It felt like hours had passed, but the old clock on the wall begged to differ.

Jude had managed to pull himself up from the floor and onto one of the musty beds in a meager attempt at sleep. The bar above was quiet, Alvin and Ludger having left some time ago, leaving him alone in the dank basement. Part of him wondered if it was easier that way; for Alvin to leave him alone, give him the space he needed after what happened. Maybe Alvin wouldn't come back, maybe he'd take the opportunity to hightail it out of town and onto his next job.

Or maybe he was going with Ludger to turn him in. Wouldn't it be fitting, to Alvin turn him in alongside an enemy agent. Given all that had happened, Jude wasn't beyond believing it either. It hurt to think that the man he had entrusted his life to was one of the bad guys all along. Was it really only a matter of time before he outlived his usefulness and ended up with a bullet in his head?

But…If my research was helping Exodus… That makes me a bad guy too, doesn't it?

He didn't know anymore. How much of his hard work had gone towards their mad scheme? How many days, weeks, hell, months of his work had ended up in Exodus's hands, and at what cost? And above all, how had he not figured it out sooner?

Jude curled in on himself, pulling his knees to his chest. I'm such an idiot… I thought all this time that I could help the Elympions… But everything I've done… The urge to cry came over him again, but Jude vehemently fought it off. Crying wasn't going to reverse what had happened. And yet Jude didn't know what he could do, or if there was even anything he could do. He was just one person going up against a terrorist group and possibly the biggest corporation this side of the border. If Professor Haus couldn't stand against them, how was Jude expected to last? It wasn't just one lone gunman, but several groups of trained agents, all after his head and the information he had discovered.

But… It dawned on Jude. If they're allocating all those resources to capture me, then…

Jude sat up, his hand patting the front pocket of his lab coat, once a pristine white, now muddied and bloodied beyond repair. The disc from the lab remained there, unscratched, safe. These documents… They could easily get the archive from the lab computer, but they're still chasing me. That means…

The door at the head of the stairs slammed open and Jude was on high alert again. Had Spirius come for him? Had Exodus? He flung the musty sheets off and flew to his feet, fist raised in the stance that had been engrained in his mind since childhood. If he was going down, he was going down fighting with everything he had.

But there was no stamping of steel-toed boots coming down the stairs, no threats for Jude to surrender, just two sets of footfalls making their way slowly down the steps.

"You awake, kid?"

From around the corner came Alvin and Ludger, both looking like they had just come out of a lengthy brawl. Judging from the number of soldiers that had broken into the bar earlier, Jude wouldn't be surprised if there had been a brawl. But by the looks of it, they had made it out on the winning side.

Relief flickered across Alvin's features when he caught sight of Jude, but he came no closer than the entry, as if sensing the tension from a distance. Ludger, however, took a seat at the old table with some effort. It appeared he had taken quite the beating, his arms and face bruised, dried blood caking his hair. Jude's first instinct was to go over and heal them both, but given the circumstances, he remained.

It was Alvin that spoke first. "Spirius is out in full-force looking for you." An obvious statement, but it confirmed Jude's theory never the less. "Ludger slipped one of Rideaux's cronies some false intel to throw them off, but we can't stay here much longer. We need a plan."

Questions remained, and with the grip on his emotions ever tightening, he decided to get down to business. "Alvin, how is Spirius involved in all this?" Jude queried, stance relaxing only slightly. His gaze trailed over to Ludger, suspicious of the soft-spoken man. Ludger was sitting quietly, gently massaging his right arm with his left, avoiding eye-contact. One had to wonder how many soldiers he fought through just to get back to the bar, and to what end. "Are they connected with Exodus?"

"Spirius as a whole? No, at least not that I know of. Some bigwigs in Spirius with a lot of gald to throw around? Yes, definitely." Alvin brushed past him and took a seat on the old bed opposite of Jude. Only then did he note the deep bruises on the mercenary's face, the tears in his clothing. How much was from their scuffle at Helioborg? Jude hadn't taken stock of either of their conditions as they were running, far too preoccupied with keeping his head down and out of sight. "Since you accessed restricted information at the lab and ran, they're using that as an excuse to take you in. It'll probably be on the news in the morning."

Jude lowered his arms fully, his face falling. "So that's how they're going to play it… Make me out to be some AWOL scientist trying to run with their corporate secrets."

"You don't sound surprised."

"Should I be?" Jude crossed his arms over his chest, frowning deeply. "It's obvious that my having that information jeopardizes their operation in some way."

Alvin shook his head with a bit of a sardonic chuckle. "So, you've already figured it out. Balan was right, you are a genius."

The off comment would have once given him butterflies. Now, it only earned Alvin a deadpan stare. "Save it, Alvin." He ordered. It was about time he got the man to talk. He owed Jude at least that much. "You know something about that archive. I need you to come clean."

Just like that, Alvin's expression fell and appeared to take a particular interest in the color of his boots. He was being avoidant, just as Jude expected, but he wasn't going to allow it for long.

"I…" Alvin sighed. "I don't know the specifics. They keep people like me in the dark on things like that." Their eyes met, but Alvin seemed to have trouble holding his gaze. It was as if he were… remorseful. But as soon as Jude noticed, the mask was on again and Alvin playing the part of the care-free, cocky mercenary.

"Yeah, initially I was ordered to put a bullet between your eyes if you found out what Haus's research was going towards-"

"So it is going towards the Otherworld Reactor Plan." Jude had already figured this much, but he needed Alvin to confirm it. He needed Alvin to tell him the truth.

On the other end of the room, Ludger's head snapped to attention with a soft gasp. Jude looked his way, surprised. "Do you know about it?" He asked of the pale man, and Jude realized it was the first time he had spoken directly to him.

At his question, Ludger shook his head sheepishly. "It was shut down when I was an infant. Nationalists continue to try and lobby it to resolve the energy crisis, but they're rejected due to the open border treaties."

"Even with the border restriction lifted, there are still people who think just taking our spirits is the best option?" It was hard to conceive. Did the nationalists not understand how vital spirits were to Rieze Maxians? It was a virtuous cycle, one that allowed the citizens and spirits to co-exist peacefully and indefinitely. "If they remove the spirits, then Rieze Maxia will end up barren just like Elympios!"

"They don't care."

Jude and Ludger turned to face Alvin as he spoke, the older man's eyes glued to the ground once again. "If it helps them, they don't care whatever the cost. If it keeps Elympios going for another thousand years, then they've achieved their goal."

"But my people rely on spirits! If you kill them-"

"You think I don't know that? You think I like going along with this plan?" Alvin was on his feet and towering over him, as if his height alone would be enough to intimidate Jude into backing off.

Jude wasn't about to give him the satisfaction. "You haven't told me otherwise, have you? When it comes down to it, who are you siding with? Spirius, Exodus?" He locked eyes with Alvin, staring, showing he wasn't going to back down. He couldn't, not if he wanted to make things right again.

Alvin gritted his teeth and tore his gaze away, raking his hands through his hair. He was struggling with something, that much Jude knew. But what it was continued to be a mystery, one that didn't sit well with the young researcher. Even if Alvin claimed not to know specifics, he was still part of Exodus, and that put him closer to the heart of this scheme than anyone he knew.

And in that same vein, Ludger was just as close.

The pale man stood, steadying himself against the old table that creaked in protest. "I need to call Julius." He muttered, swaying slightly as he pushed away from the worn furniture. Without hesitation Jude caught him by his forearm, coaxing him back into his seat. Their eyes met, Ludger's full of confusion, Jude's with worry.

"Let me look at your wounds." Jude insisted, gently lifting the dyed bangs from Ludger's eyes to reveal a sizable gash on his forehead. The bleeding had stopped, but it was bruised pretty badly. Ludger gave a soft noise, something between an agreement and a gasp as Jude cast the healing arte.

The room went silent as Jude put his skills to use. Every now and again Ludger would give a soft sigh of relief as the damage disappeared from his skinny limbs, leaving nothing to indicate he had been in a struggle at all.

"Ludger, was it?" Jude spoke while he continued to work. "You work for Spirius, right? Why are you helping us?"

At first, Ludger seemed perplexed by his question. Was it really so strange to ask? Or was it because he didn't know, himself?

It took him a moment to answer, but when he did, it surprised Alvin and Jude both.

"I'm a Spirius Agent, yes, but…" He shook his head, flecks of dried blood falling from his hair. "After hearing what was happening from Alvin, it didn't sit right with me. I couldn't just blindly follow orders and take the life of an innocent." This man was kind, Jude could tell. In spite of the training that Spirius Agents were known to endure, it would seem this man maintained the sense of morality that many others lacked. Ludger could have easily ended Jude's life and receive honors from his peers, and yet he was hiding along with them, helping the target that he was ordered to eliminate.

Jude wondered if, given different circumstances, Ludger and he could have been close. Perhaps even as close as he and Alvin were.

"You'd really go against everyone just to help some runaway researcher?" Jude asked, a little breathless from the exertion of healing already. "Even if it causes you trouble?"

Ludger smiled, a little shaky, but his resolve remained. "You're the one they called to help us, aren't you? You're trying to fix things for us Elympions. That's enough for me to consider your side."

It felt like the first time someone outside his circle of friends had acknowledged his efforts, and that alone made his chest feel infinitely lighter.

"Yeah… Yeah, I am."

Jude sat back on his haunches and smiled, feeling slightly dizzied from the exertion of healing so many injuries. Once again he was reminded of how difficult it was to use artes in a land with so few spirits to call on. The spell ended up being more of his own mana being poured into the patient's body than the spirits'. Alvin's injuries would have to wait.

After several moments, Jude stood, taking a deep breath to calm his shaking limbs. "Alvin." He turned to face his former bodyguard fully, pinning him down with a gaze. "I know you know what that disc means to Exodus. I need you to tell me."

Alvin sighed, raking his hand through his hair, looking everywhere but Jude. Again he seemed conflicted, struggling with the right words. Jude could only speculate why. "I don't know the specifics, but what I do know is that the information on that disc is enough to shut down their plans for good."

Just as Jude suspected. He hadn't a chance to go through the files thoroughly, but he imagined there was more to that archive than just internal memos and publically circulated research papers. Haus had gathered those files with the express purpose of doing something with them… But he must have known something would have happened to him, or else he would have gone public right away.

Except, he hadn't. Haus had intended to run, and as much as it hurt Jude to consider, leave him holding the bag as well. Had he been threatened beforehand? Did he know what he had gotten into?

It didn't do him much good to dwell on it now. Exodus was after him now, and they did intend on killing him. It was only a matter of time before they tracked him down, and none of them could stay in that basement for the rest of their lives. They needed a plan.

But… What?

Alvin seemed to have the answer this time.

"We have two choices." Alvin was before him before he could blink, holding the disc from the lab before Jude's nose. When did he get it? "We can either destroy this thing, pretend you never saw anything, and you seek asylum in Rieze Maxia. You give up your research and your goal, but you live the rest of your life relatively safe from Exodus's wrath."

He paused, and for a moment Jude wondered if he had heard Alvin's voice waver, or if it was just his imagination. "Or, we face them head on, blow this thing wide open. We take a stand against Exodus and the Board members funding them at the risk of our own lives."

Alvin took his hand, and Jude almost yanked it away, but before the fear could spur the action the disc was pressed against his palm.

"Which do you choose, Jude?"

Jude stared up at Alvin, unsure of which path he should choose. On the one hand there was the means to escape; he could go home, take up work at the clinic like his father wanted him to, and let Elympios deal with the problem they created. He could live peacefully and help people in much the same way his parents had, by supporting their tiny island community as their doctor.

But even if he ran, even if he claimed asylum, it wouldn't end. He'd spend the rest of his life looking over his shoulder, mistrusting every person he met with ill-conceived notions of their ulterior motives. Exodus would continue their work, probably drag another young student into their devious scheme, and eventually the research would bear fruit.

Or, he could stand and fight. Put an end to Exodus's plans, and save the spirits he had vowed to protect when he left home.

The very idea was terrifying, but... If I don't do this… Who will?

"I… I want to stop Exodus." His voice shook, fingers trembled, but the determination was clear in his eyes. "Even if it means putting my own life at risk, if I can do something to fix things…" The disc was held close to his chest, Jude's eyes slipping closed, as if making a wish. This was his decision, his mission. "Then I'll do whatever it takes."

A myriad of emotions crossed Alvin's face, as if he was surprised by Jude's response, and yet not at all. He took a seat upon the musty bed, sighing softly. "You're ready to go up against Spirius and Exodus for this?"

"Of course I'm not ready." His grip tightened on the disc as if it were the only thing tethering him to that small moment of bravery. "But I made it my goal to help the two worlds. If I ran away now…"

The people he had met, the friends he had made… Even if he managed to escape Exodus's clutches, Jude knew he could never face them again. Not Balan, not Mary, not Leia… or Alvin.

Alvin…

Jude bit his lip. Disc or not, he was just one person facing down a veritable army. He needed help, and the one person equipped enough for that stood before him. For a moment he watched Alvin, looking for any sort of direction, any encouragement from the older man. And yet when Jude laid eyes upon Alvin he didn't see the confident man he had come to know, but one that was conflicted, as if torn between orders and his own emotions. Alvin had been ordered to take Jude's life, and yet he spared him. Now the both of them were on the run, with Exodus and Spirius on their trail. And so far, Jude had no idea why he had let him live. Was it because of some greater mission? Was he, too, ready to stand against Exodus? Or was it something more personal than that?

Whatever his reasons, Jude knew he couldn't face Exodus alone.

"Alvin." The call of his name grabbed Alvin's attention, yet the bewilderment remained on his features. There was comfort in knowing that Alvin felt just as lost as he did. "If I'm going to do this, I'll need your help."

Jude extended a hand to Alvin, a soft smile crossing his face, the first offered to the man since the incident. "Come with me, and we can fix this… For everyone."

The smile was returned, and Alvin took his hand. For a brief second Jude thought he saw Alvin lean closer, as if he intended to embrace him like before, but had decided against it. Instead, he stood, clapping a hand on Jude's shoulder.

"Sounds like my little Honor's Student is ready for some rebellion." He smirked Jude's way. The joke was forced, but appreciated none the less. "Well, if we're going against the big guys, we're going to need all the help we can get."

"I'll help." Said Ludger as he stood with considerably more ease. "I can keep Spirius off your trail long enough for you to get away safely."

Alvin seemed surprised by this. "Even if it means lying to your brother?"

Ludger faltered, but quickly recovered. "I don't know where Julius stands on all of this, but I can only hope that he'll make the same decision I am now."

"You two are really close, aren't you? What does Erston think of that?" Alvin elbowed his friend, grinning cheekily as Ludger sputtered and blushed.

Jude chuckled at the display; they must have been good friends. "Thank you, Ludger."

Ludger nodded, sheepishly scratching at the back of his neck. He was definitely someone he'd want to be friends with. Perhaps when this was all over, they could be.

"Welp." Alvin leaned back to pop his back with groan. "Sounds like I have some favors to call in." He winked at Jude before pulling his GHS from his pocket and dialing.

Her name was Presa, and she did not like Alvin. Or at least that was what Jude gathered from what could be heard of their conversation at the top of the stairs. Ludger and Jude continued to exchange concerned looks as Alvin received what could only be a verbal lashing that had been brewing for some time. If this was one of the favors Alvin was calling in, then he'd hate to see what the rest of his contacts thought of him.

The yelling eventually ceased as Alvin explained their situation, or at least the results thereof. He explained he needed out, and that he had to show "them" something. Who "they" were, Jude wasn't sure, but he imagined he'd find out.

The call ended and Alvin emerged from the steps, exasperated. Jude could count on one hand the number of times he had seen the man that irritated, and a majority of them were a result of his poor sleeping habits. His GHS was snapped shut and pocketed before he addressed the room.

"Tonight we're getting on a merchant cart to Marksburg. From there, we're getting on a ship to Lakutam Seahaven."

"Lakutam? We're going to Rieze Maxia?" For a brief moment Jude thought Alvin intended to run after all, or at least leave Jude somewhere away from Spirius's grasp. But the look in Alvin's eyes said he had a plan, Jude just hoped it was a good one.

"Once we dock we're heading to Xian Du. I have a place there we can rest. Then I'll talk to Yurgen about getting us to Kanbalar."

Jude blinked in surprise. "Kanbalar? Why there of all places?" But as soon as the words left his mouth, it occurred to him what was in Kanbalar, and it all clicked. "Wait… You don't mean you're taking this to the King?!"

Alvin gave a curt nod, crossing his arms. "Exposing this to anyone in Elympios will get us nothing but a cover up and a bullet in both our heads. But if we give the info to the big wigs in Rieze Maxia…"

"Then they can demand answers at the risk of destroying any diplomatic relations between the two countries." Jude finished, and Alvin grinned.

"Now you're catching on."

It made sense, but at the same time, it didn't. From Jude's standpoint going to Rieze Maxia with all the information seemed the simplest way to bring an end to the Otherworld Reactor Plan and whatever Exodus had in store for them. But at the same time, it put the Elympions in a situation where they could potentially lose all aid that their neighbors had provided, limiting trade at best, and closing the border at worst.

And where did Alvin stand on that? He had to know.

"Alvin, are you sure this is the way you want to go? Depending on the king's reaction, it could ruin what hope Elympios has for recovery." Jude took a step forward and Alvin turned away, his expression unreadable. This couldn't have been easy for him, could it?

"Don't get me wrong, kid. I love my country, but…" He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose between thumb and forefinger. "Just know that I'm standing with you on this."

"Even though you have family in Exodus?" The man flinched at the question. Jude recalled the memo, the name of the man that claimed to be in charge of their operation. He must have been someone Alvin knew.

Alvin didn't answer, just shook his head with a heavy sigh. It was all he would get out of him on the matter.

After a moment of silence, Ludger got to his feet, pulling his own phone from his pocket. "If you two are leaving tonight, then I need to make sure the roads are clear." He smiled over at Jude, appearing just as tired as Jude felt. Alvin wasn't the only one going against family in this. Jude couldn't imagine what it would have been like knowing that you stood on the opposite side of someone you cared about. If it were him… He didn't know if he could do it. There were already people that were probably worried sick about him just being gone this long, he couldn't imagine having to actually fight them.

Ludger gathered his things to leave and made it to the steps before Jude stopped him. "I know we're asking a lot of you, but I have a favor to ask."

The pale man paused at the foot of the steps, turning to face Jude, waiting for him to speak.

"In Trigleph, there's a girl working for the paper named Leia… Could you tell her I'm all right and that I'll contact her soon?" Jude chuckled a bit, toying with a bit of hair. "Once she gets wind of what's going on, she'll chase me across the globe to demand an explanation. So just tell her I'm safe."

Even Ludger had to laugh a little at that image, but he nodded all the same. "I will." He gave Alvin a wave before disappearing up the steps. He had his own work to do.

The door creaked shut at the top of the stairs and Jude felt himself deflate. What little fumes he had been running off of seemed to go dry completely, leaving him feeling utterly exhausted. He allowed himself to collapse onto the bed, staring sleepily up at the ceiling. How many hours had he been awake now?

"You should sleep while you can." Alvin took a seat on the bed across from him, bringing Jude to attention once more. "The cart won't pass through for another couple of hours, then we'll be off."

"Yeah…" Jude answered, half-hearted. Was he really doing this? Fleeing the country as a criminal and going to see the king? It all seemed so farfetched, like a wild story that Leia would have come up with after reading too many adventure novels. But it was the reality he was facing now, and Jude would have to accept that.

But it wasn't just his current goal, but the events leading up to it that he had yet to fully compartmentalize into cohesive thoughts. His brush with death at the hands of Alvin, the man he was now counting on to escort him safely to Kanbalar. Was it really all an act? Could he really trust him?

He wanted to, more than anything. Jude wanted that, and yet…

Jude rose, facing the man who sat resting with his face buried in his hands. "Alvin… About before…"

Alvin's head rose long enough to regard him with a grim stare before being buried again, his auburn locks swaying with as he shook his head. "I didn't want to do it, but if I didn't make it believable, they would have taken me out too. You gotta understand who we're dealing with, Jude."

Jude nodded even though Alvin couldn't see it. He accepted the man's words without question, though it only lead to more confusion. If it was all an act… What else was? And how much of what Alvin told him leading up to this was real?

He felt his chest tighten with rising anxiety, and decided to drop it for now. It would do him no good to dwell on petty things like that now; he had a mission, and he was going to complete it no matter what.

I will fix things, Alvin. I promise.