The North Wing Tower

I lost track of how many hour I have been sitting right beside Jennifer. While holding her hand, my sight is only focusing in between her face and the machine that displays her heart rate on top of her. I deliberately avoid my sight to go to her chest area. It only accumulates my sense of guilt every times I see the iron cable.

I immediately went back to the Health Facility once Mrs. Rauss took Lily under detention. I didn't know where Lily was brought, and to be honest, I didn't care. All I know, from Bruno's worry face, Lily's detention wouldn't be good. That was why Bruno was trying hard to cover up her actions. But I knew for sure, it wouldn't be worse than losing her life.

"I'm sorry, Baby," I whisper my sorry for the umpteenth times.

There are a lot of things I need to apologize to Jennifer. First of all, she was being the object of abduction because they want me to join back with the organization. And then... I exhale heavily. If only I knew... that my bow would make her receiving the cause, I would never... bowed my head down. And.. maybe the worst thing is.. I had to break my promise to her. Even though I refuse to join the organization back, I agree to do a mission for them.

"It's for her sake, a voice inside my mind tries to defend me. I know I had to do it to safe her. Still, I promised her not to get involve to the organization anymore.

Once again I exhale heavily. Carefully, I slightly touch my index finger onto her face. "I'm sorry, Baby.." And yet, I say my sorry one more time.

"I'm sorry, Sir.." Someone calls behind my back.

"Yes ?" I reply her once I turned my head around.

"You had a message from North Wing tower. They said they need you to come there," The woman who called me delivers the message she got, al though it makes me frown. "They said, it's about your mission ?" the woman continues the information.

"Oh, right..." I say reluctantly after understand what the message is all about. "Thank you," I murmur to the woman.

"You're welcome, Sir," she replies me and about to turn her body around.

"How's Paresh ?" My question halts her movement.

The woman gives me a thin smile, "Getting better, Sir. We are able to stop the corrosion. Al though..," the woman looks down a second to hid the sadness that suddenly appeared on her face, "He will only breathe with one lung for the rest of his life," she continues meekly.

"I see..." that's the only thing I can say to her. The woman then nods before leaving me who is still stunned over the news.

The man who pulled Lily's hand from touching Jennifer is Mr. Paresh. No one works in this Health Facility doesn't know about Lily's deadly left hand's touch. A touch from her left hand to a bare skin could deliver fatality. The fatality is vary, depending of what Lily is thinking of. It could be poisons like what happened to Daniel, Andy's boyfriend, heart attack, like what happened to me and Andy, corrosion, or... well, you name it. The later was one she wanted to give to Jennifer, but prevented by Paresh. Thus, it was Paresh who gets it. The corrosion ate his lung and broke half of his liver. Thankfully, the scientists here quickly help him and able to stop the corrosion.

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Once again I drive my car to the North Wing Tower, a place where I once called basecamp. This time, I use the intercom to ask who ever inside to let me in.

"Death !!" Fred excitedly opens the door and welcomes me.

"I need to talk with Sara," I tell him when he lets me in.

"She's in the tower," Fred tells me awkwardly to know for the third time his warm greet is being replied cold by me. I'm not mad at him, I just don't want to act as if I am back in the team again, because I am not.

"Thanks," I say to him in short before step my feet further inside the house. The house is actually at the bottom of the tower. At the back of the house there is a narrow spiral stair that brings us to the top of the tower. One who is not used to could be dizzy to use it. I remember I once counted, there are about 1288 steps.

The stair's end is a shutterless doomed window that displays the nigh sky. There, I found Sara, sitting on the corner of the window with both of her legs are outside, like always as far as I remember. This is Sara's favorite spot. She spends most of her free time here, especially when she needs moments to be alone to think, or to heal herself.

"Hey, Scott," She calls me when she realizes my existence. I am a little surprise to hear she called me by my name, especially my current name. The Royal Knights use to be called by their soul-bind creatures. they know their real names, but never use them to call each others.

"You left me a message about the mission," I reply her call.

"Yeah, I did. But... let's talk about it later," Sara says with her usual genuine friendly demeanor. she pats a spot next to her. "Come sit here for a while," She continues.

Over all the girls in the team, I like Sara the most. She is only a year older than me but she is always wise and understanding. She is like the eldest sister for the whole team, even for Albert who actually is 2 years older than her.

"It's my birthday," She adds when knowing I haven't moved from where I stand.

"Happy Birthday," I say to her. I finally step forward and sit beside her.

"Thanks," she says with a wide grin. she then throws her sight to the night view in front of us.

"I always love the view here," She murmurs, as if only for herself, then smokes a thin paper rolled that slips in between her fingers. I've never understood what she loves about the view there, especially at night like this.

As far as my eyes can see, there are only the tops of tall trees in the forest, followed by a barren desert dozens miles after. Well, there are stars, but the sky here has thick fog most of the time, so the moon can only give gloomy shine in between the fog, even less the stars.

"What do you want to talk to me about ? Beside the mission," I ask her.

"Nothing," She says, glances at me a second before shifts her sight back to the view. "I just miss you," She continues.

"Here, have one," Sara gives me another thin rolled paper that she kept in her front pocket. "You are very tense," she utters.

I decide to accept her offer. I have to admit, I am so tense and tired. I need this stuff. I enclose my body a little toward her when she offers me a light.

"It's a chaos here since you were gone," Sara says, leaning her back on the wall.

"Really ?" I ask. I notice I am starting to become relax after few times inhaling the smoke.

Sara nods. "Everyone is sad and heart broken to hear the news."

"What was the news ?"

"That you were killed by Mila," Sara says. She chuckles to see my frowned eyebrows. "I've never bought it, not even a second. I mean... I knew you had special relationship with her. So it was impossible for her to kill you."

"You always be the smartest one," I praise her.

Sara shrugs. "It's my gift."

"But no one believe me, of course. And I couldn't say my suspicion out loud. So everyone was angry, especially Lily. All she thought of is to get you a revenge." Sara halts her story to smoke her rolled paper. "It was good, though. We managed to press Mila up until on a corner. Her organization was messed up and she was hiding somewhere with nothing."

"I read she died like 2 years ago," I respond her story.

Sara nods. "I heard that news, too. This time I was sure it was true because there was her body lying in the coffin for two days on her funeral ceremonial."

"While mine ?"

"To the world you were pronounced dead in a war in country I. Your body was destroyed and your face was unrecognizable."

"I see.." I blow smoke from my mouth while throwing my sight far away to the night view.

"So, what did really happened ?" Sara asks me again.

When I turn my head onto her, she already puts her sight on me.

I shrug. "I'm not sure neither," I say, inhaling the smoke one more time before continue, "All I remember that I had fight with her bodyguard, then she shot me with stun gun. The next time I opened my eyes I was on top of a dumpster, naked, with no memory left in my brain. Recently I just knew that my whole appearance was changed even my voice."

"That's make sense," Sara responds me with few nods.

"How come that making any sense ?"

"Let's just say... if you are not her son and not that special, you would already be dead."

I don't say a word to respond her deduction. I knew she was right. And I should keep in mind that I won't let Mrs. Raus knows that I haven't got my ability back. Not now, at least.

Silence surrounds us for few minutes. We both just enjoying the relax feeling caused by the burned rolled paper.

"Have you got the procedure ?" I ask her.

Sara shakes her head. "Nope. Madam doesn't allow me." Sara chuckles. "I guess she's afraid I'm going to be way smarter than her," she chuckles again. Her chuckles make me laugh. so we laugh together.

"How about the others ?" I ask her again.

"All of them had it."

"What are their capabilities ?"

Sara inhales the smoke before answering me. "Well, you know what Gila's... and I guess, Viper's too. Bruno... he can teleport and trigger anything to explode."

As I expected, I say to my self inwardly. "Fred and Charlotte ?"

"Fire can transform him into binary form and goes to any system physically. Cool, huh ? While Charlotte is the coolest. she can posses someone, literally goes inside their minds and takes control of them."

Sara inhales the smoke for the last time before put it off by squeezing it on the floor. "I'm glad you are back, Scott," She says with a genuine smile.

"I'm not ..."

"I know," Sara cuts me then heavily exhale. "I wish you were..."

She then grab something on her left. A yellow folder that I am quite familiar with. She gives it to me, "Your mission," She says shortly before throwing her sight back to the view.

I open the yellow folder. All the relaxation caused by the thin rolled paper is gone once I read the name of my target.