T3W: Reunion [The Evil Within/Psycho Break fanfic]

Chapter 2: Preparation

“Daddy?”

“Yes, Lily?”

“What kind of person was Juli when she was younger?”

“A turncoat,” were the only two words that came to my mind.

“The person who helped protect the one thing that mattered most to me in the world,” were the words that actually came out of my mouth.

“What’s that?”

I kissed Lily on her forehead, causing her to giggle a little. Her pink and creamy white bed was just as adorable as she was, as she stared back up at me with eyes just like her mother’s.

I ran my fingers through her hair, gently caressing it. “You already know the answer.”

Lily smiled, her eyes drooping. She turned over on her bed. “Mm… Goodnight, daddy.”

“Goodnight, sweetheart,” I said as I got up from the chair by her bed.

I slowly closed the door to her room and quickly rushed to my working table. I'm not sure if I'm ready enough to meet Joseph, but five years is already too long of a wait.

I opened the computer to check the mail that Kidman sent to me earlier. It’s been four hours since we last talked, and four hours was all she was giving me to collect my bearings.

It's time.

I packed myself up with everything that could help me in this "mission." I came across my trusty revolver, resting peacefully in its holster.

"Hey there, old pal." I said as I picked it up.

A beautifully crafted, Colt M1917 revolver with the barrel group and sights of the Smith & Wesson Model 25, held together by a smooth wooden handle. The perfect companion for an old-timer like me.

I strapped the holster on, carefully fixing it to fit my body and put the revolver in. Feels just like old times when I was working in the KCPD; most police agencies have switched over to automatic pistols, but this fellow could still do quite a job.

As I walked out of my apartment, my phone rang. Kidman must've gotten the message.

"Ready for some action, Sebastian? I'll be waiting downstairs."

My heart pounded more heavily in every step I took. The closer I got to Kidman, the smaller the spaces between each of my breaths became. When I walked out on the streets, she was there, waiting for me next to a jeep. She looked up at my home.

“Two floors, huh? Nice house, but I bet for a man of your caliber you think it’s nothing special, right?”

I crossed my arms. “You had four hours to figure out a way to greet me in person and that was the best you could come up with?”

“I’m an agent, Sebastian. Not your new, friendly neighbor who just moved in with a plate of tea and crumpets.” She got inside the driver’s side of the jeep, cocking her head towards the other front seat. “Get in.”

I entered the passenger’s seat, clipping on my seatbelt as the jeep’s engine came to life with a powerful rumble. Kidman pressed her foot against the accelerator and we were off.

“What’s the plan, Kid?”

“We’ll meet up with Tatiana at the safe house, not too far away from the gates. She’ll be our guide. You will be, of course, dropped in STEM, but miles away from the core. You’ll have to find your way back to Joseph yourself. Me and few others have managed to build a STEM connector that’s hooked up to the machine at a moderate distance, which means you won’t be detected-”

“Wait, who are the ‘others?’”

“You’ll see. We don’t have much time left.”

The jeep’s loud engine continued to pierce through the night as I looked back. The apartment Myra and I worked so hard for after the “fire accident” was fading away, soon to be consumed by darkness.

“I’m hoping this mission won’t be taking too long,” I said, my eagerness showing a bit too clearly.

Kidman gave a small chuckle. “If you think confronting Joseph after five years is an easy job, then yes. It won’t take too much time and effort.”

Knowing Joseph, it probably would.

“It’s just going to be like when I rescued Lily,” I thought to myself, trying my best to ease the worried thoughts. I took a deep breath…

“Nervous?” Kidman asked, her gaze less as sharp as it was before.

“Well, yeah…”

“Need some music to go along? Radio’s all yours.”

I reached over and turned the knob. Channel 38; a familiar tune started to emerge.

“[You are now listening to the Safe Haven broadcast. How much longer would I needed here?]”