Hawk Heart

9. Risk, no Reward

"It does sound really dangerous."

I sighed softly, relieved that not everyone was agreeing to Zeph's madman plan.

We stood in a damp, small room in the Nest. I was leaning against the back wall, Zeph stood in front addressing Zia and Ziv, both of them kept exchanging nervous glances as Zeph told them about his plan.

"You have no clue about anything about this place," Zia continued, her eyes trained on Zeph. "You know it's very very risky."

"Which is why-" Zeph emphasized, "I'm not asking you guys to come with me. I just-"

"Zeph...if you decide to go, of course we'll go with you," Zia said. "It's just that...you shouldn't."

Zeph didn't say anything, his eyebrows furrowed. He was clearly deep in thought. I hoped he would see the madness in his ways. I couldn't lose him.

Finally, he sighed. "Alright."

He turned and left immediately, leaving a suffocating silence behind him as he shut the door. Zia and Ziv exchanged another glance, identical frowns on their mouths. I decided to follow Zeph, knowing in my heart that he wasn't someone to give up so easily.

"Zeph?"

My voice echoed off the narrow hallway. Where could he be? Almost by instinct, I made my way towards the very end of the corridor, the same room where I had been some nights before. It felt like it had happened ages ago, although my scars were still raw. I clutched my forearm almost instinctively. 

Even before I stepped into the room, I knew that I had been right. And sure enough, Zeph lay down on the mattress, a key in his hand that he twirled around absent mindedly, his gaze fixed on the ceiling. He didn't move as I entered and shut the door behind me.

"You're still going to go, aren't you?"

"Yep."

I sighed as I walked over to him and sat beside him. "I...I can help."

He sat up straight so suddenly that I almost jumped. His eyes widened as he stared at me, "You're going to help me? Not...stop me?"

I sighed, biting my lip. "It's a suicide mission. But...I know you. You won't let up if it's something you want to do that's clearly important to you. And...well, it's better that you do it in the most safe way possible."

He took a shaky breath before nodding. "What can you do?"

"I know a guy," I began. "My dad's property agent. He knows everything about all the buildings and stuff my dad ever had constructed. I can get the building's location from him."

"That...that would be amazing," Zeph responded with an excitement that made me regret my decision already. "When can you get it?"

"He usually has a meeting with dad every Monday. So when he comes to our place after this weekend, I can talk to him."

"If you ask about this stuff to him though, won't he get suspicious?" he asked the question I myself had as well.

"Maybe," I shrugged. "But I can pay him to keep his mouth shut long enough for us to complete our job. But...even with the location, it'll be very difficult."

"But there's a chance that it will work," he spoke softly. "And if it does...I get to see him again."

I gulped. What had they done to Zelos at the facility? Was he even the same person anymore? I had no idea what went on there, but nothing that the House ever did could be noble. Not for the shadowcasters atleast.