A Circuit of Time: Book Two of Spark (A MPHFPC Fanfiction)

Chapter Four

They stood there for a while, just looking at each other.

"Did you get the location?" John asked.

"Yes. It's in a building called Genesis Lab. He said they had a room for studies about souls." Blanche replied.

"If we do this, there's a chance we will make the whole loop our enemy. I want to make sure you didn't agree to this just because I keep pushing it." John said.

"I do want it." Blanche said firmly, "But you don't have to come. I can do this."

John shook his head. "You can't. Not alone. You need to figure out how to operate the spirit pool. I will steal the vial. We are a team, like when you were questioning Declan, and I was setting fire to distract the guards. We work together."

Blanche turned away. "Are you sure you are willing to leave this loop? Leave all these? What about Emma? When she came back, I may be gone or in jail or worse."

"I left a letter for her," John said, "She will understand."

"But you are supposed to help bring an end of the wights' tyranny. You should stay and help them." Blanche reminded him. "Penny led you here for a reason."

"He led me to Emma. That's how we can help the rebellion. We bring them someone that can make a difference." John walked forward and embraced her from behind. "You don't need to try to convince me to stay. I'm not going to leave you after everything that happened, after everything you did for me. You wouldn't have lost your soul or your family if you didn't try to help me. I owe it to you."

Blanche didn't say anything, then she just nodded. "I will miss this apartment. And the night view."

John let her go and took her hand.

"Why don't we enjoy that view one more time?" He suggested.

John led her to the balcony. Below them, the lights formed a constellation of their own under the celestial ones.

"Where do you think we should go if we have to leave?" Blanche asked.

"I heard Australia is a good place to go. Too far away from the mainlands for the wights to care about." John suggested, "Maybe we can go there to start a new life, one without hollowgasts or wights."

They looked at the stars above and below, shining, glowing. Some things will never have to worry about change.

But at least they could still pretend like everything would remain the same, if just for a while.

"Can we pretend it's just another regular evening?" asked Blanche.

*

The Genesis Lab was located at the right wing of Talon Base, the military center of the loop.

Two head lights shone through the heavy mist that surrounded the base tonight. A truck drove to the gates. The driver passed a file to the guard.

John, wearing a guard's uniform stolen from Woodford Prison, snuck under the truck and held onto the underside of the vehicle.

The guard skimmed through the file and handed it back to the driver. The truck drove into the compound.

When the truck finally parked, John waited a few minutes to make sure no one was around and got out from the shadows of the metal giant. Ahead of him was a door with writings on it that read "Genesis Lab Warehouse."

He circled the building carefully, until he found an open door someone forgot to close.

Finding the place he needed to go was fairly easy, the specific research rooms on each floor were labeled at the entrance.