lepidope

Light of The Rebellion

The lump that was growing in Matias's stomach grew harder and heavier. He felt as if his words were falling upon deaf, terrified ears. The room seemed to be getting smaller, the colors duller and more blurry. He took another step forward, then another.

"What the hell are you even talking about? 'Shouldn't be around'? Unless you're a purist or something, I don't see a reason why you shouldn't be."

The distance between them shrunk with every step he took. Eventually, he was right behind Midnight.

"Look. How about we go to the capital? It's not like those people know you are what you... are...? What are you?"

That wasn't rhetorical.

Light of The Rebellion

"I mean..."

He looked into her eyes, occasionally glancing away as the tension was becoming too great to handle. He took a single step forward, nothing more.

"... Why did you react the way you did at the reports? Your name isn't on them or anything..."

He folded his arms.

"Are you not a shadow elemental? Are you... something else?"

His question was more rhetorical than anything. Of course Midnight was a shadow elemental; it'd be silly to expect anything else.

Light of The Rebellion

Matias analyzed her from where he stood, but the longer he did, the more tension he felt in his body. His nails danced atop the door for a moment before he decided to speak again.

"Look."

He finally mustered the courage to step into the room.

"I know you're nervous about the samples including you. I don't know how they even managed to get you, or, hell, me, but that's the facts. Our..."

He grimaced for a moment.

"... new friend... went off to the capital just now. I'm guessing to clear those records. But anyway, we should just focus on doing what we were gonna do today. There's no use stressing about this crap."

Word association Game!

Injection

Light of The Rebellion

Matias nodded once.

"Por nada."

His hair flicked as he turned to the door. He let out a sigh, preparing for the inevitable.

"Alright..."

He stepped out the guest room with gentle steps, then he looked down the hallway. It almost seemed steeper than usual, but he traversed the terrain nonetheless, all the way to Midnight's office.

"Boss?"

Through the crack of the now-ajar door he saw a familiar sight: Midnight pacing back and forth as if doomsday was upon her.

"Boss. Hey. What's going on, ah?"

Light of The Rebellion

"Good riddance... Huh?"

Matias felt a pair of eyes on him, directing him to turn around.

"What trouble? Not your fault pigs attack whoever they feel like. Glad I could open your eyes at least."

He shrugged.

"What matters is that you're alive. I was almost kind of convinced you weren't gonna make it."

Light of The Rebellion

"Old? But these notes are–"

He once again glanced at the fated paper.

"... What? That can't be right... That's before I was even born."

Matias's hands fell on his hips, his lips pursing as he let out a soft whistle.

"Well, whatever she's hiding, we can't let those idiots know. I'm not sure how we'd–?"

He caught movement at the corner of his eye. Looking up, he caught Oleander making their way to a window and opening it.

"... What are you doing?"

Oleander paused before looking back, their right foot already on the sill. The motor between their wings was glowing a brilliant blue at what appeared to be the exhaust.

"I'M GOING TO THE CAPITAL."

"Right now? By yourself?!"

Matias didn't get a reply, just a powerful burst of wind in his face as Oleander's jetpack carried them off. A black, sooty brand was left on the floor from which Oleander flew.

Light of The Rebellion

"I..."

Matias shrugged, chuckling lightly.

"I don't know. I haven't been to a protest in years. I guess they're still mad about it. But that last one..."

His eyes squinted at the text, looking it over and over. His pupils pinned slightly as he looked up from the sheet.

"Well, I don't know about you guys, but I personally don't know anyone else i
that can manipulate shadows. I'm guessing that's what shadow elementals do."

He shook his head.

"I mean, it's kinda obvious. Aren't they looking for her? You know..."

His head motioned towards the door Midnight just exited.

Light of The Rebellion

Matias blinked.

"How are there three? The bug wrote the damn things."

He took the files in his hands and eyed them over. He could feel a large, insectoid mass approach him from behind, but chose to pretend it wasn't there.

"Okay, so the one with that really long name, that's the bug... Now what's this..."

"NAME: MATIAS VALENCIA..."

Beautiful start.

"... Uhm..."

"NAME: █████████████
SEX: FEMALE..."

"Uh..."

"POTENTIAL RACE LINK: MYSTIC. SHADOW ELEMENTAL. CONFIDENCE LEVEL: 70% ± 15.96%"

He set the files down on a nearby nightstand.

"This still isn't good," Matias said, "because they could use that to their advantage. Maybe even build an actual tracker."

"THAT IS A SIMPLE FIX," Oleander signed, "ALTHOUGH THE HIGH CAPITAL IS A LONG WAY FROM HERE, AND THEIR SECURITY IS OF HIGH STANDARD. I WILL NEED TIME."

Light of The Rebellion

Ice cold blood rushed through Matias's veins as Dante revealed this information. His next glance towards Oleander was slower, tenser. His eyes stayed glued on them even when they turned towards him, returning an unbreakable stare and keeping it even when Matias looked back at Dante.

"You're making crap up. Who would even be tracking it? For what?"

"IF DIGITAL TRACKING IS AN ISSUE," Oleander hopped in, "I MAY BE ABLE TO ASSIST. I HAVE HIGH PROFICIENCY IN INTERRUPTING SUCH TECHNOLOGY."

"Well get to it, Mothman, because apparently you're being pinged right now."

Then, a pause. The two, again, stared at each other. Oleander was statue-like per usual until their head began craning forwards, their antennae stirring slowly.

"Where's the file?" Matias blurted, "because I need to see where the hell it said that."