Hey you guys...

Thank you so much for the reviews, I'm really happy to see that you're still with me, even after the long wait on the previous chapter.

Next to that, I don't have much to tell, so on with the story.
Feel free to leave a review after you've finished this chapter, but as usual, no pressure. :)

Later dudes!

Chapter 17

One year later…

Kiwi closed her eyes when a soft breeze went through her black hair, making the untamable bangs waving over her shoulders.
The sun was low in the sky, shining down on her without burning her alive, a somehow refreshing sensation.
As she took in the almost comforting warmth, the sound of a few birds singing their song in the distance reached her ears.
It was a sound she didn't recognize, for the birds here sounded different than on Earth.
Still, all this together made it feel as if she was back home, in the first days of spring.
As if she woke up from hibernation after the cold and dark days from winter, a season she hated to the core.
And now, with her eyes closed and a little bit of imagination, Mars felt like home for the first time since she set foot on this planet.
Even the air smelled the same.
Fresh.
Devoid of death.

Slowly and somehow reluctant, she opened her eyes again and took in the sight.
Standing on the balcony of her room, she had a perfect view over the entire base.
The Freedom Fighter base, that had never looked this peaceful.
No guards on the high walls that surrounded the place.
The big and almost indestructible doors of the only entrance now wide open, to be -hopefully- never closed again.
The big courtyard, that used to be the training zone for young Fighters, now transformed into some sort of park.
She wasn't the only one who was outside to enjoy the gorgeous low sun and her gaze wandered over the residents of the base.
Some of them were lying lazily in the warm red sand, reading a book or taking a nap.
Others had settled down on one the benches, talking with each other while the youngsters of the group were practicing their wrestling techniques.
It was like a whole new world.
Peace was peaceful
Refreshing.

Heaving a sigh, Kiwi rested her head in her hands as her gaze landed on Amira and despite everything, a small smile appeared on her rosy face.
The young Martian biologist was playing peek-a-boo with the cutest little mouse ever born and the sight alone warmed up her cold heart.
Rose was sitting next to her, also with a big smile on her face while looking at Modo's son, who now had the giggles because of Amira pulling weird faces at him.
The wind carried the sound all the way up and the human girl closed her eyes again, for a moment listening to the sound of pure innocence.
The sound of a baby laughing was almost magical, able to give hope to those who were lost.
But not to Kiwi.

Hearing Mika laugh made her sad, actually.
In fact, it made her even sadder than she already was and her smile vanished like smoke in the wind as she opened her eyes again.
It didn't take long before her vision got blurry and shortly thereafter, a tear left her right eye and slowly rolled down her cheek.
Without taking the effort to wipe it away, she stared at the little boy lying in the sand.
She somehow envied him, for he still had his whole life ahead of him.
He was still pure.
Full of love.
Unconditional love.
For now, that is.
It wouldn't take long before the world would put a mark on him.
One day.
But for now, this particular cruel world was quite calm.

Peace was peaceful.
Quiet.
Lonely, too.
This wasn't how she had pictured it, at all.
She had thought there would be happiness.
A lot of happiness.
But there wasn't.
At least, not for her.
Another tear left her eye, this time the left one.
But again, she didn't wipe it away.
What was the point?
Another tear would soon follow its predecessor, simply because that was all she could do these days.
Crying.
She somehow couldn't stop crying.
Not since that day.

A warm hand on her shoulder broke her out of her trance and she looked up, suddenly overwhelmed by the hope that it was him.
But it wasn't.
Of course, it wasn't.
"Oh, hey, Throttle", she sniffed, trying her very best to hide her disappointment but she failed miserably.
The tan-furred mouse gave her a warm and comforting smile as he gently squeezed her shoulder, to let her know that he understood.
She knew he did.
He always did.
Where would she be without him?
Even more lost, that she knew.
He was her rock in these desperate times.
Her guide.
Her guardian.
Her friend.

Kiwi glanced at him out of the corner of her eyes, seeing him leaning on the side of the balcony with folded arms.
If she had to guess, he was looking at the same sight she had been looking at only a few seconds ago now, but it was hard to tell because of his glasses.
The tan-colored crest between his big ears danced in the soft breeze and she noticed again how calm he was.
He was like an oasis of calmness and she was grateful that he was.
Steady like a rock.
Caring like a mother lion.
Protective like a watchdog.
Her blue eyes landed on the scar on the right side of his nose.
It had healed nicely but still, every time she laid her eyes on it, she immediately felt sick to the stomach.
Today was no different, so she quickly looked back at the adorable sight down in the courtyard.

"It's heartwarming, isn't it?", the male mouse broke the silence, his husky voice soft.
Almost whispering.
The tone in his voice gave away so much sadness and Kiwi swallowed with difficulty, pushing back her tears before she trusted her voice enough to respond to this question that was actually more of a statement.
"It is. I just… I just wish he was here to see it…"
Her voice was soft too.
Fragile.
Just like she was.
Throttle shifted his weight and she could almost feel the pain radiating from his body without even looking at him.
This was still a very painful subject for him, after all, and who could blame him?
But he was here.
He would never run away from his pain.
He was here.
Thank the Mothers of Mars he was.
Without him, she was lost.

After another deafening silence, he cleared his throat.
"He would've loved it."
Again, Kiwi swallowed away her tears, for she simply didn't have the energy to cry.
Not anymore.
It brought her nothing.
Not even relief.
Her blue eyes caught some movement down on her right and she looked down as she prepared herself to speak again.
"It's everything he fought for", she whispered eventually as her eyes followed Modo, who crossed the courtyard to his little family.
He was still a bit limping, still getting used to his new bionic leg, even after all these months of practicing.
At least he could walk again.
"It just breaks my heart to know that he's never going to see it", she added, her voice already breaking again.

Her gaze was still fixated on the grey-furred giant, who now reached his family.
Mika immediately reached out his little hands to him and Modo gently lifted him, planting a kiss on his little head before throwing him in the air, much to Mika's joy.
"Somehow, I've got the feeling that he knows. That he's looking down on us with a smile from ear to ear. At the same time, I realize how childish this sounds, perhaps even naive. But frankly, it's what keeps me going."
Kiwi reached out her hand and laid it on his.
"It's not childish, Throttle. It's hope. There's nothing wrong with hope…"
If only she believed that herself.

Throttle turned his head towards Kiwi as she pulled back her hand, already looking down again with that agonizing look on her face.
The one that was there ever since that day, the one that never left.
Her pain was excruciating and he had to admit, he was really worried about her.
She just didn't seem to be able to deal with all this.
Her strength, the one he had always admired, nowhere to be found.
Which was, unfortunately, completely understandable.
They took a hard hit, that day.
That awful day.
The hardest in history.

Even he had still nightmares about it, having a hard time dealing with the consequences of an ill-timed moment of hope.
Hope for peace.
He could've known that peace would come with a bitter aftertaste.
And here they were.
Broken by war.
A meaningless war.
And not even peace could ease their troubled minds.
But even though he had his demons, that didn't mean he couldn't be there for Kiwi.
And so he was.
She needed him, now more than ever.
Because at this point, she had no one else.
Not really.

"How are you holding up, Kiwi?"
Perhaps it was a stupid question.
Well, scratch 'perhaps'.
It was a stupid question.
But he wanted her to know that he was here for her.
That he would always be here for her.
She was like his little sister.
Family.
He never let family down.
No exceptions.
The human girl shrugged in return, avoiding his look by staring at her folded hands.
"They say it takes time."
She then looked up to him, her blue eyes watery, brimming with despair.
"But no one ever tells me how much time…"

Her pain was like a knife.
It cut through his soul without mercy and he just grabbed her by the shirt and pulled her in his arms.
As he rested his chin on her head, he looked down again to the, how he liked to call it, Garden of Hope.
Just in time to see Carbine join the small group.
His bionic eyes followed her every movement, how she sat down next to a fully recovered Rose, talking animatedly about something he couldn't hear.
It wasn't important though.
All that mattered to him was that she was finally free.
To see her like this was enough to soften his pain, to make it bearable, simply because she was happy.
Finally, she was happy and she deserved it.
She had suffered enough, after all.
Then again, didn't they all?
And yet here he was, holding a heartbroken and fragile little human in his arms.
A human who deserved to be happy too, just as much as Carbine and the rest, especially after everything she had been through.
But it didn't seem to be granted to her.
And it broke his already broken heart.

Kiwi buried her face in his sweater, sniffing up his scent, but it was hardly the same.
And before she knew it, she already burst into tears again.
God, she wished she could turn back time.
To just go back and erase that awful day.
Things would be so much different if that day just vanished into nothingness, to never be remembered again.
But that was impossible.
That would be like magic.
And magic reminded her of fairy tales.
She didn't believe in fairy tales, not anymore.
There was no happily ever after.
It simply didn't exist.
She knew now.
Her brain was kind enough to remind her, every single day, by forcing her to relive that day.
Over and over again.

They say it takes time.
She wanted to believe that.
She really did.
But she wasn't sure how long she was able to hold on.
To give it the time it needed.
She was slipping away, she just knew it, and there was only one person who could save her.
One she couldn't save for herself.

Flashback…

This wasn't real.
This wasn't happening.
Those two sentences kept repeating in her head, banging against the inside of her skull while she just sat there, leaning against the wall with her legs pulled up, holding herself tightly because no one else could.
Her blue eyes were fixated on the screen, which was still as black as the night.
The longer she stared at it, the more the object became somehow important to her, for it was this very device on which she had seen him for the last time and she just couldn't overcome herself to turn her gaze away.
It somehow made her feel closer to him.
Which was both weird and pathetic.
But it was all she needed right now.
To be with him.
Why couldn't she be with him?

The panic was gone.
All there was left was a great void in her heart, a hole with raw edges, poignant as a third-degree burn.
It paralyzed her.
All she could do was to just sit there, staring at the screen as silent tears streamed down her face.
Suddenly, the door to Braavos flew open, but Kiwi didn't look up.
It probably was Jax anyway, who had left her alone for a moment to talk with Neo and Flash about what to do next.
He had asked her to come, well, more like demanded, for he obviously didn't want to leave her alone, but she had refused, simply because she knew there was nothing left to do.
This was it.
Her life was over.
She was broken, and this time for real.
Shattered into a million pieces like a porcelain doll.
Irreparable.

She vaguely noticed someone kneeling in front of her, but Kiwi just stared right through whoever it was.
Truth be told, she didn't care who it was.
It wasn't Vinnie, that she knew.
But he was the only one she wanted to see right now, so badly.
But she couldn't.
She would never see him.
Ever again.

Cruel.
It was cruel, how he was taken away from her after everything they had overcome together.
Just like that.
Poof.
Gone in a flash.
It just wasn't fair.
Life wasn't fair.
It never had been.
But she had been able to face it because of him.
Having him by her side had made her feel invincible.
It was now clear that she wasn't.
Invincible.
Because without him, she was just a shell.
An empty shell.
Hollow.
Dead.

"Kiwi…"
Why wasn't it his voice that said her name?
God, all she wanted was to hear him saying her name.
But she couldn't.
She would never hear him saying her name.
Ever again.

Lonely.
She had never felt this lonely in this darkness that was yet so familiar.
And she couldn't stop herself from wondering if he would be lonely too.
Would there be sunshine where he was?
The way there was when he was here?
She hoped there was.
Perhaps that was why she was sitting here, in the dark.
Perhaps he had taken the light with him.
She hoped he did, even if it meant that she would never see a flash of light, ever again.
All that mattered to her was that he wasn't surrounded by this terrifying darkness.
Alone.
God.
Help me.

"Kiwi, look at me."
After a short moment, she did.
She had no idea why, but she did.
But everything was so blurry.
All she saw was a black spot with big ears, kind of like Mickey Mouse's shadow.
Was she losing her mind?
After blinking a few times, her vision slowly became sharp again.
Blue eyes.
Light-brown fur.
Shoulder-length hair.
"Harley", Kiwi whispered when she started to realize who she was looking at.
"What… what are you doing here? You're supposed to be in bed… resting."

It was weird as much as it was remarkable that despite everything, she still seemed to worry about someone else's well being.
Why did she care anyway?
Life was over.
There was nothing left to care for.
And yet, here she was, worrying about Harley, who took a bullet to save her life.
Maybe that was the reason.
She owed this Martian Mouse her life.
And she suddenly wished she didn't.
She would've died in peace, that day.
Spared from this pain, this horrible pain.
A little too late for that now.

"Kiwi, listen to me. We need to go."
The human girl narrowed her eyes as her brain slowly processed the words, still dazed of shock.
"Go?"
"Yes, go. I simply refuse to believe that they're dead. Not until proven otherwise. So you need to grab yourself together and come with me."
"Go… go to the Plutarkian HQ?", Kiwi asked confused as she blinked a few times, wondering if perhaps Harley had lost her mind as well.
"No, to my grandma's grave, all right? Of course to the Plutarkian HQ. Geez, and they say humans are smart…"
"No."
The word had already left Kiwi's mouth before she knew it, but she didn't regret it.
She didn't want to go there, after all.
She simply couldn't bear it.

But Harley wouldn't have any of it.
"I wasn't asking. Come on, we don't have much time. Jax doesn't want us to leave, thinking it's too dangerous, that it's a trap or something, to lure us out, but… but I need to go. I need to know. And so are you."
But Kiwi already violently shook her head.
"I can't. Don't you understand? Don't you see that you're expectations go beyond me? What if I see him, lying there, mutilated, knowing that he died alone in that room, that room he hated so much…", but Harley held up her hand before she could continue.
"Stop. I'm sure Throttle has learned you to never make assumptions and sadly but true, it's all we have right now. But we need facts. So I'm going and you, missy, are coming with me. There's enough time to wallow in despair after we know what really happened."

Kiwi just stared at Harley for a moment, a bit flabbergasted and perhaps even offended by the lack of sympathy.
But then, without any warning, she suddenly got overwhelmed by a fit of pure rage by seeing the determination on Harley's face, one that came dangerously close to arrogance.
Who the hell did she think she was, coming in here and tell her that they might be alive, that he might be alive…
Unbelievable.
"You've got some nerve, I'll give you that", she snapped at the female mouse, who gave her a confused look in return.
It only made Kiwi even angrier.
"Don't look at me like that. Do you have any idea what I'm feeling right now? Of course, you don't, otherwise, you wouldn't be here. Well, lemme explain; it feels like there's a part ripped away from me, which can mean only one thing and you just barge in here to… to give me hope?!", she spat out with breaking voice, tears already blurring her vision again and she angrily wiped them away.

But Harley only laid her hands on Kiwi's shoulders, clearly not bothered by her anger.
"He would do the same for you, Kiwi, and you know it. Even if it would tear him apart. So get it together and follow me."
Without waiting for a response, the Martian female turned around and left the room.
Kiwi just sat there, still breathing heavily after her outburst, but Harley's words had made impact, whether she liked it or not.
He would do the same for you.
She was right, he would.
Without blinking.
He would do anything for her.
And she for him.
So, she took a deep breath and forced herself to climb back on her feet.
For him.
For Vinnie.

…

Harley's bike came to a halt with shrieking brakes and Kiwi lowered her eyes, cursing herself for being such a coward.
But she was somehow scared to see the place.
Scared to see the damage, because it would only make it even more real that he was gone.
But Harley didn't seem to want to waste any time, because she jumped off her bike while pulling off her helmet in the process.
After hanging it on her left handlebar, she did a few steps towards the building, but when Kiwi didn't follow, she turned around to face the broken human girl.
"Come on, Kiwi", she said, not unfriendly and offered Kiwi her hand.
But the latter shook her head, swallowing with difficulty when the panic came back and squeezed her throat.
"I don't think I can do this, Harley", she squeaked as she clung to the bike.
Harley did a few steps forward and gently took her arm.
"You can. You're stronger than you think", she told the human girl as she carefully pulled her off the bike.
"Not as strong as you."
"You know that's not true."

After removing the helmet, the Martian female wiped the messy black hair out of Kiwi's face.
"You're scared, I get it. I'm scared too, in fact, I'm just inches away from losing my shit…"
When Kiwi made a soft sound in disbelief, Harley gently but firmly grabbed her by the chin and forced her to look at her.
"I not shitting you here, Kiwi. Just because I lost him to you doesn't mean I don't love him anymore, because I do. With all my heart. Just like the rest of them. They are my family, Kiwi, the only ones I have left next to Shaylon. I just got them back and losing them again will break me. So yeah, I am scared. Very scared. But this insecurity of not knowing whether they're dead or alive is even worse, next to the fact that I will never forgive myself if it turns out that I could've saved at least one of them."

Kiwi just stared at her for a moment while her overstimulated brain took in the words.
There was a whirlwind of emotions visible in Harley's blue eyes, but there was one that prevailed.
Hope.
She was hopeful.
Goddammit.
What was it with hope that made it somehow contagious?
It was like a seed.
A seed that started to grow from the moment it was planted, despite the darkness in which it landed.
It didn't need sunlight.
Or water.
It just grew.
Whether one liked it or not.

Looking in Harley's eyes, Kiwi felt a little tingle in her belly when the seed rapidly expanded, knowing that it was too late to fight it.
The damage had been done.
The seed had been planted.
And now, there was only one thing to do.
So, after taking a deep breath, Kiwi nodded.
"Okay."
Harley's face lit up, but there was still a small hint of reservation visible in her eyes.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, I am. Let's do this. For them. For our family."
The Martian female now looked at her with something that came close to respect before she nodded back.
"For our family."

Kiwi braced herself before she slowly looked up, prepared to see the worst imaginable, but much to her relief, this side of the building was still standing.
It somehow made the seed grow even faster to the extent possible, for it meant that the bomb hadn't been strong enough to destroy the entire building.
Perhaps Harley was right.
Perhaps there was still a chance.
After taking a good look, she recognized it as the place where Throttle, Modo and Vinnie had entered the building to start their search.
Knowing that the bomb went off at the south-side of the building, Kiwi grabbed Harley's hand and dragged her to the very same door the mice had used only a few hours ago.

After a little hesitation, the human girl reached out her hand and slowly opened the door, but something stopped her from going inside.
Harley, however, wasn't planning on slowing down.
She carefully wiggled herself past Kiwi and walked through the now open door.
It was pitch black inside, but the light-brown-furred mouse came prepared and took two flashlights out of her backpack.
After giving one to Kiwi, she turned hers on while grabbing her gun.
"Come on, we don't have much time."
And she disappeared in the dark, soon followed by Kiwi.

As they rushed through the hallways, they both kept their eyes open for any sort of movement, friendly or hostile, but it seemed that the place was still deserted.
Kiwi's heart started to pound faster as they approached the lab, but she succeeded to keep her calm.
For now.
Because when they reached the entrance to the lab, it became painfully clear that even though the rest of the building was still standing, this bomb had hardly been child's play and they both stopped to take in the damage.
Which was... substantial.
The smell of burned powder tickled their nose and Kiwi rubbed hers to stop herself from sneezing while her heart was already ten times heavier again.
The seed of hope, the one that had been growing this till point, now shriveled back to its original form when she saw the big pile of debris that used to be the entrance to the lab and she swallowed with difficulty.
There was no way someone could've survived this.
No fucking way.

Without thinking, she grabbed Harley's hand in a tight grip while her breathing became heavier, but the female mouse wasn't ready to give up yet.
"Let's search for an entrance."
Kiwi shook her head in denial as she let her flashlight wander over the big chunks with a trembling hand.
But before she could say something to stop this madness, Harley broke the silence.
"Through here."
"Harley, wait…", but judging by the darkness and the scraping sounds in the distance, the female Martian was already gone.
Kiwi just stood there, for a moment indecisive what to do, until her surroundings got the best of her.
This place was kind of scary actually, and standing here, all alone, suddenly seemed to be even worse than whatever she would find at the other side of this wall made of stones.
So, after taking another deep breath, she quickly followed Harley through the small tunnel on all fours.

Much to her surprise, the tunnel led to an open space and when Kiwi was back on her feet, she recognized it as the room the mice had been in right before the bomb went off.
The lab.
It was crazy that it was still recognizable as a room, but that was simply because a few big pieces of chunks stopped the ceiling from collapsing.
But even despite that, the room felt eerie and claustrophobic and Kiwi rubbed her arms when a chill went down her spine.

"Guys…?", Harley broke the loaded silence, startling Kiwi at the same time. She looked at the light-brown-furred mouse, who now wandered through the remains of the room.
Silence, that almost sickening silence, was all that came in response.
"Vinnie?"
Hearing his name was like a slap in Kiwi's face and she closed her eyes when she suddenly snapped back to reality.
This was crazy.
Stupid.
Jax was right, it was dangerous to come here.
Here, in this room that could collapse by the slightest vibration, burying them forever.
Not that she cared.
Well, not about her own safety, that is.
She knew now.
From the moment she had seen the damage, she knew.
Her life was over anyway.

But Harley…
Harley had a son.
A son, who already grew up without a father.
What if he would lose his mother too?
For this?
For this little itty-bitty splinter of hope?
"I think we should go."

But Harley shook her head as she still wandered along the big piles of debris, and even in the little light they had, Kiwi could see how her determination got replaced by something else.
Despair.
God.
This was wrong.
She never should've listened to her.
This was clearly a mission based on nothing but unrealistic hope.
"Harley, come on. We tried. We tried, and that's all that matters. But we need to go now before this whole place is gonna collapse…"
Loud creaking confirmed that theory and Kiwi froze. She even held in her breath, as if that would stop the inevitable.
But then, the sound slowly faded and the silence, that awful silence, returned.
That empty silence, that told her he wasn't here.
At least, not alive.
He was gone.
Forever.
So was the rest.
Stoker.
Carbine.
Modo.
Throttle.
She was alone again.
All alone.

Without any warning, her legs became weak and she just dropped down on her knees, squeezing her eyes when that agonizing pain washed over her again.
"Oh, God, Vinnie…", she panted as she bent over, leaning on her hands in an attempt to make breathing a bit easier, but it was hardly sufficient.
It was crazy, how strongly her entire body and mind yearned to feel his arms around her.
To smell his scent.
To hear his voice.
She had never felt a craving like this, not even when he was still here.
Here.
With her and beside her.
To guard her and to guide her.
Just like he had promised to her at their wedding.
"Please, come back to me..."

But, of course, there was no response.
There would never be a response.
Never again.
Alone.
She was all alone.
And it suddenly made her angry like never before.
"Goddammit, you promised! You looked me in the eye and promised me to follow me everywhere! How could you do this? How could you leave me on my own…?", she sobbed in both sadness and anger as she hit the floor to vent some of this suffocating heartache, even though it brought her nothing but pain.

Why, for fuck sake why did he leave her like this?
He knew.
He knew how much she needed him.
And yet, here she was.
All alone.
And it killed her.
Slowly.
Painfully.

But just when she thought she was going to suffocate, right here, right now, the band around her torso loosened.
The pain, that was too heavy to bear, now softened and Kiwi opened her eyes, frowning in confusion.
There was a certain calmness that chased away the agony and even though it was beyond confounding, she gratefully took advantage of this strange phenomenon to breathe.
To breathe the dusty and musty air.
It wasn't enough to calm her down, no…
But it was just enough to make it somehow bearable, a thing she was grateful for.
It was then when the impossible happened.
Because just when she realized that this calmness she felt was somehow familiar, she suddenly heard a voice in her head.
A voice from which she thought she would never hear again.
A voice that was about the only thing capable of calming her down when she was feeling this anxious.
This sad.
His voice.

"I'm here, with you beside you… To guard you and to guide you…"

Silent tears streamed down her face as she listened to his voice whispering a part of his vow.
It was exactly the words she needed to hear him say, and it made her wonder if perhaps her brain was playing some sick game.
But it felt so real.
The calmness, the warmth, his voice…
As if he was with her again.
As if he had never left.
A restored connection…
Could it be?

The image of his face flashed before her eyes, of how he had looked at her while saying their vows.
His love for her, the one that was readable in his ruby-red eyes, warmed her up from the inside, even though it made her cry even harder to look him the eye and see him looking back, knowing this was nothing more but a memory.
Was it?
Because she didn't only see him.
She suddenly smelled him, too.
Felt him.
All around her.
"Vinnie…"
He looked back at her, with that crooked smile of his, the one she loved so much.
The one that had made her fall in love.
"Say... you love... me…", she managed to bring out between sobs, torn by the conflict of having hope and disbelief that this was real.

"You know I do…"

Her heart just stopped.
Jesus.
This was real.
It had to be real.
But just when she started to believe that there was more going on here than just her brain playing a game, his image started to fade, so was his calming effect and the panic immediately hit her again.
"No… no, no, no, no, please, don't go", she cried as she crawled forward with one hand reaching out to him.
"...don't leave me here all alone…"

"Close your eyes."

It was nothing more but a whisper in the wind, but she heard it and without any form of hesitation, she did what he said.
As soon as she closed them, the calmness came back.
Not just that, it reached even further now and her body finally relaxed for the first time since that goddamn screen went black.
Since the world had stopped spinning and it was like lying a warm bath.
And suddenly, completely out of nowhere, she saw a glimpse of something that changed everything.
It was nothing more but a flash, like a soft breeze on a warm summer night that was anything but refreshing, but it was enough.
Her eyes flew open as she jumped at her feet with renewed strength, looking Harley straight in the eye with determination written upon her face.
"I know where they are."