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Z P.O.V.

Time seemed to slow, what felt like hours was actually just minutes. I kept up my pass pushing myself to go as fast I could. There was not time to slow down. No time to rest or be tired. Whatever happened I needed to get there quickly to help. 

Approaching closer I could smell burning flesh in the air and my lungs began to burn. Smoke filled my nostrils it's blackness cloaking the ground like a dense fog on a dark road. Flames roared and crackled as pieces of wood splintered from the heat. The warmth bathed my fur chasing away the coolness of the air. 

"Roland!" I called out. 

No response. I tried to look around in the smoke but I couldn't see. Even my powerful sense of smell was made useless from the smoke that surrounded me. 

"Roland!" I called out once more. 

There was still not a response from him. I could feel my heart beating faster in my chest. A lump formed in my throat and was caught. He may have betrayed me before but he had earned his way back into being a good friend. I didn't want to lose anyone especially right now at a time like this. 

I still kept looking around in the debris. Throwing large beams off to either side of me. Moving heavy stones out of my way. A once beautiful building was now nothing but a pile of rubble. 

Tossing a large beam away I heard coughing coming from in front of me. Hearing it continue on I hurriedly began to dig downward moving everything out of my way.  Finally feeling a hand I grabbed on tight and hoisted them up. Throwing them over my shoulder I ran out of the thick cloud of smoke. 

Making our way to a clear area I could finally see who it was I had saved. His semi bald head and white beard was now covered in ash and black soot.  I felt a release on my heart.

" Roland," I said, laying him down on the ground. 

His breathing was shallow and his eyes were closed still. His circuitry sparked in numerous holes throughout his torso, arms and legs. He was beat up pretty bad. 

"Come on Roland I need you to wake up for me." I patted his cheek a few times. 

"Z" he whispered. 

"I'm here come on Roland, stay with me." I responded. 

" The cure...Neese… it's all…" he coughed furiously. 

I knew he must have sustained serious injuries and the smoke inhalation. Even though he was a cyborg his lungs and heart still remained intact. The same was with the twins. Mostly cyborg body but they still had two key organs. 

"You said Neese?" 

"Neese.. He...he tried…."

Roland's sentence fell incomplete, he laid his head back on to the ground. A couple breaths in and Roland was gone. I felt a burning in my eyes and my heart sink. I knew what loss was. I suffered the greatest loss when Estelle was killed. And yet anytime I lose someone close to me it hurts and reopens a closed up wound on my heart. 

My grief soon turned into anger and rage fired through my body. I punched the ground cursing Neese's name. That bastard had finally returned after all this time. He finally decided he would show his disgusting face. 

"I will avenge you, my friend," I said, placing my hand on his heart. 

The fire roared on in the background. I held my head down and my eyes closed. I couldn't believe this was happening. I felt better after the battle hoping that Solarious defeat would be the turning point we needed. And now it is like we are back at the beginning. 

A warm hand rubbed my shoulder. I looked up to see Emily's beautiful eyes staring into mine. Tears filled them and they were ready to shed. I got to my feet and gave her a tight hug. 

"I'm so sorry Z." She held me tighter. 

Releasing my hold I had on her I gave us a small space apart. Using my right hand I wiped her falling tears from the corners of her eyes. 

" We will get him."

"Who Z?" Her eyes flooded with confusion. 

" Neese," I whispered. 

Her eyes grew wide and her mouth fell open. Quickly though they changed to one of hatred and rage for him. 

" Neese did this?!"  She exclaimed. 

I nodded. 

Her jaw tightened and her lips pressed together. I felt her fingers curl and curl in my shirt tucking the edges in her fist. 

"Emily, don't worry we will get him." 

Emily P.O.V.

When Z mentioned that Neese was responsible for the explosion I couldn't help but feel my blood beginning to boil. He had already taken so much from us and now he had taken our friend. All of his crimes could no longer go unpunished. Even if it means using some time to go after Neese instead of Solarious. 

" Z, we have to go after him, this cannot go unpunished. He needs to pay for everything he has done." 

"And he will Emily all in due time he will." She responded looking around. 

" Right now we have to focus on seeing if there are any other survivors. And then we will move on and go hunt them both down." 

Her answer wasn't good enough for me. Going after Neese in "due time"? What kind of bullshit is that?

Shaking my head I narrowed my eyes at Z. That wasn't going to do. There was no time to wait. Neese needed to die and it needed to happen quickly. I had no patience left especially when it came to letting that murderer breathe another day. 

" No Z we need to go after him now. He killed Roland, that's the final straw!" I was shaking and could feel the tears threaten to invade my eyes again. 

" You need to calm down Emily, reacting just out of emotion is dangerous. We have to be-" 

"Don't fucking lecture me Z! I'm not some little kid. Neese has gone too far this time, he must die! This needs to end!" My voice is harsh and stern. I fully cut Z off not wanting to listen any further. 

She narrowed her eyes at me and kneeled back down to Rolands lifeless body. I could see she was hiding her pain. All the emotions she felt within herself she locked them away in a neat little box. For whatever reason Z has always felt the need to do that around others. She can't let anyone see her weak and vulnerable. 

" Emily, I'm not trying to lecture you. I am merely trying to get you to use your head. You're smart enough to know what I say is true."

It pained me to know that Z was right. Though I wouldn't admit that out loud. I knew that it was dangerous to rush in and try to attack Neese when my state of mind was fueled by grief. He would have the upper hand and more lives would be lost. 

 General Adkins approached Z and got down on one knee next to her. I took my place on Z's left and held her hand in mine. Today we lost a good friend and a smart scientist. 

"It would seem the only casualty today was Roland." General Adkkns pauses. 

With a sigh he swallows hard and continues. 

" I am sorry about your friend. His death will not go unpunished. I spoke with the Elders and they have agreed to lend you the Numirian forces to track down both Neese and Solarious. This attack is personal to us as well." 

Z looked at Neese and nodded her head. Not wanting to talk about the topic any further we slipped into a comfortable silence. 

..........

Within a few hours after Roland's death. The fire was put out and the people along with myself and Z worked together to clear the area free of all the debris. Lab equipment laid broken to pieces and burned to a crisp. Any notes were now nothing but black ash stumbling in the palm of our hands. 

Looking around you could tell that there was no saving any of the data we had gathered during the test trials and the injections. Any and all intel died in that explosion and died with Roland.  

Roland's body was transported to the Numir version of a morgue. We would hold a funeral for him once the clean up was completed. Which by the rate it's going with everyone banning together and helping should only take one more day. 

Natasha and Nicole started collecting data on the soldiers who received the cure and what abilities they had garnered. We may be starting from the bottom but at least we have live trails to go by as a guide. All was not lost or at least that's what I kept telling myself. 

Z P.O.V.

In the short time we have been around each other I  have seen this scared human turn into a bold and brave soul. With a hint of stupidity but I must admit we all have a bit of that in our system. And yet as much as I would love to tear Neese limb from limb we simply can't do that right now.

I wish Emily would see or at least understand that my words aren't meant to be taken as a lecture. But alas it would seem that in the moment when sorrow is running deep within that there would be no reasonable answer to stopping the perpetrator. 

Once Emily finally calmed down we joined the soldier's in the task of cleaning up the lab that had now been turned into nothing but a memory.  I didn't suspect his death to take too much of a toll on Emily. Given the fact she only knew him for a few months, I suppose humans can get attached to their friends quickly.