Momoko stared out the window, the faces of the pulsing crowd around the taxi blurring. They were almost there, almost there.... She gritted her teeth and balled her hand into a fist. She glanced over to Lucas, who had fallen silent as soon as the crowds had started to thicken, angry shouts and screams muffled by the vehicle's exterior still reached them. He was still staring out his own window, still as a statue under his cap. Flere sat quietly, attached to the keychain. Even he couldn't find words to placate the waves of fear and anger around them.

'Flere...' Momoko resumed staring out the window herself, trying not to see what wouldn't be ignored. 'This is too much.'

'This is only the beginning.' Flere's voice was pensive, and sad. 'The first stirrings of darkness in the world. It doesn't take much to push humans into it.'

'Darkness... what do you mean?'

'The creatures we've seen, your branding, Lucas' physical changes... the work of demons, monsters, they all awaken when darkness starts to rise. This feeling I get from the air, though... you'll need to be strong, Momoko. I doubt our journey will be an easy one.'

"Amazing." Lucas sighed his first word in nearly 20 minutes.

"Amazing?" Momoko murmured.

"Was all this hatred really just simmering beneath the surface? All they needed was their fears confirmed to push them into a rage. Don't they know that people with heavy mutations have been around for years?"

"I guess, I mean you hear stories here and there, but I think most people dismissed them as urban legends or quirks. Now, it's not only confirmed, it's in their backyard. On the loose in the streets, and the news is telling them it's a danger to their wellbeing."

Momoko glanced at her pale companion, trying to give him a reassuring smile. "Maybe people will stand up against this."

"Would you?" Lucas met her eyes. "We're running."

Momoko chewed her lip. It wasn't untrue, they were running away from this problem, for Lucas' sake. He was a humanoid, and right now that put his life in danger. She was no politician or famous humanitarian. She wouldn't know how to persuade the crowd outside... but if what Flere was saying, that this rage was a symptom of something much worse, then it was more important to find the source of this turmoil. She could feel it, something calling in the west. Something pulling at her, whispering to her subconscious that it was meant for her, something strange and stronger than either of them that would solve everything.

"We aren't running away." Momoko uncurled her fist and clasped his cool hand. "We're running toward something. Can't you feel that this, like what happened last night, it isn't natural. These things don't belong. We need to find the root of the problem, not risk your life fighting a fight we won't win."

"What if there's nothing in Nebraska?" his golden eyes were shimmering, luminous with unshed tears.

"Then we'll find you somewhere safe to stay, and I'll do everything I can to help the situation here if it's still bad."

His eyes searched her face. "How do you walk around every day caring so much?"

She felt a blush creep over her cheeks from his stare. She shrugged, glancing down at Flere, who was radiating annoyance even as he stayed silent.

"It's just how I'm wired, I guess."

His hand squeezed hers. "I'm so glad for that." There was a small tremble to his voice.

She cleared her throat, but couldn't think of anything to say, so she just squeezed his fingers back.

"Okay kids." Dean groaned. "We're almost there."

Momoko craned her neck to see the expanse of the dome just beyond the crowd flowing into the street in front of them.

"Looks like the cops are on crowd control here." Dean said as the throngs of people began to thin, a line of officers in tactical gear forming a line on the sides of the street, allowing the cars to start moving through a clearer street.

"Almost there." Lucas breathed.

Momoko felt a thread of tension unwind from her shoulders as they gained a little speed heading for the gate on the cleared street. The lane leading out of the dome was nearly empty, only a few chauffeured vehicles with strained drivers exiting the checkpoint into the madness they were leaving. An armed soldier stopped the cab at the gate checkpoint, and Momoko felt Lucas go rigid in the seat next to her.

"Relax." She hissed. "If you look suspicious, they'll become suspicious."

"I can't." he hissed back.

The guard glanced from the metapad he was holding to them, and then back at the pad. They probably looked like they were trying to sneak into an exclusive club where they didn't belong. He gestured to Dean, and the cabbie rolled down Momoko's window.

The soldier leaned into the window, his eyes narrowing at Lucas, but he addressed Momoko. "Sorry to stop you ma'am, but what is the nature of your visit today?"

Momoko took a calming breath, trying to channel her best snobby Grisla mode. "Well I had been looking forward to a dinner date with a friend for weeks; don't know if you've heard of him, Nick Mythos, but anyhow—this mess in the streets has us quite perturbed and we've had a change of plans. We're meeting up and going for a long weekend somewhere..." she pursed her lips, trying to look frustrated instead of nervous. "less mobby."

The soldier's lip ticked, a clear sign of annoyance. "Okay, sorry to have bothered you. Can't be too careful. Well, enjoy your weekend."

He handed the metapad back to Dean and waved them through. Only when the gate was completely behind them did Momoko allow herself to sink into the seat and gasp for air. Lucas squeezed her hand.

"Wow." Dean whistled. "If you ever decide to go into acting, you'd make all the silver-screeners drool."

She laughed shakily. "Thank you, sir. I'm afraid I don't have much of the dramatic flair—my friend Grisla has it in spades, though and I borrow it from time to time."

"You're quite sneaky when you want to be." Lucas chuckled, and Momoko grinned at him.

"Only when it counts."

"Thank you." The amusement in his eyes swirled into worry again. "Thank you for everything you're doing for me, Momoko. I know it was asking too much earlier, about staying... I'll do my best to help you in this thing you feel you need to do."

"You're welcome.... And thank you." Momoko felt her cheeks flush. "it's good to know I have someone who doesn't think all this craziness is well, crazy."

They both laughed, the nervous energy from entering the gate fading. Momoko glanced out the window at the first round of the dome, most of the shops were closed, but a few restaurants were open, including "Sunflower", Nick's restaurant, which is where Dean pulled over.

"all right kiddos, end of the line." His blue eyes twinkled. "You stay safe on whatever escapade awaits."

Momoko paid the fair. "You stay safe, too."

"Don't worry about me. Me and the missus will hunker down until the worst blows over. The boy's right, though. This is a big wound that'll take time to heal. You'll have some work to do when you get back."

Momoko smiled, her confidence boosted by the cabbie's positive outlook. "You bet. We'll whip everything back into shape soon enough."

Lucas climbed out of the car to grab their bags.

Dean lowered his voice. "One more piece of advice: you gotta big heart, girl. Let your instincts do the heavy lifting."

Momoko blinked, not sure what to make of that. "Wise cryptic words for parting friends?"

"I may have a flair for the dramatic in these old bones." He laughed.

Momoko smiled, giving him a squeeze on the shoulder. "Thanks Dean, take care."

He nodded gruffly and she got out of the car. Lucas stood awkwardly on the sidewalk, struggling to keep his head down and look around at his surroundings at the same time.

"Is your friend here?" he glanced at the restaurant door as Dean pulled away from the curb.

Momoko checked her m-band, but there were no new messages.

'I don't know if he wanted to meet us outside, or—"

"Momoko! You're late." A warm voice trailed from the opening door, a flash of pale platinum hair popping out from the darker interior.

Nick's blue eyes stuck on Lucas, and for a moment, something cold and hostile permeated from him, but it dissolved when he refocused on her, a charming smile lighting his face.

"I was starting to worry."

"Sorry." She found herself a little flustered. Maybe throwing Lucas and Nick together wasn't such a great idea, as she knew Nick had romantic intentions; but it was the only option she really had.

"We were caught by the mob outside." She gestured to Lucas. "This is my friend that I told you about. He needs to get out of the city and I promised I'd help."

"I see." Nick's smile didn't falter, but Momoko could sense his reluctance.

She chewed on the inside of her cheek, trying to come up with a brilliant thing to say to make this less awkward. Sometimes she didn't think things through; she had been so focused on getting them out of the city she hadn't paused to think how they'd feel about each other. She admonished herself. It's not like she was dating either of them, so there was no need to feel guilty about not telling Nick her friend was a cute, sheepish guy.

"I really appreciate your help." Lucas' voice was a little strained. "Momoko has been trying so hard to get me out of the city, and she brightened up so much after she talked to you."

Nick studied him for a moment, then seemed to relax a bit. "No problem, any friend of Momoko's is a friend of mine. Care for something to eat before we head out? We have time."

"Well, you did promise me dinner." Momoko sung in an attempt to lighten the mood, passing him in the doorway.

"Sure, thanks." Lucas mumbled, following in after her.

'awkward much?' Flere grumbled in her mind.

'I know... I wasn't expecting that.'

'Didn't think about it, you mean.'

'It's going to be a long trip, isn't it?' Momoko inwardly groaned as Nick led them through his lushly decorated restaurant to a mahogany table.