Grace found a way to sneak out of the base with Angel's help. She decided to wear a black cloth over her body to hide herself. She moved very stealthy until she was able to travel underground by another abandoned subway tunnel she knew about. There, she transformed just enough to be able to run at about seventy miles per hour, but she didn't transform enough to begin emitting a strong enough energy wave to be detected through the layer of ground, concrete and steel above her.
She returned to normal before she exited the tunnel. She then traveled for about fifteen minutes hiding herself along the way until she arrived at her destination. Scanning the area, she knew that the coast was clear. She climbed the side of a building until she saw the window she was looking for.
She knocked on the window very softly so as not to be heard by anyone else besides the person she was trying to wake. Soon, she heard something touch the wall beside the window.
The barely inaudible voice in the room said "I don't know who the hell you are, but I have a gun. Don't you try anything stupid."
Nervously, Grace replied "Don't worry…Jason. It's me, Grace."
Jason's eyes widened with confusion as he quickly turned to face her. Sure enough, it was not an imposter.
He opened the window and asked "What are you doing here?"
"C-can…I come in?" Grace asked.
"Okay. Come in before somebody notices an unknown person clinging to the side of this building," Jason replied as he backed away from the window.
Grace climbed in and closed the window behind her. To her surprise, Jason actually did have a gun in his hand.
"I guess…you must be planning…to fight in case…the first wave fails…too," Grace said.
"Well, yeah! A whole lot of people are buying guns. I know I'm not old enough to buy one, but that doesn't mean I can't ask my family for one. I don't plan on dying without a fight. Why did you come here by the way?" Jason asked.
"Don't…tell anyone this, but in four days, a large-scale…offensive will be launched against…the Mavericks. I want you to…know so you can…prepare…and so you can…enjoy yourself as much…as possible for the…next few days. They may be your last," Grace answered.
A few seconds later, Jason said "I was wondering, why me? I thought about it…and I remembered that you don't really have many friends…or even associates for that matter. The thing is…I didn't know you even paid much attention to me. We really haven't talked to each other in a couple of months."
"I…I'm sorry. I've been through a lot…of changes in my life, so I didn't…think much about trying to…be anyone's friend. Truth be told; I kind of…thought you were ignoring…me too. How have you been lately?" Grace asked.
"Besides the fear of impending doom, I've been fine," Jason answered.
Grace smirked and said "I thought…you might say something like that: always painting…a crude mental picture…with your responses."
Jason took a deep breath to relieve the tension, grinned, and then said "You know me pretty well. I'm guessing you didn't use the front door because you didn't want to alert my grandmother. I'm also assuming you snuck out of that place you guys have been hiding out in."
"You guessed correctly. I also snuck out…because I'm tired of seeing…the same faces every day. I need a little time away…from that place, even if it is only a few…hours," Grace explained.
"That's fine. If you want to sit down; feel free," Jason said as he pointed at his bed.
He turned and walked over to his study desk and pulled a chair over to the bed and sat in it. By then, Grace was already sitting down on his bed.
"So, rumor is that your actually part machine, but you didn't know until that day that big fight broke out," Jason guessed.
"It's true. I didn't know. I was…afraid at first. I didn't…know what to think. I'm getting used to it. The media must've…did a good job at cutting out large…portions of that event. It's no wonder you're asking. That arm transformation…I did that day when I killed…Axel wasn't biological, it was mechanical…in a sense. Nano-machines are what they are, but they're made…of biological tissues," Grace explained.
Jason smiled and said "That's pretty amazing. I didn't know anyone had ever developed that kind. I thought it was too complicated. I guess that red lady with the wings that the news did show must've been you. I thought as much. How did you manage to become red though?"
"Don't be…alarmed when I do…this. My voice…is about to change, and that's because…the machines have…actually developed a…personality of their own," Grace warned.
"O-okay. You mean that there's another…person…living inside you," Jason guessed concerned.
Grace's voice then changed, and then Angel said "I've been waiting to meet you in person for a while now, Jason. If you're wondering, my proper name is The Red Angel, but you can just call me Angel."
Wide-eyed, Jason paused for a few seconds, and then said "Okay. Wow! I really wasn't prepared for that. What the hell? I might as well follow the flow of things. All right….where to begin? Okay…Angel…based on what you just said…would I be correct in assuming that you've been hiding yourself from us all along? Don't get me wrong. I'm not offended. I just wanna know why."
"Not offended, huh? I'm not going to try and debate that part, but as to why…look at it this way; I didn't think anyone was ready for me to 'suddenly' appear, and that goes for Grace also. We were almost killed by a bomb blast, and that's why I surfaced. If I hadn't, we'd be dead. I didn't have a choice in the matter. I had been trying to find a way to go about it without putting her in danger. For one thing, do you think she'd be allowed to attend your school anymore if I had shown myself? It's different now that I showed myself in the way and circumstance that I did. Since my unveiling involved me fighting on the side of the human race, your society will more easily accept my existence. It'll basically be another Jenny repeat. On the other hand, how do you think the students and staff of Tremorton High would've reacted if I suddenly said 'Hi everybody? My name is Angel. I'm a robot that's been living inside Grace for most of her life. You wanna see me transform?" Chaos is the proper word to describe the reaction," Angel explained.
"All right. I see your point. Luckily for you, an explanation for your existence is scheduled to be aired on TV soon. It wouldn't be good for you to walk into school and announce yourself without everyone's prior knowledge," Jason added.
"That's good. I kind of figured they planned to explain why they didn't make a big deal about me. They would want to try and save their asses. I see the way you're looking at me. You wanna see me transform. It's not a good idea. If I do, my energy signature will likely be detected. You'll see it later on when this Maverick business is done. I hope I survive long enough," Angel said.
"Dammit! I did wanna see that too," Jason said disappointed.
Grace then said nervously "Jason. Listen. There's something…I need to talk…to you about."
"What is it?" Jason asked.
"I've heard…someone say…that…you reacted very…harshly when you saw me…collapse. Wait, not yet. Let me finish. I heard that you…left school right after that…and that you didn't return…for a couple…of days. I want you to be honest with me. Did you…feel hurt…when I collapsed?" Grace asked.
A moment passed as Jason nervously tried to think of what to say.
"Grace. I…don't know…what to say. I…I…" He said as he could no longer look her in the eye.
He was so nervous, that he didn't know what to say. She could see that. This was a situation that he apparently had no experience with.
"Jaso…" Grace said.
Jason cut her off by saying nervously "I don't know! I don't…know. I'm not sure what to…"
"You don't…ever seem to care much about…anyone's wellbeing. Now there's this. I don't understand. Why me?" Grace asked.
Jason was breathing heavily and his heart was beating heavily as well.
"I'm not sure how to explain…" Jason answered.
A moment later, Grace asked "You…really haven't spent much time…around someone outside…of your circle, have you?"
Jason only continued looking down at his lap nervously. Though he was unresponsive, Grace got the message pretty well.
"I haven't…either, Jason. I've only made…a few friends in my…life. I'm the same as you: a person who hardly values…popularity at all. We both know…that everyone has an ego…and would like to be…popular to a certain extent, but that extent…is very small for us. We decided to…weed out the fake friends and stick with the few…good ones. Is that really what we wanted? I don't think so. I think we wanted to…have plenty of friends…but we discovered early on that either very few people are worth…being friends…with or most people don't genuinely care about us because of how…different we are. You did spend…some time with me, but then there was the shock…of me suddenly coming to your…rescue. You didn't expect that…from anyone, especially not from me, and especially since I pointed…a loaded gun at you. You would normally expect…people to leave someone like…you behind down in that tunnel, but I didn't. I treat you differently…from the way the average…person does, and I think…because of that, you see me as…a potential friend, but you don't know…what to say to me. I think that's why…you've been avoiding talking to…me," Grace explained.
By then, Jason was looking her in the eye with wide opened eyes and mouth slightly hung open.
A few seconds later, he said "I….don't know what to say. Wait, I…umm…most people don't want to talk to me much, or be near me at all for that matter. I thought you didn't like the things I said to people. People usually avoid me for that reason."
"And that's supposed to…be okay? I know you're…not okay with…that. All that…grinning you do can't…be how…you feel about that. So…you hate it when people…intentionally avoid you, but then you…push them away even…more, and then pretend as though you're…content with that, like some…kind of 'Well, I might as well learn…to like my fucked up…reality' deal? I know…that's bullshit. I…do it too, in my own…way, and I hate it when I…do it. You pretend…as though it's okay, but I can't…keep doing it myself…anymore. Seeing you do it makes me…hate myself doing it," Grace replied angrily.
"Are you…saying that you want…to be my…friend?" Jason asked nervously.
A moment later, Grace replied "I need to finish."
She then took a deep breath and said "I was talking…to XJ6 and Sheldon…recently, and you became part of…the topic of…conversation. Based on…what Sheldon told me…this is probably going…to seem out the blue, but…do you…have a crush on me?"
He was so nervous that he could barely find any words to say. He could see that she was also very nervous as well: more nervous than he's ever seen her before.
Grace then said "If you do, it makes sense. Based on every…testimonial, you've never had a romantic…relationship. Sheldon also said that…he notices that the…way you look…at me is different from the…way you look at other…girls. That combined with the…fact that you…were so hurt…when seeing me hurt…well…I'd say it's a good guess."
A moment later, Grace said "The…fact that you're so…nervous says…something."
"Him of all people. Then again, he is…actually…the most likely to notice…when I really stop and think about it. I see it all now. I should've seen it when we met in the store. That part of me that lets me know if I have a crush on somebody or not…well, I've actually managed to hide it away to protect myself from falling for one of the usual 'bad-influence' and 'not-worth-it' girls. Now that I look at it, I realize that I've hidden it from myself so well, that I didn't see it for what it is until now. That's what that feeling is. I think…I do…have a crush on you. What…about you?" Jason asked nervously.
Grace took a few quick deep breaths to calm down some, and then she replied while blushing "You're the first…guy…to ever say that…to me. I needed to know…how you felt, and that's…why I came here. I didn't see it either…but if I came all the way here…"
"That's not good enough," Jason responded.
"What?" Grace asked surprised.
"You came all this way, but all you can prove to me, with that statement, is that you came here to verify the way I feel about you. I need to know how you feel about me. I need to know details. I like many things about you. I think you're beautiful. You don't creep me out like you do others. Your wide-eyed stare actually excites me. I like the way you dress. Everything about you that other people would normally find 'creepy,' physical and personality-wise, I think is interesting, and it excites me. I've been looking for a girl who's description doesn't fit the norm for a while now. I had never before seen anyone like you before, so I didn't know whether I liked you or not at first. Now that I've come to grips with my scrambled emotions, I know I like you now. I can tell by your blush that you're surprised at how straightforward I'm being now, and the fact that I've calmed down so quickly. Now that I can make sense out of all of this, I don't have a good reason to shy away from you," Jason explained while grinning.
Blushing furiously, Grace said "Oh my God! I can…say this; no guy has ever made me…blush this hard. I usually…hide my blushes when I…react to your…displays of confidence whenever you go…on your rants. You're the only guy…who has ever managed to make…my emotions stir as much as you. That's not good enough though. I find the people I like…the most the ones…I feel the greatest sense of…a need to protect, body, mind, and heart. For some reason, you're in that…category. I did risk my…life for you against that robot, and against Jenny. I like how you aren't…afraid to speak on…real issues that most people keep…to themselves. I really do like the fact that you…see me…in such a…good light, unlike most other people. I also like…how you don't try to be…like the other guys, and…I do think you're attractive."
"Sounds like you have a crush to me," Jason said with a blush.
A few seconds later, Grace said "I guess so!"
"I see we're not that different from each other. Our emotions are scrambled from trying to cope with our realities," Jason said.
Jason noticed her breathing becoming heavier as she seemed even more nervous that before. After thinking about it, he soon realized what it was. She was afraid to move to the next step. He was too, but if he waited too long, the situation could change for the worst. His breathing became heavier as well. He slowly got out of his chair and slowly leaned in towards her. Grace's nervousness was so great that she almost involuntarily slowly backed away from him. He slowly reached out and grabbed her shoulders, pulled her towards him, and finally kissed her on the lips. They both tensed up from the way their first kisses felt. Neither of them had done this before. Unable to control themselves, they began wrapping their arms around each other and kissed passionately. About a minute later, Jason pulled away from her.
"Listen, Grace. Neither of us are used to this yet. I think we need to take it slow. If we move too fast, we might do something stupid," Jason explained.
While still clutching folds of his shirt, Grace took a deep breath, calmed down a little, and then said "You're right. Slow is better. This happens to be just the right atmosphere for us to do something stupid in."
"Yeah. One more thing. This 'Angel' of yours; I want you to know that I'm not interested in her the way I'm into you. I hope she doesn't take this personally," Jason added.
"Don't worry about that. There's no need for me to take it personally. Me and Grace are practically the same person. All five of our senses are permanently fused anyway…if you know what I mean," Angel said followed by a laugh.
"Angel! You're a dirty minded girl!" Jason said surprised at how straightforward she was as she continued to laugh.
Grace then said "You're a real ass, Angel. I want you to know…that."
"I bet she's still laughing about it too, aint she?" Jason asked.
Grace then nodded her head indicating a yes.
Grace managed to sneak back into the base unnoticed a few hours later. The only person who was aware that she wasn't in her room was XJ6, but even she wouldn't have guessed that Grace managed to bypass such high-end security and sneak out without being detected.
When Grace finally closed the door to her room behind her, she leaned her back against the door and smiled as she thought about her first kiss. It had been about three years since she'd felt giddy about anything. She then walked across the room and lay in her bed.
After thinking about Jason for a few minutes, she suddenly started laughing out loud at yet another dirty joke that Angel made.
Jenny was spending several hours a day training harder than ever. In fact, even her own mother had never before seen her train this intensely. She was a little concerned that she may be pushing herself too hard, but she was proud of her daughter nevertheless. Everyone else trained as well, but a lot of them didn't feel as though their efforts were enough.
The last might before the big day was the hardest. Everyone was terrified, though only a few actually showed it. The collective feeling as though there was a bomb about to explode at any moment didn't help anyone to be able to enjoy themselves.
In mid-training, Jenny collapsed to her knees, buried her face in her hands, and started crying out loud. No one needed to ask why. The reason was obvious.
"I'm giving it all I have to prepare for this! I don't wanna die!" Jenny screamed and then continued crying.
Her family came rushing to her side to try to comfort her. Sheldon soon joined them. They tried to calm her, but they made little progress. A minute later, Vexus made her way over to the crowd and knelt down directly in front of Jenny's line of sight. A few of Jenny's family wondered why Vexus was interfering. They felt as though she could only make things worse.
In a trembling voice, Vexus spoke up and said "Some of you might not want to take what I'm about to say seriously, and that's fine, I…understand why. I'm scared too. I have never been…so terrified…in all my life. I'm so afraid, that I actually considered suicide last night."
Most people who knew her were shocked to hear her say that.
She then continued saying "I asked myself, 'Why should I risk myself for them? How would it…benefit me? Would it be easier to just…end it now?' That's when it hit me. I realized…how cowardly I am. I say I want to help. I say I want to try helping people, but now, in order to do that, I have to put my life on the line against God knows how many enemies. I feel like I deserve it. I haven't rushed into a real war zone in so long, that I don't know if I even have to nerve. I'm no longer commanding an army to risk their lives for my sake. But here's the funny thing about it. I was less afraid of killing myself than I am now that I decided to go through with fighting. I used to think it was the other way around. But what's really scaring me the most now…is the thought that if I had killed myself, two thousand plus years would've been completely wasted. The person I thought myself to be…would've been for nothing: a lie. I always used to think of myself as doing something good with my life, but now that I'm finally discovering what is actually good, if I had killed myself, that would prove that I was a waste. None of that is why I feel like crying right now though. Seeing you recover this much from your attempt at suicide is motivating me to continue and to push myself. Seeing you cry and panic like this is really screwing with my resolve. Before I walked over here, I had this terrible mental image of you killing yourself out of fear. I think your suicide attempt really got to me more than I thought. Please don't…keep…crying like that. If you…did…if you do that to yourself now, I…wouldn't know…what I would do."
She buried her face in her hands and started crying. Seeing Vexus cry like this was one of the most shocking things most of the others had seen in a long time. They were finally starting to see just how negatively her isolation period had affected her. Most of them never thought they'd see the day that Vexus would break down and cry like that.
At that moment, she didn't seem like a former tyrant. She seemed more like an ordinary woman.
Her other knee finally touched the ground , she folded her arms, and then bent downwards and continued crying. For the first time, a lot of the others felt compassion for her. Jenny then crawled over to Vexus and hugged her. As they cried together, most of the others couldn't believe what they were seeing.
"I see it. People cannot continue to find reasons to fight each other. If we do, look at what we could lose. I never thought I'd see them like this either, but if mortal enemies like them can make up, why can't we? We keep fighting over such stupid things. What the hell is wrong with us?" Tuck asked with one of the most serious tones he's ever expressed in his life.
For once, Tuck's mother didn't scold him for his use of profanity. She totally agreed with him. Everyone else had mixed feelings about the situation. A lot of them were no longer sure of many things all of a sudden.