New Elysium: Breakout

Effect Part 52

"Wake up already!"

She didn't react. Her pulse and breathing were steady again now, but she just didn't wake up. The last thing he had heard was Angel scream, and then, silence. But what Nova had felt in the brief moment before that had filled him with such profound abhorrence and misery that he began to worry now that something had happened to the other two.

"Come on now..."

Suddenly, she shifted in his arms and groaned in pain. He knew that it was Null right away. Seconds later, he could feel that Lars was back too. He sighed in relief and just gave in to his urge to pull them in a tight embrace for a moment. She stiffened in his embrace and he knew it was definitely them.

"Finally! Took you long enough!"

"Let go of me, Nova, for fucks sake," she groaned. That was Null who was back in control, without a doubt.

"Good to have you back with the living," he remarked as he got to his feet and stretched out a hand to help her up. She glanced up at his face, and whatever she saw on it caused her to frown.

"How much... did you feel?" she asked with consternation.

"Enough to tell that you kicked that AI's ass good," he answered with a smirk and patted her shoulder.

"Sorry...about the pain..." she mumbled, averting his gaze.

"Don't worry about it, Pirate Queen," he winked at her. "You can always make up for it later."

"You wish," she replied drily, all concern for him gone from her voice again.

His grin only widened.

"I do," he acknowledged. "I have to say though, if you ever get tired of pirating, you would make for a pretty good antivirus software."

Null turned and focused her eyes on him again. "You're insufferable, Nova." But her lips quirked and he knew she was trying not to smile. 

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Red's adrenaline rush, barely slowed as he sensed Ember come into the room, his pulse was pounding in his ears or maybe that was the wound. He couldn't tell, his breathing was heavy and he staggered back away from the body of Darius Dawson. 

A huge weight lifted off of him, only to be replaced by a new one. He'd just killed Ember's father and although he knew it was the right thing, the only thing that was going to keep him from coming after her, fear coursed through him. What if she didn't see it that way? He didn't dare turn around to look at her now. 

"Red." Her voice caught and he turned slightly only to see her staring at her father's body. "He was an augment... He..." She trailed off, and he knew she was shocked. Her hands clenched at her sides and she shook her head taking a step to stand behind him. 

He turned back and stared at Darius, now that he wasn't moving, the augments in his head were visible. Red had really done a number on him, there was a bit of metal exposed in the lower jaw. If Red had hit the jaw instead of between the mandibles, Darius might still be alive.

Red felt Ember's fingers slip around his arm and he leaned on her, enjoying her touch for a second before straightening. Relief flooded through him as she gripped him and pressed back into him. He turned to her then, glancing down at her stained face.

"Are you ok?" It was a stupid question. Of course, she wasn't, but he couldn't think of anything else to say. He reached up and grabbed her face with his hands and leaned down to kiss her, needing to feel her after almost losing her. Her arms wrapped around his neck and she returned the kiss just as hard before breaking it off and leaning into his chest, with a sigh. He squeezed her before turning to look at the others who'd come with him.