"Do you not know how to shut up?" Wraith hissed, grabbing Gemoni's arm and pulling her away from the others.
"Bu- you ju- they're alive?" she asked, her eyes tearing up and her mouth curling up with joy.
"Yes. I know it wasn't what you needed but I was investigating... well you."
"Where are they?"
"Some place called Harris Valley. It's a pretty chill place but very IMC-unfriendly. Imagine what they think about us Legends."
"They're alive." Gemoni sank to the floor. Her family survived? But why wouldn't they try to find her?
"Yes. I need to go and find what you needed me to look for but now you know this." And with that, the phase runner made a portal and left Gemoni to think.
~~~
At the base, Wraith got to a terminal she had been to once or twice. She put a USB in while gathering the footage she needed. As it downloaded, she looked up her name to find what she always did, her "project" and the ending. It read "success". But at what cost for her? The video finished downloading and she took the USB file out, quickly opening a portal and facilitating her escape unharmed.
~~~
Gemoni ran up to Octane's room, barging in as she always had, only to see something she would never wanna see again.
"Pero por Dios, what the hell are you doing now!?" she asked surprised. Octavio was a bit self-conscious about his stumps and Gemoni hadn't seen them before. He was also wiping his eyes.
"Uh..." He turned around and put his legs on before turning around and facing her. His eyes were red. It was noticeable that he'd been crying.
"Wait." Gemoni didn't hesitate before walking up to him, arms open. "What's wrong?" she asked, concerned.
"The anxiety hit hard today chica. I can't lose you." Gemoni wiped some of the leftover tears gently.
"Hey... don't think like that." She smiled a little bit, knowing if he cried, she would cry and they both probably wouldn't stop crying. "I told you, I'm gonna clear my name."
"But what if you don't?"
"We will." Octane looked up at her. His mask was off and his goggles showed those goofy eyes. Gem squeezed him gently. "It's gonna be ok." He hugged her back, smiling sheepishly.
~~~
Crypto became desperate. Word got around about Gemoni taking the fall for what he did. So now he had the legends against him... but why the Syndicate? So he reached out to the person everyone went to.
"Renee." He walked up to her and tapped her shoulder, grabbing her attention. She took out her headphones and glared at him.
"Here to frame me too?"
"I didn't frame her."
"According to the original security footage, yes you did. I'm sorry but I'm on her side."
"You're not sorry. Well, how about this. I'll help you with whatever you need."
"Already have enough help. Sorry, Tae."
"Don't use that name."
"Hmph. Hit a nerve right?" She popped the headphones back on, smirking as she walked away. Crypto walked back to his room and slammed the door.
"Hey bruddah, relax with the door." Makoa watched him from his side of the room.
"Do not tell me what to do," Crypto said coldly. He say unto his chair and started typing away, ignoring what Gibby had to say. The big teddy bear looked disappointed and walked out.
~~~
Wraith got to Octane's room, where Loba, Lifeline, and Wattson waited. "What happened?" she asked quickly.
"What's going on in there?" Lifeline asked cautiously.
"What- Oh. OH!" Wraith exclaimed. The door was locked. Gemoni and Octane were already there. "But they're just friends-"
"Oh, poor innocent Wraith," Loba taunted. "JUST CHECK!"
Wraith chuckled and she put her ear against the door. Sure enough, the voices gave the all-clear. "We're good." She knocked and Gemoni opened the door. Octane was sitting playing games on his TV.
"Wraith! You find anything?"
"Uh, yeah. Girls come on." She grabbed them as well as she could and pushed him in before closing the door. She plugged in the USB on a laptop and played it. It showed Gemoni walking in the halls, but horrible editing out of the guards. "Crypto didn't edit the footage. He would've left out the guards completely. "
"What do ya mean, he didn't change it. She's being-" Lifeline said before she was cut off.
"Framed, yes, but not by Crypto."
"But who then?"
"That is a great question."
"You don't know?" Octane asked, turning off his game.
"Well I'm sorry," Wraith started. "Is this not good enough? Now you guys can stop blaming Crypto."
"This is good." Gemoni looked up at the others. "Guys, this is good."
"Wait a second." Loba had an idea. "Most thieves leave their mark, especially if they are good. What if Crypto pretended to be horrible at editing so he could frame Gem and someone else?"
Pause. "That... could be possible?" They rewatched the video and saw a small but noticeable sketch of a drone. "Oh. You were right," Wraith admitted.
"Hold on now, why don't ya. So why is he doing all this again?"
"He thinks his sister got kidnapped by the Syndicate. He thinks she's being held at Head Honcho's base," Loba replied.
"And he thought you and Gem could somehow save her?"
"Yup. Pretty sure it's because she can use her jump drive or whatever," Gemoni guessed as she got up. "Time for you guys to leave."
"Wait," Natalie said. "Is there any way we could help?"
"Yeah. Try to keep this on the down low. I don't want everyone knowing I might die in two weeks."
Everyone nodded and left silently. Wraith left a note on the bed and Gem closed the door behind them, grabbing the note and sitting down. Octane sat next to her, wrapping her arm around her. "Your family's alive?" he asked after reading the note silently. It contained a way to contact some of them.
"Yeah. They are."
"That's good, right? We're excited about that?"
Gemoni hesitated before putting the paper away. "I don't know. Why didn't they try to find me..."
"I don't know... but at least they're ok? C'mere." Octane got up and grabbed a stim. "You ever tried one of these?"
"And risk getting addicted?! You're insane Silva."
"Maybe I am," he said simply, putting it down and sitting next to her again. Gemoni got up and shook her head.
" I need to clear my mind. I'll call you in a bit."
"Oh... ok. See you chica."
"See you in a bit Tavi."
~~~
Looking back, maybe her family didn't want anything to do with her. She sat down on her bed looking at the contact info. Ash popped her head in. "Are you busy, Rivera?" she asked.
"Uh, no," she replied, getting up.
"Sit down. I want to help."
Gemoni sat back down and tilted her head as Ash sat down on her bed. "Really?"
"Yes. I was thinking, the Syndicate has dirt on everybody. It's the reason why I'm here and that voice in the back of my head is too. It's like motivation."
"And what would mine be?"
"Your friends. Your family's dead."
"Uh, they're not." Gemoni quickly summarized the news and Ash took this in.
"That's great news. Who told you?"
"Wraith."
"I have a feeling this isn't as it seems. Bangalore and Revenant have been... getting closer. Loba started to let Bangalore go. I think there's a bigger connection there."
"Well, Loba hates Revenant's guts for obvious reasons."
"Yes."
"Wait. Let's brainstorm this." Gemoni pulled out a notebook and wrote each of the legends' names. "Bloodhound joined because..."
"They believe it's fate after their partner died."
"So yeah, it's their motivation. Gibby?"
"Keeping his friends safe."
"Do you just know everything about everyone...?"
"You should assume so Rivera."
"Oh."
~~~
It was late. Everyone was out partying but Gem just scrolled on her phone at real estate. She had always wanted to run some sort of dance studio and what better time to look for it than now?
Suddenly there was a knock on the door and Gemoni got up and opened it to see a drunk Octane. "Oh god." He giggled and walked in.
"Helloooo my name is-" he started before he ran to the bathroom. Gemoni prayed for her sake that he made it. "Made it!" Gemoni gagged before she helped him to her bed. He sat down and started blurting out random things. "You know," he started as Gemoni looked for melatonin or something that would make him fall asleep. "I think that you could be a better friend." It was clear he was drunk but this still prompted a reaction from Gem.
"Excuse me?" she asked angrily, stopping her search.
"Yeah, you always wanted to talk about your parents. Did you forget mine are mean to me?"
"My parents were dead for years Octavio. You cannot be comparing yourself to me."
"Well let's see. My pops don't love me and yours didn't even try to find you."
"Ok well guess what. I'm letting crash for the night but you will not talk to me again like that ever again. I can't believe this," she muttered as she knew he wouldn't remember this the next day. When she found the pills she was looking for, Octane was already out.
~~~
The next day Gemoni woke up from sleeping on the couch to see Octane still sleeping. She pushed him off her bed and he woke up. "Oye!"
"If you want me to be a shitty friend, gladly."
"Wait what? Calm down chica."
"Drunk words are sober thoughts. Get out."
"What did I say?"
"Shit you shouldn't have. Get the hell out." Gemoni opened the door and waved him out. He complied as he looked back with tears in his eyes as she slammed the door in his face.
"He deserved it," Ash said from her corner.
"Agreed," said the voice of Leigh.
"How much of that did you hear?"
"You woke me up," Ash simply stated, perfecting her sheets. "Almost all of it."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be. Men are too much anyways."
"I gotta go. There's this place that seems cool."
"What do you mean?" Ash asked before grabbing her rat and hiding it in her hood.
"I'm buying real estate before I die. It's gonna gain value once I die."
"Hm. A valid decision. How many days until you might...?"
"Die? Ten. But we'll be fine."
"Oh, trust me. We will."