“At first, it was only an idea… we could never have known it would be possible.” saying these things with a straight face in between drinks only made the moment more intense.

Mr. Cage father had a difficult time looking anywhere but at his drink, but he tried his best to maintain composure.

“Every year our lifespan shortens as the side effects of the AG’s disease worsen. People are dying Sora!”As he said this, a sound came from the outside.

“What’s going on in here?” Tora came walking in rubbing her eyes and still suffering from a minor hangover.

“Dad, Sora… what’s going on?” Both still completely dolefully stunned, they sported an unwelcomed look of dismay on their faces and neither of them could look her straight in the eyes. “Would someone please tell what’s going on here?”

Mike, who was their Dad’s first name, he sagged and bravely raised himself from the chair to walk over to his daughter. He took Tora by the hand then spoke, “we were just discussing your mother and how much we all miss her.”

Sora, still unable to look her in the eyes supported her father’s lies. “Yes, remember that project mom was working on?” She deceitfully added, “Well, I know how important it was to her and so, I’ve been trying to finish it.”

“So let’s do it!” Tora uncontrollably blurted out in response, “Let’s do it together… as a family.”The now excited Tora felt all sorts of emotions run through her veins as she spoke.

“Let’s finish what Mom worked her whole life for. Let’s do it for her!”Nodding their head in agreement, Mike kissed Tora on the cheek and gave her a warm hug. As they left the room, he made a secret gesture at Sora then whispered carefully at her whist Tora was at a distance, “We’ll continue this tomorrow, I promise”.

PRESENT TIME

“Excuse me, Young lady, you’re in my way.”

“Umm, actually…never mind.”

Stepping aside, Sora walked farther to the back of the Lift and found an empty seat in order to get out of people’s way and to ease the throbbing pain and stop her wobbling legs due to no sleep.

I’m lost in my thoughts again…This is all too much.

The lift runs from one end of the city to the other. Their magnetic strips at the bottom of the vehicle instead of wheels, and being solar powered made then every efficient and energy saving.

Mike forgot his portfolio that morning, and she was on the way to deliver to it to him for his big presentation. But in all honesty, there was no doubt of the real reason that she was headed there…

((“At first, it was only an idea…))

((People are dying Sora!))

Upon arrival, the receptionist stretched forth a big smile at the sight of seeing her.

“Sora, it’s so good to see you again! Would you like for me to buzz your Father?”

Sora smiled back at her faintly, trying ever so hard to mask the pain.

“Okay, hold on for just a sec” she confirmed. Sora stood patiently as she made the call.

“I’m sorry,” she reported, “your father seems to be quite occupied at the moment. Can I take a message for him?”

Sora looked down at the portfolio in remorse and then once outside before answering.

I came all this way.

“Miriam, it’s a bit important. If I could just see him for a few minutes that would really put my mind at ease”.

Miriam looked down from her desk with great pity. She wasn’t quite sure what was going on, but she knew if Sora felt the need to come all the way down here, it must be really important.

“Okay, here’s what we’ll do.” She eagerly proposed, “These are the spare keys to your Dad’s office. Go straight down and take the elevator to the second floor. His new office is the 3rd on the left. You can wait there for him and once you’re finished just return the key, okay?”

Sora’s cheeks reddened from elation. “Thank you so much. You’re the best!”

MEANWHILE IN LAB E

I woke up this morning feeling numb inside. As I walked to Lab E, I felt the daggering stares from all angles. I imagine for them, it was like watching the lamb to a slaughter. I entered the room and commenced training, as usual. Doctor Zod was nowhere in sight.

So that’s it? Are we just going to let them win?

Images from yesterday evening continued to plague my every thought.

“It’s time to administer the drugs, Ryun. Warm up is over.”

"Is that so?"

I stop my high kick midway then dropped my foot to the ground. “Alright then, let’s get to it.”

He walked towards me with the needle in his hand, and I questioned his morality and wondered if he had any remorse about ending my life.

And then…I let go of a string of my own my humanity.

*Snap*

As I gripped him by the hand and slowly crushed his bones between my very fingers, I pulled him closer as he screeched from unutterable pain. I looked into his eyes with a daunting unrelenting stare then whispered: “I already took my medicine, Doc”. Then lifted him up and tossed him across the room. I heard his hip break as he landed heavily upon it.

I leaped over the table and knocked out his partner with a back blow to the head.

Right, behind the Monitor!

Hurling the metal chair from behind me, I threw it straight ahead shattering the glass window and then quickly dashed into the control room.

“Quick! Brian, call Security!” A voice gave out.

I flashed towards him to cut him off at the exit. “Not so fast Brian…” I cockily teased. Then gave him one jab to the neck with the tranquilizers dart Zod gave me last night.

Huh, what’s that?

I had a reflex flash just in time to see the bullet ricochet off the wall. The powder from the gun was fresh and separated midair as I breezed through it to disarm the professor that had fired it. Then I flashed over to Sal, Chris, and Tam and successfully sedated them as well, before they could escape.

Over the Intercom: Alert! Code: 2 violations. Alert! Code: 2 violations. All available personnel please proceed to Lab E. Alert!

“Zod, you can come out now I disabled the cameras and they're out cold.” 

Coming out from the hidden chamber, he commented, “Nice job, but someone managed to set off the alarm. This wasn’t a part of the plan.”

“Well, until yesterday running for our lives wasn’t a part of my life plan either so guess what? Plans change.”

He snickered at my annoying and witty remarks then redirected his focus to the matter at hand.

“Now what…” I asked.

“Now, we get to my office…” He said as he removed the gun he hid in the chamber overnight,

“And get the hell out of here.”