Chapter Eleven

Just as Proto Zoa parked his pod in the lot of the apartment building, another pod parked right next to his, and Zenon gasped, watching silently as Dasha hopped out and ran down the sidewalk the second she had the opportunity. It took Zenon a second, but she hopped out of Proto Zoa's pod and ran after her cousin. She was followed closely by Numbar and he was followed equally closely by Proto Zoa.

Dasha ran straight ahead until she reached a park, where she turned a corner and ran into the grove of trees the park offered. Zenon ran into the grove for a few feet before she had to stop to catch her breath. "Dasha," she called. "Dasha! Dasha!"

Numbar grabbed Zenon from behind and pressed a laser to her temple, and she froze instantly.

Proto Zoa stopped in his tracks at the sight of Numbar pressing a laser to Zenon's head, ready to fire. After a second of pure shock, a strange rage passed over him, and he lunged for Numbar, grabbing his wrist and pulling the laser away from Zenon's skull.

Numbar managed to get himself free, laser in hand, and asked, "You don't want to kill me, do you?"

"Anything I can to keep her," Proto Zoa hissed.

Zenon stared at him for a second after she pulled away, but before Numbar noticed, she took off into the grove to find Dasha.

ZZZ

Dasha crouched down behind one of the trees, barely able to see the struggle taking place at the edge of the grove. Zenon ran toward her, and she felt a thrill of hope, one strong enough to tempt her to run out to meet her, but something about the action seemed unsafe.

Her cousin reached the tree and knelt to meet her and whispered, "It's okay, now. I promise, Dash."

"Zee," Dasha whispered. "Is he gonna kill me?"

"Not unless I'm in danger mortis first."

The cousins chuckled, got to their feet, and Zenon carefully led Dasha out from behind the tree.

ZZZ

Numbar looked around for a second like a crazed man before taking off down one of the walkways of the park, and Proto Zoa rolled his eyes before setting off into the grove, just as Zenon and Dasha made their way out of the grove. "Well, she's with us now," Zenon said, "but it's in completion mode minor."

"Of course it's not finished yet, since Numbar's running away a free man," Proto Zoa said.

"He's getting away?" Dasha snapped. "After all he did?"

"Look, we're gonna figure this out," Zenon said to her cousin. She turned to Proto Zoa and said, "Can we talk? Like, in privacy mode extreme?"

"Of course." He led her down the walkway, and he waited until they were both sure Dasha hadn't followed them before he asked, "What do you want to talk about?"

"What was that about with you and Numbar?"

"What was what?"

"That whole 'anything to keep her' thing. Vega omega, it sounds like you're perpetually jealous or overprotective major or something."

"You're one to talk, with the way you reacted to that one date I went on several months ago."

"Well, I'm sorry, okay, but what does it mean?"

"What are you talking about?"

"What aren't you talking about, I should ask?"

Proto Zoa looked away from Zenon and rested his hand on his hips. He licked his lip and sighed heavily. "Zee, you don't understand-"

"Damn right major I don't understand."

"No, let me finish. I can't watch you walk away from me. I don't know how to handle it, and I'm so afraid of losing you, I...I couldn't... Zenon, I'm so sorry."

Zenon took a few steps toward Proto Zoa and wrapped her arms around his neck. He rested his hands on her back and closed his his eyes. "Zoa, I'm so sorry I was so mad at you. I didn't know you...I didn't know you felt this way."

"It's not your fault, Zee." Zenon pulled away from Proto Zoa and smiled softly up at him. He smiled in return, and he looked back over his shadow back at Dasha, who still sat on the park bench, leaning back and watching the people walk by, for a second before returning his attention to Zenon. "Now, do you think we should get her back home?"

"That depends on if she needs to still do things here," Zenon replied.

"We'll soon find out."

"Got that right."

"So, Zee, why are you so jealous, exactly?" Proto Zoa asked as Zenon took a few steps toward Dasha.

"We'll talk about this later," she snapped. "So, Dasha, is there anything important major you need to take care of on Earth?" she asked when she reached her cousin.

"Not right now, but I need to com back in five days to pick up the DNA test results," Dasha replied.

"DNA test?"

"I had to, otherwise I'd be killed."

"Okay, then." Dasha got to her feet and followed Zenon and Proto Zoa back to the latter's pod.