Neese's Secret

Z P.O.V.

Once the three of them leave, I take the time to do some of my own research. Neese was quite adamant about me staying behind. That resistance is what raised my suspicion about him. Normally we would all go together as a team. But this time was different for him and it has made me feel so much uncertainty ever since.

I login to our database on the main computer we have set up in the lab. The keyboard lights up orange underneath with a soft glow under every button. The background on the screen is purple and once I sign in to the two little white boxes on the screen a welcome Z prompt appears in black lettering on screen.

I look through the files and find the one labeled 'old Earth archives' I can go through as quickly as I can. A small list pops up and it is mostly focused on prehistoric animals and creatures from what I have read in my time learning about the Earth before. The only other file in the archive is just the video of Emily's father.

Clicking on the video I divide to play it again and run it frame by frame. The look of sadness on his face, the tears that never shed from his eyes, he held a lot in trying to leave her this message. Just before the video, something catches my eye and I pause it. Rewinding a few seconds back I zoom in.

What I see makes my heart stop briefly, heat racing to my face and rage encircling my mind there in the shadows in the background is Neese. I can't see the detail of his face but the red tie and black suit gives him away. That bastard, that scumbag he was there a thousand years ago. He knows more than he let on to all of us.

'Leona, it's time to take over' I tell her, getting myself to my feet, the chair spinning violently behind me.

'Very well Z' she answers me. My soul goes to the back part of my mind tucked away in a safe space. Leona comes full force and our fur blows as we race out of the building and towards the F.O.G. He will pay for this betrayal.

Emily P.O.V.

As we all make it down the hatch and into the dark storage room. Natasha clicks on a flashlight. There's really nothing to the space other than a few crates that are labeled and dusty next to the wall on the left side. The floor is all concrete a plain gray color and the walls a silver metal color.

We reach the door and Nicole pries off the keypad and connects a wire to the back part of her head separating her hair evenly and revealing a tiny hole where the neck and torso meet. She connects the other end to a green port on the back of the keypad. She closes her eyes and within a minute the door slides open.

Slowly we peek around the corner of the door and inspect both sides of the hall. Seeing that the hallway is clear we jog down to the left of the hallway until we reach the elevator. Neese hits a button which I read on floor 52.

" Floor 52? I thought we were just three floors away from where we entered." This seems quite odd. What is he up to?

"That's because we aren't going to the DNA lab." He smirks.

I look at the twins and they seem just as lost as I do.

"Oh don't worry about them Emily, they're not in on it" with a menacing sneer he pulls a small black remote with white smooth buttons from his pocket.

When he presses a button a small blue spark comes from the two of them and they fall lifelessly to the floor of the elevator. I know it seems that I should be afraid but I'm not. A certain part of me had figured this would be a setup. I suppose I can thank Z for that. Her giving me this Fluorite crystal of protection made me begin to doubt Neese and his motive for coming here. I wish she was wrong but unfortunately as usual her instincts were right.

"Don't be afraid Emily, you won't be harmed," he says, placing the remote back in his pocket.

"Why'd you hurt them! They wouldn't have done anything, they could've lived! I shout back at him.

He cackles loudly.

" Their not dead Emily they've merely been short-circuited or for easier terms put in a short term coma."

Everything in me wants to fight him and hurt him in every way imaginable. But I can't, a human against a Morpher, that match is practically already over before it begins. At this point when we get out of the elevator, I'll have to keep calm and figure out a way to escape him.

" So just like Roland, you are a coward and a traitor." I glared at him, my arms crossed over my chest.

"No, not like Roland, you see he was merely just a coward sent to spy on the group and report back to Solarious. He is nothing but a puppet in this game, " His smile goes wider and his white teeth shine in the light.

" Game huh? All the innocent civilizations that could be destroyed if specimen X is weaponized, and it's all a game to you?!" I yell at him.

I am sure my face is a rose-red color. Neese doesn't flinch, doesn't change not one single expression on his face. This guy is rock solid on the villain scale. If he thinks he can intimidate me he's wrong. I've grown so much in my time with my friends and I won't just go willingly or help him without a fight.

"You can stare me down all you want, it doesn't change the fact that you will help me, all I need is your blood just a few vials and sell them on the black market, and I'll be rich while the galaxies fall into chaos!"

He places his hands out from his sides and just like a scene out of a movie where the villain laughs maniacally Neese does just that.

"So you're not helping Solarious?" I interrupt his creepy laugh.

"Help Solarious? No, I am all out for me and only me. That serpent can die for all I care. For me this is nothing but my own type of money grab power play, galaxy domination doesn't suit me, I would rather be rich and live life in luxury than have to deal with the mess he wants to stir up" he places his hand behind his back.

The elevator finally comes to a stop and reaches floor 52. A computer voice comes across the speaker in the elevator, "floor fifty-two".

As the doors slide open slowly there isn't much to this level. Brown walls and a white tile floor are revealed to me. As I step out and look around I don't seem to find any doors, not even keypads on the walls. Everything is just one smooth space.

" You won't find doors so easily here, floor fifty-two is the hidden level. Doors only reveal themselves if you know where to look." He comes out behind me.

That's just fucking perfect leave it to him to put me on a floor where there is no wag out other than the elevator. Just then I hear a loud creak and turn to see the elevator doors slowly disappearing behind the brown walls. A slow creeping wall consumes the doors inch by inch like a small wave until it is completely gone. Ugh, great as if things weren't complicated enough.

"Follow me, Emily, " he gestures with one of his hands for me to follow him to the left.

Complying, for now, I walk in front of him slowly, taking in the tiny details of the different textures on the walls. The small brown speckles on the pearl white tile floors. There has to be a trick to see where the hidden doors are.

"You can stop here, " he commands.

I stop immediately in my place and remain still. Observing closely as the door reveals itself tearing out from the brown wall. That's when I noticed the difference. In some of the walls, there is a rough texture to them with smooth lines weaving in between the textures. But this wall is unique while it does have the same texture there are also different shapes between the textures or symbols.

That's how I'll find a door to try and get away from him. That's the secret to this floor; it's all in the tiniest of detail. I can't let him put me in this room though, I'll have to run and look at the same time.

As Neese stands there waiting for the door to finish revealing itself to him I make a break for it running as fast as I can away from him in the opposite direction.

"Emily! Get back here!" He calls out after me.

I ignore his demands and keep sprinting down the hall. Looking hard to see the different patterns. This was more challenging than I anticipated.

"You have nowhere to run! You are alone and with no way out." He is hot in my heels chasing after me.

Finally, I spot the different detail on the brown walls and stand in front of it waiting as patiently as I can, Neese grows closer and closer to me.

"Ah fuck come on you stupid door!" I hit the wall and it begins to unravel revealing a door before me.

As he gets closer the door finally opens but not before he is able to follow me inside the room. Angrily he stalks towards me, his hands are in first and his eyes are filled with rage.

" I had tried to be nice to you, but I guess it will be a hard painful way for you, I'm going to break your legs then drag you down that hall by your blonde hair and enjoy every minute of pain you feel!" He scowls towering over me.

"I'm not afraid of you Neese!" I throw some metal cylinder like tool at him and he dodges it.

"Oh, dear human girl we will see about that."

He grabs me by the throat and tightens his hold, my feet leave the black metal floor beneath me. I can't breathe and I can feel the life draining from me.

I close my eyes waiting for my demise and all I can think about is Z. The passionate kiss we had shared our first kiss and what we could be had things had been less complicated. How the final gift she gave me was a crystal. And then as if a lightbulb shines bright above my head. I pull the fluorite crystal from my pocket.

The crystal glows so bright it illuminates the whole room and blinds Neese forcing him to release his hold on me. I take a hard tumble to the floor landing on my side. Neese falls back his palms to his eyes as he cries out in pain.

I tie the necklace around my neck and it dims down to a soft glow. It begins to strobe like a soft heartbeat around my chest.

"You little which, where the hell did you get such a rare crystal!" He murmurs.

He lays on the floor still pressing his palms to his eyes.

"Z, she swore she would always protect me, and while she's not here, she still managed to keep that promise. You can't touch me you bastard" I snicker.

As I stand over Neese satisfied to see him in so much pain, a familiar feeling creeps into my body. I feel a pull towards the door and butterflies flutter in my stomach. The only time I get that way is when I'm around Z. She's not here though so how can I feel this.

Just then it's like I'm not present in the room anymore and that my eyes have become someone else. I can feel the cool air smash against my eyes and I look around to see the walls of floor fifty-two. How the hell did I get outside the room?

' Don't worry Emily I'm coming just hold on'

The thought pops into my mind but it's not my own. What the hell? How can I hear Z's thoughts? This only happened one other time only reversed she saw through my eyes.i had thought of it as just a strange coincidence then but for it to be happening again is crazy. I wonder if it works both ways.

'Z, I'm safe for now, it's Neese you were right' I try to communicate back to her through my mind.

' It'll be okay Emily stay where you are,' she responds back.

At this point, it is really cool that we are able to do this.i had only wished I knew how we did it just now that would be helpful to know.

"You may be safe dear sweet Emily, but she won't be when she walks through this door, " he threatens sitting up against the wall.

" We will see about that she is going to tear you limb from limb." I fire back at him.

"Oh dear sweet girl I look forward to it"