. He had already known pushing his body beyond its means might prevent it from functioning properly, but it was another thing to experience it.

Resigned, he relaxed back on his pillow to survey his situation and surroundings. He appeared to be nearly clothless, his wounds dressed and bandaged. The room was, of course, unfamiliar; however, the person sitting beside his bed was not. His grey eyes locked on her - the woman he'd staked his last hope on - for several moments before he turned away, gritting his teeth.

"Why?" the former chief asked in a hoarse voice, staring intently at the wall. "Why didn't you leave me?"

Twice.. he'd managed to evade death twice now, and for what? Was this his punishment - to keep being forced to live without the answer Jane had managed to find?

Military Compound

Snow woke up a few hours later, at first a little disoriented as to where he was. The he remembered and sat up, touching his side. It felt fine and even the bruising started to fade.

Carefully he stretched his arms and took a deep breath, but no pain shot up his side. His thoughts went out to Lizzy, feeling grateful. She must've had decided to heal him after all, once he'd fallen asleep. Actually the last few moment before sleep had capture him, were a little hazy anyways.

"I'll have to remember to thank her later," he said to himself.

The room was empty and quickly he got up and grabbed his clothes. After throwing his shirt and boots on, he exited her room and walked down the hall towards the dojo.

___________________________________________

Bunker

James was so surprised when Keynes entered that he tipped his empty tea cup over. It fell to the ground with a loud clang. Luckily it didn't break and James picked it up and carefully placed it on the table.

Keynes' appearance had changed quite a bit, he looked very unusual, but younger. However, his spirit seemed to have returned, something James was grateful for.

"Yeah, I want to hear it too," he simply agreed with the others and turned around on his chair to look at Keynes.

___________________________________________

Safe House

Arya sat up when Raidon suddenly opened his eyes. She gazed back calmly until he turned his head.

She didn't immediately answer his question but instead stood up and walked over to the desk. Her hands were shaking a little when she filled a glass with water and brought it back to the bed where she set it down on the nightstand next to him.

"Why?" she echoed back and sat down in the chair, looking at the floor as she kept playing with a lock of her hair. "Did you want to die?" She sounded surprised and upset about his attitude.

She felt unsettled by his cold attitude. Well what did you expect? she thought to herself.

Bracing herself for another cold look, she lifted her eyes to his face. "How are you feeling?" she asked. "Are you in pain?" Her voice was gentle and concerned and she touched the bandage on his shoulder to make sure the bleeding had stopped.