<Episode 21>
Welcome Back, Emily
Sid and Nero stand around a burning building, but standing in front of them is not who they thought it would be, its not Leo. But Emily.
Sid: Emily?
Emily: Sid?
She says wide-eyed.
Nero: ...
Emily locks eyes with Nero, at first she doesn't say anything, it’s not for lack of trying, the words barely leave her mouth, until she suddenly says...
Emily: Nero...
Her eyes, filled with joy and happiness but also sorrow. Nero's eyes first filled with surprise and a little hint of joy but in a moment after she said his name, they get filled with disappointment. She's not who he expected coming out from that building.
Sid: Emily, what the hell are you doing here?
Emily: I can't explain now… I...
G.S.S. operatives come out of the building.
G.S.S. 1: there she is!
G.S.S. 2: get that bitch!
They prepare to open fire on her and Nero, without hesitation Nero prepares to go on the attack but someone else beats him to it. Suddenly the G.S.S. members get pulled back into the building by what seems to be black shaded arms.
Sid: what the hell happened?
Their cries and shrieks are heard from the outside.
Emily: I uh… have a lil help
Sid: who?
A black shadow quickly covers Emily, almost like a protective shield, then the shadow takes human form. Lee appears standing next to Emily.
Lee: I told you to run and don't stop, Red. You never listen do ya?
Sid: you!?
Lee: well what do we have here? Nero, what's up?
Nero: Lee?
Sid: Emily what the hell is going on here?
Emily: I'll explain later, right now we have to go! Come on, Lee
Lee: right behind you, Red
Emily and Lee head to a couple of parked motorcycles and drive off. More G.S.S. operatives head out of the building.
Sid: we got to go
Nero grabs Sid and jumps over to the other side of the city. Lee and Emily swerve and turn to avoid hitting any people and oncoming traffic.
Lee: hahaha, you're getting good on that bike, Red
Emily: I've gotten used to it. And stop calling me “Red”
Lee: hahaha whatever Red
Emily: take the next right
Lee: got it
They both drive off into a secluded area, no soldiers in sight and miles away from the G.S.S.
They park their bikes.
Lee: so, you got it?
Emily: yeah, I did. It’s here in my back pack
With the experience he has had facing Reborns, Lee has gained an ability of sensing them as they approach.
Lee: wait up, Red. We got company
Emily: what?
Lee looks up at the sky and notices Nero raining down to their location with Sid in his hand.
Lee: nice entrance
He drops Sid to the ground.
Sid: uggh, I pretty much mentioned that you shouldn’t do that again… In case you’re not listening to me again, please Nero. Uggh, I think I'm gonna be sick
Emily: Nero…
Nero: ...
With her back pack in hand, Emily pauses for a moment to stare at Nero. After all, it’s been a year and a half since they've seen each other.
Emily: I'm glad… I'm glad you're okay
She gets overwhelmed by emotion and the tears come down running. She runs over to him and hugs him tight. But Nero barely hugs back, he's arms still hanging downward. After that, she takes a few steps back and wipes the tears from her eyes.
Lee: well that's good to know, you're actually okay
Nero: ..what?
Lee: what? You thought I didn't know about you getting nabbed by the army?
Nero: ...
Sid: yeah, yeah. We want to know what the hell were you two doing in that Genesis building
Lee: that's on a need to know basis
Sid: Emily, what the hell are you doing teaming up with this scum?
Lee: scum? Hehe
Sid: yeah, scum!
Emily: uhm guys?
Lee: you need to remember who you're talking to smartass
Sid: oh I do. You're the asshole that left us for dead back at Genesis a year and a half ago
Lee: you still on about that?
Sid: your actions led to the death of a lil girl!
Sid draws his desert eagle magnum pistols and aims them at Lee's face.
Lee places his hand on his chain-sword.
Lee: you've grown balls since I last saw you. I'll be sure to leave them still hanging between your legs as I divide your body into a dozen pieces
Emily: stop it!!
Nero: ...
Emily walks over and stands between them, her back facing Lee and her face staring into the barrel of Sid’s guns, in range of Sid's aim.
Sid: Emily, how could you stand up for him?
Emily: I hired Lee. He works for me, and right now Sid, you're actually my enemy
Sid: !!
Emily: unless, you put your guns down
Sid: he...he's the reason Lilly is dead
Emily: maybe, but how does it give you the right to be the one to avenge her!?
Sid: ...
Nero: ..put it down, Sid
Sid: Nero..
Nero: I've been through all of this before
Sid: Leo didn't have the guts to do it
Nero: Leo didn't kill him because it was the right thing to do
Sid: right thing? You preaching to me about killing after what you did!?
Emily is trying to make sense of what Sid meant by his last statement.
Nero: you're not me… and you don't know the whole story between Lee and Leo
Sid: ...
Sid slowly lowers his hands down, reluctantly.
Lee: hmm. A lot happens in a year and a half
Nero: I believe Sid asked you a question, what were you doing back there?
Emily: ..we needed something
Nero: something like what?
Emily: something that'll help me find Kieran
Nero turns away from Emily. Clearly uninterested, whenever the mere mention of Kieran’s name is uttered, he feels an overwhelming anger building up inside him.
Emily: and I think I found it
She reaches into her backpack and reveals the gamma device.
Nero: what's that?
Sid: I've seen that before
Nero: when?
Sid: Future Sight alleyway, remember when those G.S.S. guys found us? I'm pretty sure one of them had that exact device in his hands
Emily: they call it a Gamma Signal Relay. They use it to find Reborn who just recently used their abilities
Sid: they use that to find Reborn? How does it work?
Emily: It acts as a homing beacon, for instance if either Lee or Nero were to use their abilities right now, I can use this device to scan their gamma waves and once it’s done scanning, it records the waves and displays them on this screen
Nero: how the hell does that work?
Lee: once we use our abilities, our bodies leaks out gamma waves, invisible to the naked eye but it appears on that screen. The way they use it to find us is that our bodies continuously leaks out gamma waves, leaving a trail wherever we go
Sid: there's no escaping them. They could be on their way here now
Lee: you're right, but there's something else you need to know. In time our bodies stop releasing gamma waves and they lose sight of us
Nero: how long does it take for our bodies to stop leaking gamma waves
Lee: estimated… three to four hours
Sid: hours!?
Lee: yeah, and I'm guessing by now they're done scanning my waves back at the Genesis building, so I should be on my way. Red?
Emily: oh, that's right
Emily reaches in her backpack again, this time for Lee's payment.
Emily: here
She hands a fat envelope.
Lee: $50 000. I don't really do a job this cheap but… I have a soft spot for you, Red
Emily: thanks for helping me. And I told you to stop calling me “Red”
Lee: hehehe
Lee gets on his motorcycle and starts it up.
Lee: see ya when I see ya
He drives off into the road and out of their sight.
Sid: if what you said is true, then the G.S.S. will be on his tail in a few minutes
Emily: yes, but he can handle himself. He's using himself as a decoy to help me escape. That was part of the plan
Nero turns back and walks away.
Emily: Nero? Where is he going?
Sid: my guess is that he wasn't expecting to find you
Emily: Leo
Sid: yeah
Emily: still no word of him yet?
Sid: no, we actually came here looking for him. From what we found this was the last place he was seen headed
Emily: well, we can find him now. With this
She waves the gamma device in Sid’s face. Then heads off to catch up to Nero.
Sid holds her back.
Sid: wait, Emily
Emily: what?
Sid: your expectations of Nero, you should keep them low and I mean very, very low
Emily: what do you mean?
Sid: I mean that that's not the Nero you once knew
Emily: ...
Sid: like Lee said, “a lot happens in a year and a half”
Emily: It'll be fine
She runs off towards him.
Sid: that's what I kept telling myself
Emily: Nero, slow down
Nero: what is it?
Emily: I know about Leo, everything. About how you're looking for him
Nero: so?
Emily: so I can help you find him. With this device we can do it
Nero just barely stares at her.
Emily: Nero?
Nero: I heard you
Emily: so should...
Nero: look, Emily… I know you want to help and all and you think that thing is the key to doing it but from the way you explained it, Leo needs to use his abilities so we can find him and right now, we don't even know where to start scanning for gamma waves
Emily: we can… wait until he uses them then...
Nero: I don't have time to wait, I'm wasting precious seconds waiting, hell, I'm wasting them now talking to you
Nero walks off ahead and leaves Emily standing there, confused.
Emily: ...
Sid: told you
A few miles from Seraph City, the army helicopters are moments away from making their grand entrance.
Asami: what's the ETA?
Pilot: fifteen minutes ma'am
To Be Continued...
YOU ARE READING
Reborn: Ascension
ActionThe story takes place after the events of the past. It's been a year and a half year ago since Nero has been captured by the army, and Leo went missing, leaving Sid to come up with an idea of how he's going to get him free from the army's hold. Sid...
