Chapter 2 : Embrace
AN: I'm rather proud of this chapter. it's longer, has some emotional havoc and confusion, and I'm going to get unlazy and make a fanfiction.net account. X
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Cybersix felt the tears beginning to well up in her eyes as she saw Lucas standing in her apartment in Data 7. She rubbed her eyes briskly before moving towards him so that they were only a few feet apart. She found herself unable to look him in the eye. She knew that if she did, she'd break down completely.
"Lucas." Her voice broke as she said his name. Stop it, she thought it herself in frustration. You don't need this right now. He might be able to help you... At this thought the tears overflowed, streaming down her face. She felt arms going around her, and she tensed. She frantically wiped the tears off of her face, and hesitantly pulled out of his grasp. She slowly made her way to the apartment widow, where data 7 sidled up next to her and nudged his face against her leg. She stared out at the broken city, her home.
He doesn't know what happened, Data 7. He does't know what happened in the lab... What we saw. Data 7 nudged her leg once more, looking up at her.
Sister, he deserves to know. He's confused enough as it is... And so are you. I can tell.
Cybersix didn't answer, instead, she continued to look out at the growing darkness; the beauty of sunset clashed with the smoking ruins of the better part of Meridiana. She could sense Lucas behind her, and she finally spoke.
"I owe you an explanation." She turned around to face him, and found herself nose to nose with him. "Von Reichter is dead."
Lucas looked at her blankly. "Well, that's good, isn't it?" Cybersix sighed.
"Not nessecarily. No Von Reichter means less Fixed Ideas. I highly doubt Jose will be able to figure out how to create them on his own. And less Fixed Ideas means-"
"Less sustenance," finished Lucas, understanding the seriousness of the problem. "And once you kill Jose, there won't be any left." He frowned. "But that means-"
"Don't even say it, Lucas. I didn't have high hopes for my survival even when Von Reichter was alive. That's only half of my problems." She felt his arms once more go around her, and she didn't fight the emotions going on inside her. She wrapped her arms around him, bracing herself for what she was about to say to him next.
"Lucas- there's another one out there."
"What? Another what?"
"Another Cyber." She felt his arms tense around her. "When I was in Von Reichter's lab.. When we heard the alarms going off, Data 7 and I ran for the nearest doorway."
She was speaking into his shoulder, trying to keep her voice steady.
"We found another labaratory room- this one full of more sustenance tanks. Most of them contained Fixed Ideas, clones, and other victims of Von Reichter. And.. we found, incredible as it sounds, the 5001st Cyber." She lifted her head off of his shoulder and pulled slightly away from him to look him in the eye.
"Was it... alive?" Lucas asked hesitantly. Cybersix nodded.
"I can't believe it myself. It was a she, and she had the tattoo. Cyber 0." She shook her head in disbelief. "My sister. I knew she was alive... There were bubbles in the tank. It was preserving her somehow. I'm not sure how Von Reichter managed to keep her alive in the tank all these years..."
"But I thought that there were only 5000 Cybers created by Von Reichter..."
"Apparently there was another. Why Von Reichter has kept her hidden, and alive, all this time doesn't make sense..."
"Where is she now?" Lucas asked her. Cybersix looked away.
"I didn't have time... We only had fifteen seconds to get out of there... We managed to find an exit and hid by the river when the explosion hit... Debris flew everywhere, along with sustenance from the pods and... remains." She shuddered. "I couldn't save her."
"I'm sorry," Lucas whispered, as she reluctuantly withdrew from his arms and made her way over to the bed in the corner where Data 7 was watching the two of them through sleepy eyes.
"You should... probably get some sleep," said Lucas, breaking the silence and heading towrds the door. "I doubt the school will be functioning tommorrow... so, do you... want me to come over? Or meet me somewhere?" Hearing nothing, he turned around, She was sound alseep, stretched out on the bead with Data 7 curled protectively curled against her. He stared at her sleeping figure for a few moments before leaving the room silently, shutting the door behind him.
