NEO World of Advent Chapter Nineteen

Cipher stood at the edge of his Family's property, oddly nostalgic about the apartment complex, as though each random quirk were something special and to be missed. Like the oddly colored layers of concrete that surrounded their pool or the way their lights shone in their rooms as he approached them at night. It might not be the end of this after all, Cipher had to remind himself. There was always the chance that the test proved negative, and that he really was just a random kid Neo Arcadia stuck with cleaning up someone else's mess.

His Family stood at the gates beside him. The younger kids really didn't know the significance of what this meant yet, but they seemed to sense the gravity of the situation. Even Matt's hands were oddly still and not rummaging through someone's pocket for spare change. The older teens, the people Cipher had entrusted his Family to, whom he worked with every day to keep them all in order, were in various stages of acceptance.

Charles had taken the news pretty well, all things considered. He had promised Cipher to Head the family in his place should things go well at Neige's office. Kent and Bradley were a little slower to accept the change. In the days that followed, they had given him a wide berth, as if figuring out how to address him beyond Cipher, Head of Family 024. And Shirley… She had taken the news the hardest, for sure. Still, Cipher thought as he gave his assembled Family a weak smile, she had shown up. That meant a lot to him.

"I guess this is it," Cipher said. "I just want you to know that it's not really goodbye. It just means I won't be around as much. I'll keep in touch; I already set up a time to talk with Charles every night at 8. You guys can join in if you want."

"Of course." Brandon nudged Shirley. "We'll be there."

"Thanks." Cipher breathed a sigh of relief; he had hoped that it wouldn't just be Charles on the other end. That might have gotten awkward after a little while. "It's not even a for sure thing anyway. Maybe Neige really is crazy or this is some elaborate ruse." He really hoped that wasn't the case, but he wouldn't know for sure until it actually happened.

"Even if it doesn't turn out like you hope it does, it's not like you don't have a place where you already belong." Shirley tried to keep the poison in her voice to a minimum, but Cero could see a hint of the rage that had slowly died down since that fateful night he had let them all know of his decision to take the test. "We'll be here."

"Hey, I want to meet Zero if you are though." Kent grinned. "How cool is that, your dad might be the savior of the freaking world."

Hoo boy. Cipher felt another wave of confusion and panic. As if meeting the folks wasn't stressful enough; now he had to deal with them maybe being famous heroes. "Ciel is important too," he said in his mother(?)'s defense. "She's partly responsible for us existing at all and her Ciel System is what allows the city to function... I see I've lost you."

"Slash slash! Pew pew!" one of the younger kids made gunning motions with a finger death ray. Bradley nodded sagely.

"You just can't argue with that logic," he said. Cipher rolled his eyes but couldn't help but smile.

"I'll miss you losers," Cipher said. "Try not to let the place burn down while I'm gone, okay? Seriously, Matt," he said to the most problematic Advent in their family. "Please don't actually burn the place down."

"I won't," Matt promised. "I actually like having a roof over my head, you know."

"Good." Cipher felt relieved with that small matter of business in order. "I guess I'm going then. I'll let you know what happens later."

"It's going to pretty obvious if you're not," Shirley said. "If you're not back in a few hours, we'll figure it out."

"Got it." Cipher raised his arms awkwardly. "Group hug? I know I said we don't do those, but this seems like an extenuating circumstance." The four of them initiated a mass dogpile, which the younger kids had no problem with executing. When enough of them had moved from Cipher's prone body and he verified that he had no broken bones, Cipher hailed a cab that would take him to Neige's office. He didn't quite trust him to drive safely with everything going in in the back of his mind.

It was a relatively short ride there; outside Neige was waiting for him expectantly. Cipher had already called earlier to let her know that he was actually going to take it so she could have whatever black market gene test ready for him when he got there. "Hey there Champ," Neige said. "You ready for this?"

"As I'll ever be." Cipher stared at the doors of the building, wondering if he was about to be the source of the next major scoop. "Let's do it."

"I know this isn't easy for you," Neige said as she directed him to her office. "You've got guts. If nothing else, at the end of the day, you stood up for yourself."

"I know," Cipher said. "I just kind of don't want to return empty-handed if that makes sense. I don't know what I'd do if this doesn't work out like you think it will."

"We'll burn that bridge when we get to it," Neige said. "If we get to it." She brought out a long syringe. "I hope you're not afraid of needles."

"I was hoping there would be an alternative way of sucking my blood out," Cipher admitted. "Do you have one of those blood prick things?"

"Don't wuss out on me now," Neige said. "Just relax; it'll only take a second. I may have done this more than once, you know."

"Aren't you a reporter?" Cipher stared at her suspiciously. "How do you know how to use medical supplies like this kind of thing?"

"I'm a reporter," Neige shot his words back at him. "That means I have to be able to do a lot more than sit behind a desk and write."

"Fair enough," Cipher said, wincing as the needle punctured his skin, looking away as the tube filled with his own blood. The sight of the crimson liquid made him woozy. "Are we done?"

"All done," Neige assured him. "This machine can cross-reference different genomes fairly quickly if you already have a sample of what you're crossing it with."

"Do you have a sample?" Cipher didn't relish the thought of sitting there while a machine calculated his fate.

"Of course I do," Neige said as she brought out a few more vials of blood. "Don't ask me how I got these; it's best if you don't know."

"Duly noted." Cipher watched as Neige set the machine up. It was a tall black thing with different knobs and a glass screen that remained blank for the time being.

"This thing will turn green if it's a match," Neige said. "The numbers will tell me just how close the samples are. But it's not like we're comparing apes to chimps here; if that thing does turn green, you're the real deal."

Cipher watched the machine intently as Neige placed his phial beside another. "We're going to use Ceil's first," Neige explained. "Advents primarily take after their human parent after all."

The butterflies in Cipher's stomach turned into a swarm of nervous excitement. His stomach actually cramped from the force of the stress and he found himself doubled over as the machine started making a soft sort of noise before it at last turned the shade of young grass.

"It's a match," Neige said. "You really are her son. Just to make sure, beyond a shadow of a doubt, I'm going to analyze Zero and Cero's blood along the readings as well."

Soon, the machine turned different shades of green, a pale seafoam green with Zero's sample and deep emerald upon being matched with Cero's. "Advent siblings are really close, genetically speaking," Neige explained. "That means that, beyond a shadow of doubt, Cero is your biological sibling."

Cipher felt lightheaded. He wanted to feel giddy, excited. He wanted to be happy, but he found himself too overloaded with the realization that he actually had a family. Not just any family either, the leaders of the Resistance.

'It's a lot to take in I know," Neige said. "Take your time." She kept an eye on him while fiddling with some things behind her desk. "Let me know when you're all set for the call."

"Call?" Cipher scratched his head. "Are we really doing this now?"

"Well yeah," Neige said. "I told them I'd let them know as soon as I found either of you. I figured you'd want to be a part of it."

"Alright," Cipher said. "But you're going to have to do the explaining." He didn't trust himself to be able to say the right words.

"I was already going to," Neige said. "Just sit tight. It's on speaker, by the way." The phone rang for six agonizing times before letting Neige know that the voicebox was full. Neige growled in vexation and redialed the number, only to be met with the same message. "Figures," she muttered to herself. "I have the most important message she'll ever hear from me and she can't even be bothered to pick up the damn phone."

"So what now? Do we just call her later?" Cipher's tolerance for excitement was quickly reaching its limit.

"Oh hell no." Neige jingled a pair of keys. "We're going to tell her in person. I hope you don't mind if I drive; I don't trust those auto cabs you see all over the city."

"You have a license right?" Cipher eyed her keys nervously. "Auto cabs are usually much safer, aren't they?"

"I prefer to be in control of my own destiny." Neige hummed a short tune as she threw on a coat. "Come on, we've got to give your folks a heart attack."

"Hopefully not," Cipher said as he settled in the passenger seat of her cruiser. It wasn't much different from auto cabs, save for the addition of a steering wheel and the pedals. Neige pushed a stick forward and the car revved to life. "That would kind of suck."

"Jeez, no kidding. Let's hope that being on the run from Neo Arcadia hardened them up a bit, shall we? I'd hate to have your reunion spoiled by Ceil's having to be rushed to the hospital."

"That doesn't actually happen, does it?" Cipher wasn't exactly knowledgeable about the usual sequence of events that followed something like this.

"Oh no," Neige said. "Just about never. They'll be fine, it's you I'm worried about. You know that they're going to be just as nervous meeting you as you are them, right? They've been looking for you for years now." Neige's phone rang. She eyed the caller ID critically. "Pick up your damn phone, woman. And tell Zero to be ready, I don't want him to be off blowing something up when I get there."

Ceil's voice could be heard through the receiver, even though it wasn't set to speaker mode. "What's up Neige? Normally you give us a bit more time when you stop by. Is it something important?"

"You could say that. Just get your baby daddy in the same room or whatever, I'll explain when I get there." She closed the call with a click and silenced her phone. It still vibrated, Cipher noticed, and did so for the remainder of their trip. "It's her fault," Neige said. "She should have picked up the first time."

Soon, they were at the gates. A machine went through the motions as it verified Neige's ID, asking what the nature of her visit was. "Family visit," she told it. "Neige and Cipher." Two badges popped out a second later. Neige tossed him his as she skidded into a parking spot. "Not bad," she critiqued her job. "I didn't even scrape the paint this time."

"This place is huge," Cipher said. It could fit at least ten of the Forge inside easily. "I had no idea how massive it really was."

"It's fairly big," Neige agreed. "Kind of has to be, what with all the people they get. Not everyone's content with life in the big city." She shut the door and locked it with a chirp from her keys. Hey," Neige said as the thought came up, "Your next match is soon, right? They just got finished with the other divisions. Maybe Zero can give you some pointers, eh?"

Cipher was sick as they mounted the steps up to the entrance. "I'm just going to let you do the talking, okay? I don't feel so good."

"Gotcha." Neige led the two of them inside. Neige found someone she knew, apparently and engaged in quick pleasantries. "This is Allouette," she told Cipher. "She's kind of like a sister to your mother."

"Mother?" Allouette's eyes traveled to the badge on Cipher's vest, mouthing the words 'Family Visit,' then 'Cipher.' She dropped the clipboard she was carrying along with some other stuff with a crash that soon became a tight embrace. "CIPHER! I can't believe Neige found you." She held him at arm's length, giving him just enough space to breathe. "How?"

"I'll explain later," Neige said lowly. "Can you lower it a few notches? You're causing a scene and I kind of wanted the kid's parents to see him first."

"Of course." Allouette brought her hands to her face. "I'm your Aunt 'Lou," she said giddily. "That's what your brother calls me."

"Uh, hi." Cipher felt overwhelmed by the force of the nurse reploid's emotion. "It's good to meet you."

"Oh," Allouette squealed. "I can't wait to tell them! I'll let them know we're on our way." She dialed something quickly, telling Ciel to get over there stat. Her face was flushed as she gazed at Cipher. "They're going to be so happy to finally meet you."

Soon, there was a small scene as a blonde woman with bright eyes just like his rounded the corner, panting. Beside her, a tall red reploid looked around anxiously. Soon, they zeroed in on Allouette and the boy she held in a tight vicegrip. Cipher looked up, meeting his mother's piercing blue eyes for what felt like hours. Her hand flew to her mouth and tears sprang at the corners of her eyes. She ran forward, crushing Cipher in the tightest embrace he'd ever experienced. It was warm, filled with unconditional love, and absolute. Cipher found himself crying with her as he returned the hug. It felt right, somehow. Like a piece of some puzzle had finally been put back into place.

"My boy," Ciel crooned. "My baby boy." Soon, she relinquished him so that Zero could look at him. The reploid hero seemed to be at a loss for what to say. Somehow that was comforting, Cipher found himself thinking. Someone else who didn't quite know what to make of his sudden arrival. The reploid's face warped into something raw and vulnerable. He held Cipher at length before Ciel nudged his side. "Go," she whispered. "He's your son."

Zero bent down so that they were eye to eye. "I always wondered what you would look like," he said at last. "I lost hope… i thought I would never know." He put his arms around Cipher, bringing him close. Somehow, the hero's grasp was softer, gentler than his human wife's, but no less filled with that sense of absolute and unconditional love. "Welcome home, Cipher." He wiped tears from behind Cipher's back. "I thought I'd never get to say that. Welcome home."

"Hi," Cipher said nervously, hesitantly. "Dad." Zero nodded in the crook of his shoulder. "I uh, I guess this means you're my parents." The statement felt dumb as he said it, entirely redundant. But they would never know just how much it meant to him, to be able to say it. "My family."

"You're home now," Zero told him. "I don't care where you've been or what you've done. You're here now. You're safe now." He held Cipher closely, as if he was afraid he would disappear if he let go. Cipher squirmed uncomfortably and Zero released him. "You have a brother," he said. "I'd very much like for you to meet him."

"Cero?" Cipher smiled. "The Resistance Kid. I guess that makes me the Resistance Kid too."

"He hates being called that," Zero (his father!) said. "He likes to be called Cero. Come, we'll introduce you to him."

Ciel nodded. "He should be downstairs," she said. "With Clover, as usual."

"Who's Clover?" The name was unfamiliar to Cipher. But then, he supposed, this was all unfamiliar to him. He was venturing into new territory, giving the comfortable familiarity of control up for something much, much greater.

"Cero's cyber elf," Zero said. "But she also doesn't like being called that. She's quite the character. I hope you two get along well."

Cipher found himself wondering who this Clover character was and why she came with a mild advisory warning, but said nothing. He let, for the first time in so very long, someone else decide what was best for him. Downstairs, someone roughly a year or two younger than Cipher was talking to an even younger girl with light brown hair the color of chestnuts. They seemed to be in a heated argument but enjoying it somehow. Ciel made the first move, getting their attention with a quick wave. Cero looked up, looking about as dumbfounded as Cipher felt when his eyes locked in on him. Cero's mouth hung open, and the girl beside him glowed. Literally. As if the day couldn't get any weirder, the girl actually emitted some form of illumination in her own excitement.

"Cero," Zero said. "This is your brother. Cipher. He's home. At last."

Cero gave Cipher a curious look, as if probing him for answers he didn't have. "You're my brother," Cero said stupidly. Cipher chuckled; at least he wasn't the only one making redundant statements. Cero's dumbfoundedness slowly turned into a cautious, but hopeful smile. "So you're my older brother, Cipher."

"Yeah," Cipher said. "You look just like me." The two gave a small chuckle at that, connected through some strange, inexplicable bond of blood. "So uh, I'm home?"

"Yeah. This is going to take a little getting used to," Cero admitted. "But I can show you around if you'd like."

"I think I'd like that." Cipher looked up, sandwiched between a blonde woman and a tall red reploid with a similar mane of blonde hair and their son who was also his brother and all the unspoken emotion that words just couldn't do justice. They were an odd looking family, Cipher thought, but what family wasn't?