บท 5: 05: ‘Twas the Night Before
As the rehearsal dinner came to a close, the guests began to leave in groups so no one drunk was left to drive home alone. And as Machi said, any drivers who were drunk had their keys taken to prevent any accidents.
"Kiddo, let's go." Ever turned around and saw Machi look out into the distance and she told Zac and Rocco to get in the car. The moon was shining rather bright - uncommon for a night like this in his opinion. They remained anyways and watched as she walked to her son and tapped his shoulder. "Is something the matter?" She asked as she noticed him aimlessly staring out into the moonlit night sky.
"The moon is a lot brighter." He mused and she looked out and saw it. "I've never seen it shine bright like that."
She chuckled and patted his head. "Let's go, you don't want to be dragged out of bed tomorrow for the wedding." She chuckled and he nodded and entered the back with Rocco while Zac and Ever took the front seats. Rocco just watched his friend as he remained silent and Zac looked to Ever with a hint of confusion on his face but she waved him off. Driving off in their high tech take on the sports cars owned mainly by the high ranking officials and rich people of society, Ever looked back and saw Machi looking out into the night sky.
That's when she saw it. How similar he looked to his father. Despite him possessing bright green eyes like herself - which seemed greener than her own - his face, his hair, his stature was identical to him. As they approached the home, Machi stretched and Rocco got out of the car first while Ever dealt with some messages on her phone and so did Zac.
"Miss H... the door is open." Rocco said. Zac was about to head off since he was staying at a hotel near the venue but got out instead. Ever exited alongside Machi as they looked at the opened door of their secure household.
"And we didn't get any notification?" She opened the door and walked in only to see someone sitting in the living room.
"Oh welcome home Evermore Harkness. Remember me?"
Zac and Ever knew the voice and she went on guard to the point that the sensors around the area went off and Zac shielded the two boys. "I last saw you on May 19th, 17 years ago." Rocco looked at Machi who just remained silent. "I see the boy is still alive. Don't see that pesky Rylan anywhere. Congratulations on your engagement." In their living room, at a man, who didn't seem aged - around the age of Ever and Zac, maybe a bit older in Machi's opinion. He had olive toned skin, eyes that resembled the colour of blood, hair whiter than snow, almost vampiric. He dawned a black cloak which had him blend into the darkened night sky like tonight.
"What do you want Freed?" Ever asked angrily.
"The kid."
Machi hid further behind Zac, wondering what he did to anger this man before him, and watched as his mother smashed his head into the living room table. "He has something of mine." he easily stood up and Rocco looked to Machi who gulped. "Your limiter."
"My limiter is in the museum--" she was cut off and Freed chuckled as though he was being treated like an idiot.
"A replica. I see you really hadn't a clue about what happened to it Evermore. Stolen and replaced only for it to be stolen from me by those brats."
"In my defence it was really easy to steal from you." Machi said and then shut his mouth. Sensing more people arriving, Freed vanished and Ever calmed down and looked to the pair.
*
Zac explained what happened and Machi arrived outside and held the glass cube with a small piece of tech in it. "My limiter." Ever watched as he refused to let go of it and they all watched him. "Machi, what's the matter?"
"I don't think it should go back to the museum or a safe or whatever." He said, "the limiter is what it is, a limiter, but the image in the museum and this are different. When I found it, it was being reprogrammed."
Everyone just looked away and continued to investigate but Ever looked at it. No one took him seriously enough but Ever decided to entertain his train of thought due to the fact Freed just broke into their home for said limiter. "I can't believe I am condoning this but do you know what into?"
"When we went there it was just the limiter in an empty warehouse. Wait is that why you made me take all those photos?" Rocco asked and Machi nodded, and noticed as the limited went into a secure black van that had high ranking agents guarding it. "A bomb." He answered. That had everyone silent. Shocked. Wondering how he came to the conclusion. "A bomb? Why…"
Machi looked to his mother. "Y'know there are different types of bombs. Not just the ones that explode and wreck everything. You have sonic bombs, electromagnetic bombs, anything that releases something at a rapid rate can technically be called a bomb." He answered and Ever really didn't want to have to wonder what his search history was like at this age.
Jo approached and looked to them. "The limiter is inactive. There's no way that it was stolen for that purpose. Good try though Machi." Ever wondered about that, considering it was one, unlike Freed to just take her limiter, and two, she had a mothers intuition that Machi was right in a way. But how he managed to do that, at home without highly advanced equipment was beyond her. Not even her best people - who were here - could come to a conclusion other than 'it is inactive' or 'it isn't on'.
*
Zac and Evermore arrived at the lab where the co-owner alongside Zac was just staring at the limiter. "I ran all the tests you asked," Kai answered and Zac looked at the results, "though I don't know what you're looking for. When it arrived it didn't flag any warnings about electromagnetic disruption or electrical disruption." Kai yawned and leaned back on his office chair. Kai was of a small stature, but looked like a mad scientist by the way his hair was unkempt and had some sort of stain on his clothes from all the work he's been doing. Everyone does wonder what he does considering they are at peace but Evermore doesn't question it - sometimes she does though.
"Your limiter is on though," Kai stated, "I'm so lost and sleep deprived and you know it's bad when I say it." He chuckled. Zac agreed, and Evermore was too, also confused. "The kid's right," Zac chuckled, "your limiter is on but not in the way it was intended. When I programmed the prototype, it ended up absorbing your power and not capping it at a certain voltage. It seems Freed reprogrammed it back to its prototypic state." Zac revealed. "He hasn't absorbed any of your power from what the tests are saying but this engineering… it is the original limiter."
Kai and Ever were shocked. Kai because no one could have easily reprogrammed his tech, and Ever because the conclusion Machi came to took them running tests that only this lab, Genesis Laboratory, the world renowned laboratory, could achieve. And Machi…
Came to conclusion without ever running these tests.
*
Despite it all, the wedding continued. Security was amped up incredibly but no one knew anything about what happened at Harkness residence the night before.
"You're finally awake." Machi yawned as he realised he was kidnapped from his bed. In the back, with Rocco, as Zac drove them to the hotel he was staying at. "You slept through every single alarm we fully had to carry you to the car." Rocco laughed. Seeing the suits hung up in the car, he nodded and rubbed his eyes. He was tired, especially after last night when he heard that the limiter was not even on. Looking at his phone, he saw a notice from the Citadel. That was the official name of the agency all agents are apart of. In the form of an email - to which he didn't even think they'd have it.
"That's a joke." He blinked a few times and looked at it again.
"What?" Zac asked as he drove.
*
Dear Machi Kilgore Harkness,
You have been specifically requested to attend the entrance exam for the TSA being held in 4 days time. This is a mandatory event to demonstrate and record your skills.
This event will be attended by all Citadel Agents, Lady Harkness and Citadel governors.
"Hey, we'll be there together." Rocco laughed.
"It ain't funny. I'm a low level, why must I go?"
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