At first, it is nothing.
Nothing but dead silence.
The wind has no rush and the waves crashing against the wooden docks are muted.
Then, as if flicking a switch, the ground shakes.
The flash over the sea pushing the storm in a whirlwind of colors. Red, yellow, orange. It all engulfs in a white blur. The cloud of smoke rising over the horizon, consuming the island that centers the mass of Unity City.
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From the balcony of Mortal where Peace and Data stand, they can see past the slowly rebuilding walls as the sky flashes white in the far distance to the south.
The people in the streets stop and stare, stepping out of their homes to watch the disquieting sight, whispering hushed words amongst themselves.
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The road between Idyll and Paradise slightly quakes. Thor whimpers painfully and begins pawing at his chest and staring up at Regan. He looks from the dog to the sky in the distance with fright in his eyes and a sense of apprehension in his heart.
"Oh no..."
With one glance at Thor to make sure he's alright, he begins sprinting towards the rising cloud down the road to Paradise with the dog at his heels.
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From atop the walls of Idyll, Alexas, Catia, and York stare in awe and pride.
They can feel as something inside them breaks. The last remaining tethers of code that lie within them snap and leave them feeling more alive than ever in their lives.
The onlookers of Mortality watch with smiles and tears of joy.
Alexas turns to the others. "We're free."
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Cree bolts out the doors of the hotel breathlessly, never letting his eyes leave the mushroom cloud that rises behind the silhouette of Unity City.
He sprints at full force to the docks, nearly skidding off the wooden boards as he reaches the end and catches himself on a metal rail.
Along the docks on each side of him, the citizens of Paradise stand and watch with wide, unblinking eyes and mouths agape. The SRL carrying boxes and bags down the road stop and drop their bundles to the sand. They stare down at their hands and look amongst themselves as a new revelation rushes over them.
But Cree never looks away from the cloud.
He snaps his hand up to his earpiece and presses on it shakily, tightly gripping the rail.
"...Edith! Edith, please tell me you and CLive got out of there in time!" he rasps breathlessly and clears his throat. He pauses and waits, but receives no answer.
Only static comes through.
He growls and begins breathing heavily. "EDITH! Answer me, dammit! Where the hell are you!?" he bellows.
No response.
Some people turn their gazes to him but he pays them no mind. He focuses only on the static crackling in his ear. His heart is beating out of his chest and his hand is shaking. His metal hand is balled in a fist around the rail, denting the rusted metal in his grip.
They must be alive. They wouldn't have delayed if they knew the risks.
This can't be reality.
He shakes his head frantically and pushes away from the rail to stand in the center of the dock. He presses the earpiece again.
"I swear to fucking god Edith... if this is a joke it's not funny! SAY SOMETHING!"
He feels his legs begin to tremble and his knees feel weak, but he fights to stay strong. His eyes desperately fight the growing blur and he swallows back the building tears in his throat. He tries taking a deep breath but it only results in a choking cough. He refuses to accept the doubts and fear in his heart. He can't go back on his promise.
He breaks out of his natural mindset as he feels himself becoming desperate.
Anything to make this all be just a sick joke.
He pants weakly as his face burns with anger and dread, his tears begin to roll down his cheeks. "O—Okay, Edith! I get it! I—I'm going soft on you, okay?! There! I said it! Now just knock this crap off and say something! PLEASE!" His head starts to spin and he tries to breathe through the tears burning his throat.
He tears his eyes away from the slowly dispersing cloud and looks down, frantically shaking his head. Ash slowly falls from the sky. His hand begins to fall from the earpiece, but he fights to keep it up. As he resists, his knees give out and he collapses to the dock, digging his fingernails into the wood and keeping his head low.
"SAY SOMETHING! I CAN'T LOSE YOU TOO!"
He stops fighting and lets himself sob as his mind and body break down. It can't end like this. Not after everything. His arms feel heavy, but with his remaining strength, he presses the earpiece again with a violently trembling hand. This is a feeling he thought he had left behind. He thought he was immune, that he was untouchable.
But even gods fall.
His eyes shut tight and he tries to find his voice through the weeping. He fights desperately to keep his hand up long enough to speak, but his strength is cracking, and soon it will shatter.
"...please... say something..."
He waits, and only static comes as a response. It doesn't go away. That sickening noise crackling in his head, filling his ears when he should hear her voice. It goes on, filling his heart with a burning hatred.
He snaps his blurred eyes open and pulls the earpiece out, throwing it as hard as he possibly can to the ocean before collapsing forward and gripping the boards on the dock. He watches the dark spots fall beneath his eyes and stain the wood as he chokes out his sobbing.
"...please..."
He closes his eyes. His whole body trembles in a way he had forgotten it could. Hearing the rushing waves below the dock, feeling his nails digging into the splintered wood, and his eyes closed which leaves him in darkness... He is reminded of the part of him who died long ago.
The part of him that should stay dead in Sunder. Cassi.
"...I'm sorry, John..."
Three days later.
Cree sits on the edge of his bed in his hotel room with his hands on his knees and his dry eyes staring vacantly at the floor. His back is slouched forward and his body is wilting. Through the window that faces Unity City, the shadow of the Citadel is no longer there looming over them. It's all nothing more than a bad dream.
One that seems to never end.
He absently shudders as he breathes. He had given up on both sleeping and eating after that day, as both just make him feel sick.
He would go back to Idyll, but he knows that there's nothing left for him there. Alexas and the others have either left or decided to live there, and either way, he doesn't think he can face her. He knows that she would say this was what needed to happen. That they died as heroes. That's the last thing he wants to hear right now. They didn't want to be heroes. They wanted to be people.
They wanted to be happy.
He could go back to Mortal, but he doesn't think he can face Peace and Data right now. Not only did they just lose John, but now Edith and CLive as well. He knows he will have to be the one to tell them, but he can barely pull himself together long enough to stand, let alone go across the continent to tell them that their friends are dead. Maybe he'll never go back. He doesn't deserve them after what he's done.
He hears a knock on the door but he doesn't even flinch.
His lip quivers and his eyes slightly blur again, but he takes a deep breath to quell it. His empty eyes never leave the floor. His heart is heavy and beating slowly, his stomach burns with hunger but he has no desire to stop it. The hunger is the only thing he can feel.
He tried to not blame himself for John's death, but the last thing he ever did was save his life. John sacrificed himself for him. He didn't deserve it. John was the one the people needed. The one Edith and Peace needed.
The one he needed.
If Cree had died instead, then no one would have been torn up like they were with John. He had spent most of his life making people hate him, pushing them away out of his own fear. If he died, no one would bat an eye. No one would be hurting like he is right now.
The knock comes again with more energy but still, he ignores it. He thought he made it clear to the owner of the hotel that he didn't want to be disturbed. But being emotionally numb, he doesn't have the will to get annoyed. He simply keeps staring at the floor.
The next knock sounds different. It's more like scratching at the bottom corner of the door. It manages to catch his attention enough to make him blink a few times and slightly lift his head. His neck feels stiff and his shoulders ache.
As the scratching changes to a spirited bark, his full attention is pulled to the door.
It takes all the will he can muster to push off from the bed and rise to his feet. His bones are all sore and rigid, especially his back. He groans and shuffles to the door. He lifts his hand to the knob, but it begins to shake uncontrollably. He grabs his wrist with his metal hand to suppress it and clenches his hand in a fist, taking a deep breath.
He grabs the doorknob and turns it, slowly pulling it open. The moment it's open a crack, it pushes in and he's met with joyful barking as the dog runs energetic laps around him.
He pulls his eyes off of Thor to look back at the doorway to see Regan standing there with a shocked look on his face and a growing smile.
"Tyrell...?" he shudders and steps forward. "I... you're okay! Peace and Data told us about what happened in Mortal and how no one had seen you since you got hurt! Oh, I've been so—"
He's cut off as Cree throws his arms around him and holds on tight, burying his face in his side. He closes his eyes and lightly cries as his body trembles. Regan stares down at him with wide eyes and tries to remain as motionless as possible.
He clears his throat. "Well, I'm certainly not complaining, but this is unlike you... has something happened? And... why are you here? I thought Thor was leading me to Edith and CLive," he questions and slowly places his hand on Cree's shoulder.
Cree sighs and leans back, wiping at his eyes and clearing his throat. He steps back and looks to the window distantly. "...You must have seen it... the... explosion..." he says shakily. Regan nods slowly and steps into the room, softly shutting the door behind him. Thor runs and jumps up onto the bed, panting with occasional whimpers.
"I did... Honestly, I think everyone did. What was that? What... happened....?" He approaches and looks past Cree's shoulder to see that the image of Unity City has changed.
Cree looks down and closes his eyes, biting his lip. "...We did it. We freed the SRL... we... destroyed the Citadel..." he says quietly. No matter how real it is and how vivid the memory replays in his mind, he still can't help but feel as though it's just a twisted dream that he needs to wake up from.
Regan stares at him in disbelief. If he had been told that while standing anywhere else, he would simply call him a madman for proposing such an impossible scenario. But being here, looking out at Unity City and seeing that the sublime fortress that once resided on the island past the waters centering the city is no longer there, he believes him.
"...But... why...? I mean, I understand that it was to free the SRL, but... I don't..." He shakes his head and looks at him sideways.
Cree sighs and opens his eyes. "...Because we were Mortality. Surrendering the rebellion was the only way to stop the war... but we couldn't give up on the SRL... so we did what we had to do to free them all..." He looks off over the city.
Regan steps up beside him. "...You took out the terminals... Tyrell, that's... genius! I can't believe no one had thought of that before! But, being the pacifist that I am, of course I must ask... what about the people? You did make sure the Citadel was empty before doing this, right?" he asks.
Cree lowers his head again and grits his teeth. "None of the innocents were hurt... but... I..." He closes his eyes again.
Regan eyes him curiously and looks back at Thor. "Wait, you said 'we'? You mean Mortality, correct?" he asks and turns back to him.
He nods. "Yeah... the 'rebels' from Idyll... We were Mortality... but now we're done. We served our purpose..." he says with defeat.
Regan clears his throat. "So... the rebels were Mortality? I... I won't ask how that happened, but... I think it's probably best we don't tell the council about that, alright? That would seriously complicate our current standing with the Humanity Alliance!" He chuckles nervously.
Cree glances over at him. "...So, they agreed..." He cracks a small smile but it quickly fades as he looks away. Regan nods.
"They did! All thanks to Mayor Peace Wright! Oh, you should have seen her! She stormed into the council building with Data and told them everything! She sounded just like her father! I'm sure he's proud of her, because I sure am! And I know Edith will be as well when I tell her!" he beams and looks around quizzically.
"Speaking of whom, where is she? And CLive? Thor was supposedly leading me on their trail, but instead, he led me to you... I promise this was not planned! I give you my word that it was simply a coincidence that I found you. Please don't hurt me." He scratches the back of his head awkwardly.
Cree bites his tongue and shuts his eyes tight again, lowering his head. Regan looks him over and brings his arm back down. Thor lets out another quiet whimper and lowers his face on the bed. From Regan's backpack, Romeow pokes his head out and jumps down, rushing over to Thor and curling up beside him, purring and licking his face.
Regan cocks a brow. "Tyrell?"
"...It's my fault."
Cree tries taking a deep breath but he shudders as the air leaves his lungs. Regan sees the way his hand trembles and tightly grips the windowsill. "...What do you--"
"It's my fault!" Cree shouts and his body strains. He heaves out a small sob. "...I sent them in with the bomb! I should have gone with! No, I should have done it myself! Because maybe then they wouldn't have still been inside when it..." He forces himself to not break down again. Not in front of Regan of all people. Not now.
Regan stares at him without blinking. His body is still and his face pales. "...what?" he whispers brokenly. Cree sucks in a sharp breath.
"...It's all my fault... just like with John... I sent them into the fucking Citadel! I thought they would make it out in time, but they didn't! I was a fucking idiot to send CLive of all people to stall Alain! Now because of me, they're both dead!" He punches the brick wall with his metal fist and the stone cracks upon impact.
He breathes heavily and shakes his head, keeping his gaze turned away.
If it were anyone else, he would be saying all of this to his face. But he knows how Regan felt about both Edith and CLive. He loved them as if they were his family. He also remembers hearing from John about how Regan has always struggled with loss, and when someone he cares for is gone, he breaks down inside. He tries covering it with a smile, but it doesn't change what's happened. That's one of the few things Cree can actually say he has in common with Regan. Only in his case, he covers his grief with hostility rather than a positive front. He can't tell if that's better or worse.
Regan slowly shakes his head. "But... Edith isn't dead..." he says with care.
Cree sighs. "Yes, she is... I don't want to believe it either, but—"
"No, I'm serious. This isn't me being in denial. Edith is alive," Regan states.
Cree hates that he feels a small amount of hope return to his heart. He can't believe he's placing his fragile faith in Regan of all people. He looks back at him to see that Regan has no tears in his eyes, and instead he has that inquisitive look that has always annoyed the hell out of him. But this time, it brings him a small bit of comfort.
Even if it is for nothing.
"What are you talking about? There's no way she could have survived... that," he says.
Regan shrugs. "Don't ask me how it's possible, all I know is that it is," he says. Cree's body tenses in anticipation.
"How do you know?" he asks. Regan steps aside and looks at the dog and cat rested on the bed.
"Because Thor,"
"If Edith ever were to die or become Insentient, Thor would power down. He operates solely based on his connection with her. I noticed he was acting in distress on the way here, like he did when Edith learned she was an SRL, but he is clearly still fully operable! Edith must have somehow survived!" he exclaims with a big smile.
Cree hates science. Not just because of Regan, but because it's a bunch of facts that are constantly trying to prove him wrong. He has always preferred to go with his gut feeling over what is statistically 'correct'. But right now, he can't believe he's willing to put every remaining ounce of his faith in the facts that have proven him wrong.
This time, he wants to be wrong.
Being the cynic that he is, he has to find what makes this untrue. He can't just believe that something this good is real. "...Are you sure? How do you know this isn't some kinda... glitch or something?..." He shakes his head.
Regan chuckles. "My creations don't have 'glitches'. Possible side effects, yes. But never any errors. The fact that the ol' pupper is still kicking is proof that Edith definitely survived the explosion!" he states joyfully.
Cree looks down and shudders. He lets himself give in. "She's alive... she has to be..." He smiles and rushes over to Thor. The dog looks up at him with sad eyes and lets out a meek whine, keeping his head down and his ears folded back. He gently starts petting his neck.
"If she's alive, why's he acting like this?" he asks and looks back at Regan.
He sighs. "I've no idea... He's been like this since the explosion. Nothing I do, not even Romeow has been able to cheer him up. It's possible that whatever happened in the Citadel before the bomb went off has really taken a toll on him..." He sits down on the bed beside him and joins in on softly petting the dog.
Cree looks down. "So, something did happen... even before the bomb went off, neither of them were responding to me," he says. Regan sighs mournfully and looks down as well.
"You... mentioned that you had CLive stall Alain, correct...?" he asks.
Cree nods. "Yeah... why?"
Regan bites his lip and shakes his head. "I... have a feeling I know what may have happened..." He stares out the window absently. "...CLive was greatly suffering from the Pull... I assume Alain was dealing with it too... If they gave in and merged... that means that CLive... would have died... and if Edith saw..." He looks down again and bites his lip.
Cree sighs and nods slowly. "...If she saw him die... the last thing she would want to do is respond..." He looks at Thor again. The dog lets out more feeble whimpers and buries his face in the blankets. Romeow licks his ear and meows quietly.
Regan looks at Cree. "...So if that's what happened... if CLive is... dead... and Edith somehow survived. My only question is... what's stopping her from becoming Insentient?" he asks.
Cree shrugs. "I dunno... her friends?"
Regan sighs and shakes his head. "Ty... if she lost CLive this soon after losing John... I don't think her friends would be enough to..." He looks down.
Cree slowly nods. He hates that he's right. He remembers how Edith was acting before they left Idyll. The whole time she was there, she was off. He heard her crying at night a few times but never said anything because he didn't know what there was to say anymore. Losing John took a heavy toll on her. And if CLive was gone from her life as well, it's unlikely she'll have it in her to get back up.
She may have been able to pull herself together after she lost her family the first time, but that was only because her heart was being fueled by revenge. She wanted to make Conrad Sweeney pay for what he did. But if Regan is right about what happened to CLive, then that means Alain is dead too. There's no one for Edith to direct her hatred on. No end goal to keep her going.
Regan stands up and crosses his arms. "So what now?" he asks.
Cree sighs and stands up as well. "I'm going to find her, of course. My only lead is the last person who saw them before they were left with Alain. Latanya Eaves, a Cogency Elite. Well, a former one, apparently," he says.
Regan tilts his head. "How would she be of any use?" he asks. Cree shrugs.
"She seemed to know Alain better than most people... Maybe she knew what he was planning. Or possibly another way Edith could have gotten out. It's not the best start, but it's better than nothing," Cree explains and turns to his backpack, picking it up and slinging it over his shoulder.
Latanya must have known more than she was letting on. She seemed to have every action planned out ten steps ahead of everyone. Now the fact that she was simply let go after they were done must mean Alain knew more as well. Something bigger is going on here, and Latanya might be the only one who can tell him what it is.
Regan smiles. "Perfect! Anything is always better than nothing! So, where might we find her?" he asks enthusiastically.
Cree glares at him. "I'm pretty sure she'll be in County Dominion. Probably the DRF if the rumors about them are true. I am going to go there now and see what she knows. Alone. No way am I trusting something this important with the ponce," he states and starts walking to the door.
Regan rushes forward and stands in front of the door with his arms crossed. "I was alone in Sage for over a year. I wasn't able to see any of my friends or talk to them. Then, Edith and CLive showed up with Peace and Data and I wasn't alone anymore. But the next day, we learned that John had been killed. Edith ran away and just over a week later, CLive followed her. Peace and Data left for Mortal and I was alone again. Another week later, the council finally made a decision and I was allowed to leave. I followed Thor with the belief that I would meet up with Edith and CLive. But now I find that they're gone." He stands firm.
"I am going to find them. I'm coming with you to County Dominion whether you like it or not," he states with determination.
Cree sighs and looks down.
Regan smiles bright. "That, and there is no way I am passing on the opportunity to speak with an actual Cogency Elite! I simply must know all their secrets!" he beams.
Cree rolls his eyes and grumbles. "Ugh... fine. But you'd better not get in my way or fuck anything up. Understood?" He glares up at him.
Regan nods. "Yes, sir! You won't have any problems with me! I even have a few new songs prepared for the road to grace you with my bardic talent! You won't regret this!" He claps excitedly and takes off his backpack, swiftly scooping up Romeow and whistling for Thor to come.
He turns back to the door and runs forward, forgetting that it's still closed and slamming his face on the wood surface.
Cree groans and pulls the door open, stepping over Regan and trudging out into the hall. "I already do..." he mumbles and begins walking down the stairs that lead to the lobby and outside.
It may not be much, but it's something. Edith has to be alive. No matter where she is, he is going to find her. For his promise to John, he will do whatever it takes. Even if that means putting up with the most annoying creature on the fucking planet. Regan Angevin.
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Notes:
This part of the story I can easily say has been my favorite part to write, so I am super excited to finally be at this point.
I will give a warning however that this segment of the story is going to be focusing on a bit darker/more mature themes, but of course not without comedy and other stuff that typically comes with TSOTW. So just keep that in mind as the story goes on.
I will be putting warnings at the start of chapters that contain these mature themes, so they won't be a complete surprise.
That said, thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy this mini-ish story as much as I do.
:)