Sapphire - Chapter 6

     Ann sat cross-legged on the floor and took the document in her hands. But she couldn't bring herself to open it. The answers she was after, the truth she was so desperate for, were right before her. Yet she couldn't find the strength to turn the first page. She couldn't find a reason for her hesitation, save for her own fear. She was afraid. Afraid of what she would find if she read the files. Maybe ignorance was indeed bliss. Maybe this would make things even harder.

    “You have plenty of time, if you want to give 'em a look. Nigel's still talking,” she heard Max's voice encouraging her. He knew what was going on in her mind, being able to read her thoughts.

    “Yes, okay," she thought. There was no point in going back now, after all she'd been through for those files. She had to know the truth, even if that hurt.

     Ann took a deep breath and turned over the first page. Rows and rows of information about herself, typed in bold black letters, took up the entire sheet. Her name, age, date of birth, height, facial characteristic were all there, like it was her identity card. She was about to continue with the following pages, when an intriguing word caught her eye. 'Relatives'. The fingers of her right hand were hiding whatever names  could be under that category. It had to be empty. She was an orphan, she didn't have any parents. If she had any other relatives, they would have taken her in, she wouldn't have been adopted by Nigel. But a gleam of hope was kindled inside her. Max had the same abilities as she. Could it be...

     She closed her eyes and removed her fingers from the lower part of the page. It had to say 'None'. Nigel was the closest she had to a relative, to a parent. What else could it possibly say? Maybe the only name was Nigel's. He was her foster father after all. Her only family. She opened her eyes. It didn't say 'Nigel Black'. Neither did it say 'None'. There were two names.

     Lucas Armitage, Max Armitage.

    Max had told her before that her real last name was 'Armitage'. That was the name he used when he first met her in the Research Base of the System. He called her that way, and he was surprised she had no idea what he was referring to. And Mia's comment back in the Base of the Fighters, when Ann caught the clothes Mia threw at her mid-air. “Cool and all, but I've seen it before. Max can do the same thing. Are you guys related or something?”

     They were related. She had a family, a real family. Someone other than Nigel. Without realizing it, she broke into a small smile. He was too young to be her father... Could he be an uncle? Or, a brother? The smile soon turned into a huge beam. She actually had a family, a real one. All those years, when she thought she was alone, the only person in the world who felt so confused, who didn't really know whether she was human or something else... She wasn't the only one with the same problems. There were others, just like her...

    “So, we are family...” she thought, her words reaching Max. “I had a feeling our powers being the same wasn't a coincidence.”

    “Well, I had expected that you'd get suspicious,” Max giggled. “Say 'hello' to your dear uncle, Ann! Now, get done with that, and let's go have a nice, pleasant family reunion!”

    “An uncle!” Ann exclaimed loudly, but clapped her hand on her mouth right afterward. She couldn't risk being heard by Hector or Nigel. “I have an uncle!” she repeated gleefully. “So all that time... Where have you been?”

    “To my defense, being with you was kinda hard. System and all, and some other stuff,” Max said. “All can be explained in the 'History' section of your file. I think that you will find everything you need to know there.”

    “But, wait... Who is Lucas Armitage?” Ann asked.

    “What have I told you? All the answers you want are inside there! Keep browsing the pages, I'm sure you'll find something,” Max responded.

     She followed Max's advice and turned over the page. The next sheet was filled with codes and formulas she couldn't understand. It went all the way down the page, without a stop between the letters. The next section was entitled 'Supernatural Ability'. It included a detailed explanation of her skills; she found the words 'telepathy' and 'telekinesis' along the vast text.

    'The case posses the ability to read a person's thought at will, telepathy, without its target realizing it. Physical contact with target or acquaintance with target is unnecessary; number of targets and the distance between case and target are irrelevant. It is also possible for the case to possess the ability to dig up one of its target's memories.'

     'Furthermore, the case is capable of creating a blue-colored light at will. The glow has multiple functions, including shielding the case against an attack, being used as a form of attack and being used as a telekinetic force. The light has strong density, and can support a large amount of weight. The shield form is invulnerable to physical attacks, bullets, shrapnel, electricity and fire. The attack form can damage objects as strong as steel, and can cause serious physical injuries. The telekinetic force allows the case to move objects without contact. Number, nature, texture and weight of objects are irrelevant. The improvement of the telepathy and telekinesis relies on the mental and physical development of the case. The source of the case's ability have been proven to be hereditary.'

    “Hereditary? That's right! You asked me that back then! When we were running away from the Research Base. You asked me where I think I got my powers from, and I told you maybe one of my parents had them! You must know about it! Which one was it, my mum or dad? Or was it you? Please tell me!” Ann pleaded in her mind, the excitement of all these new discoveries taking over her.

    “Hey, wait up! How could you get them from me? It was your d- Anyway, that's not the point! You read two names then, go figure it out on your own. It's not going to be that hard, we all share the same last name. Come on, you're a clever one. If I'm your uncle, then that guy is...” Max trailed off, expecting her to fill in the blank.

    “Then you're brothers... Lucas Armitage... He is...” she stammered, glaring at the two names again. “He is... m-my f-father?!” Ann couldn't help herself but cry out loud as a mix of different emotions flooded her body.

    “Yep! I understand your excitement, although I think you should keep it down, don't you agree?” Max's voice said, followed by a laugh. “Go to the 'History' section. It's all there.”

     Ann flipped through the pages in a hurry, searching for the chapter which included her background story. She passed by various sections, whose titles indicated that they elaborated mostly on scientific stuff. She knew she had to read those too, because they would help her know her powers better, but she didn't care at all at that time, The only thing that mattered was finding out more about her family. Nothing else. At last, after turning over page after page, she reached the chapter entitled 'History'. But she was in for a surprise.

    “It's empty!” she thought, creasing her eyebrows in confusion.

    “Wait, what? Empty? What do you mean?” she read Max's thoughts. He sounded as perplexed as she was.

    “I mean there's nothing here! The entire page is blank!”

    “Impossible! There should be something! Nigel was supposed to fill in every section! He can't have put it aside like that!”

    “But I'm telling you! There's nothing written here! Not even a word!” The sound of footsteps coming up the stairs caught her attention. “Someone's coming here.”

    “Damn it! It's Hector! If he sees the agents... Screw it, it's too late. I'm coming there! Don't go anywhere, you hear me? Stay where you are!” Max said, a tinge of concern in his voice.

     Ann stood still as she heard Hector's hurried steps on the stairs, and his exclamation of shock as he laid his eyes on the unconscious agents in front of her bedroom door. She staggered to her feet, holding the files close to her chest, and the blue glow appeared on her hands again, just in case. A quick glance around Nigel's office informed her that there was nothing near her that she could use as a weapon. Not that she would need it. The two agents were out of commission, and Hector was no threat. He was squeamish and would go pale even at the sight of a small paper cut. However, Nigel was armed, and he would come upstairs as well anytime soon.

     But Max was coming to get her out of there. And the 'Supernatural Ability' section of her documents had given her a full report of what she was capable of with her powers. She was invulnerable to physical attacks and bullets. She could defend herself against anything they fought her with. So, she had nothing to be scared of. Yet, as she stretched out her hand the minute Hector burst into the office, Ann noticed that her shaking fingers.

    “Ann?!” Hector exclaimed as soon as he saw her. “Wha- What are you doing here? Y-you should be in your room! What happened to the a-agents?” he stammered.

    “A part of my files is missing. Do you know where it is?” Ann said with a steady voice.

    “I really don't know what you are talking about...” She knew he was lying, she didn't even have to read his mind.

    “I'm talking about these, Hector,” Ann stated, and lowered her arm to reveal the cover of the files. “Now, quite playing and answer me. Why is the information about my family gone?”

    “You weren't supposed to find those... In fact, you aren't supposed to even know about them.” Drops of sweat streamed down Hector's forehead, making it glisten. “Look, calm down, and try to think clearly... Put the files down, sweetheart, and let's forget about it, okay? What do you think? Sounds good?”

    “Stop treating me like that!” Ann shouted, and the glow in her hands became more vivid. “Do you really think I can forget all of this? You think it's that simple? I already know what I can do, and that I have a family! It's all in here!” She pointed her finger at the files. “I'm not going anywhere until you tell me!”

     Hector glared at her with a frightened and astonished expression. He clasped his head with his hands as if he was in immense pain, and let a groan out. Ann took a step back in shock, but Hector's absurd reaction changed when Nigel's hand fell on his shoulder. In his other hand he carried a gun.

    “Maybe you should calm down, Hector,” Nigel said mockingly, and his brown eyes shifted to Ann.

    “Why did you bring that?” Hector asked, referring to the weapon in Nigel's hand. “We gave her the serum, this will be no use!”

    “Yes, I know. But she's got company. The lad fighting my agents outside, who is he? And where did you meet that buddy of yours?”

    “I don't know what you are talking about,” Ann said. The last thing she wanted was to put Max's identity in danger. “I don't know who he is.”

    “Fine, you can refuse it all you want. He's not all that important,” Nigel said with a shrug. “Now, let's get serious, Ann. You are right, these are not things you can forget that easily. But I think that your new friend has told you about my job, correct?”

     Ann stared at him with furrowed eyebrows. She glanced behind her for an instant. There was the glass window, two floors above the ground. Max was running a bit late. Hector or Nigel would grab her if she tried to get out of the door. But jumping out of the window and down the small garden of the backyard was plain suicide, even with her powers. She could shield herself against the shattered glass, but the fall could deal a lot of damage to her. And she would have to run afterward, and that would be impossible with the injuries from the fall. She was trapped.

    Or maybe not. Hector was already starting to back out of the room, and Nigel's bullets could do no damage to her, no matter how fast he fired. If he had the guts to fire. While she and her powers were more alert than ever, adrenaline already kicking in. Maybe if she could disarm Nigel and surprise him, and if she was fast enough, she could get out of the room, and out of the house, where she could find Max. The only thing she had to do was to not get caught by Nigel. He wouldn't use the weapon on her; she knew it. She was sure of it.

    “You don't have to answer me,” Nigel continued after a pause. “But you do realize that all of this has complicated things and altered our plans completely. That guy told you some things you weren't supposed to know, and this makes our job -my job- a tad more difficult. So, to make things simpler, I want you to come with me.”

    “I'm not going anywhere! Why won't you just tell me? It's going to save you a lot of trouble!” Ann cried out. “You really think you can change my mind about all I've found out? Tell me, Nigel, what do you need me so much for? Why can't you just leave me alone?”

    “Because you are important to the System. Enough questions, Ann. Come with me.” With those words, he took a step forwards, extending his left arm towards her. But a blue transparent wall was standing between them.

    “I'm going nowhere with you anymore. I've had enough of your examinations, and experiments, and all other kinds of torture! Have you forgotten that I killed a guy during that last test? Or does it mean nothing to you?” she asked with a quivering voice. She had managed to keep that event in the back of her mind, and focus on the latest developments in her life. But now that it had surfaced, the full impact of her words hit her. Voicing it felt like a strong force pulling her down.

    “No, I haven't forgotten,” Nigel responded calmly. “You will get the answers you so desperately wish for, but at a certain time and place. Not now or here. This isn't pleasant for me, either. Stop all of this and come with me.”

    “No! I'm not going anywhere! Forget about it!”

    “Ann, this is for your own good!”

    “You always say that!” she retorted. “And we both now what the outcome is every time!”

    “Do you really think you will be safer out there with your new pals?” Nigel shouted back at her. “They will come after you, wherever you go. Can't you see that I'm trying to make things easier for you?”

    “By doing what? Forcing me to come along? Putting a gun against my head?” Ann taunted.

    “By warning you! It's going to be a manhunt if you go away now, don't you understand? You keep this up and you put all of our lives in danger!”

    “So what do you want me to do? Follow you and accept whatever they are going to do with me, like the good girl I am?” Ann said, blinking back tears. “I'm sick of that!”

    “I know! But if you come with me now, I can reassure you that they will never do this to you again! I can help you with all of this.” Nigel's tone changed to a calmer one.

     A loud, thundering noise was hear from downstairs, and Hector left the room to investigate. Her eyes followed him as he exited the office, and then fixed themselves on Nigel's.

    “I just want to be with my family,” Ann admitted after a long pause, her voice steady again. “I want to be with the people who understand how I feel.”

    “I am your family. I have always been,” Nigel said.

    “I mean my real family. The ones I found in the files.”

    “There is no real family of yours, Ann,” Nigel stated coldly. “I understand that what you read excited you, but there is no family. That's why you've been living with me.”

    “What d-do you m-mean?” Ann stammered.

    “Don't you understand?” Nigel responded, raising his eyebrows. “Don't you know what 'orphan' means?”

    “But... But Max is m-my... uncle...” Ann trailed off, but quickly clasped her hand in front of her mouth. Nigel had no idea who Max really was. He didn't even know he was the person in the files. But, she had just given away his identity. Nigel's eyes widened with realization, and she knew it was too late to try to cover it up.

     But she could take advantage of his shock. Using her telekinesis, Ann pushed him towards one of the bookcases, clearing the way for the door. Having gathered all the strength she had left, she sprang forward and run out of the office, without looking behind. She climbed down the stairs two at a time, and sprinted towards the living room. Max was there, pointing his gun at Hector. The entire room was a mess, the furniture turned over and a few glass objects broken on the floor. Both of them turned to her as soon as they heard her, and Max lowered his arm and grabbed her.

    “Car's waiting for us outside, let's go!” he cried at her, and pulled her out of the house.

     The cold air of the night hit her face the moment she stepped her foot outside, with Max still dragging her by the arm. She'd promised herself she wouldn't do it, but in the end succumbed to her curiosity, and turned around to glance at the house. She only caught a glimpse of Nigel standing at the end of the stairs. She was really doing it this time. She was leaving home for good.

     Max shoved her into the front seat of a black Jeep before running around the vehicle to take his own seat. He started the engine and drove away with a jolt. Staring behind her shoulders, Ann saw her home fade away in the distance.

    “Are you alright? Tell me, are you okay, Ann?” he asked hurriedly, his eyes shifting from the road ahead of him to her. “You took the files with you?”

    “Yes, and yes,” Ann replied mechanically. “I have them, don't worry.”

    “Good. If anything happened to you, Mark would kill me.” He threw his gun at the back of the car. “Not that he's not going to do it either way...” he added.

    “I want you to tell me about my family. Anything you know, I don't care if it's not enough. I just want to know something.” She held the files in front of her. “These haven't been very useful, and neither has Nigel. You promised you'd tell me, so do it now. The fighting's over, and no one is following us. Tell me.”

     Max let out a sigh and leaned forward to the steering wheel as they stopped at a stoplight. He sat up again, straightening his waist, and looked at her. “You do realize that some of the things I'm going to tell you might break your heart. Also, there are some stuff I'm not allowed to talk to you about.”

    “Just tell me everything you can tell me,” she insisted.

    “Alright then,” Max shrugged. “Okay, where do I start... Okay, well, as I have told you, I'm your uncle. Lucas is your father, and my brother. Well, Lucas used to be one of the 'weapons' of the System, just like you. Because of his powers, he was the 'case' with the most potential to fulfill their goal, meaning, he was considered to be the 'ultimate weapon'. Those powers of ours are hereditary, as you might have come to notice. We took them after our father, but because of the age gap between me and Lucas, the System only knew about him, and not me. So, they only used him for their experiments and tests, and he still lived with us.

    “He wasn't fully aware of what the System's aim was; to him, they wanted to help him control and use his powers properly. He made a couple of friends there, and Nigel was one of them. As far as I can remember, he had a normal life. He didn't suspect any of the scientists in the System to mean any harm. One day, however, during a training session, he accidentally killed his opponent, just like you did. He didn't mean it, it just happened.”

    “Don't remind me,” Ann muttered.

    “Right, sorry. Anyway,” Max continued, “no one punished him for what he did. One would have thought that they would do something, but they did nothing. On the contrary, they said “Good job!” and put him one rank up, with the System's top soldiers. That's when Lucas got suspicious for the first time. He didn't have any access to the System's archives, so he asked Nigel for help, and after a little while, he figured it all out. Note that Nigel had no idea what he was helping him with. After he found the information he was looking for, Lucas tried to make a plan on how to get rid of the System, and he thought he had found the right way.

    “He was planning on going abroad for university, specifically to London, where he wanted to study Medicine. He thought that he would be able to get away from the scientists there, and start a new life. Things were going well for a while, I think that he met your mother in London. She was an exchange student from Greece. A few years passed, and everything was cool. But one day, he did something that enraged the System, and they hunted him down to bring him back to the States. I think he saved someone using his powers, or something? I don't really remember, I was just a kid.”

    “Wait, how old are you?” Ann asked, quirking an eyebrow.

    “I'm twenty-five. I was only ten when you were born, and your father was twenty-five. He was about your age when I was born,” Max replied with a smile. “That's why I don't know some things. And that's why I couldn't be with you. All my knowledge comes from his file that I found.”

    “And sometimes they don't write down everything,” Ann commented.

    “Exactly. Shall I continue?” She nodded positively. “Alright. So, the System didn't want its 'cases' to save people, but to do the opposite. After all, they were -and are- trying to find the perfect weapon. After what Lucas did, and his unwillingness to follow any more orders from them, they decided to hunt him down and eliminate him. Since he wasn't fit for their cause, they no longer had any use for him. I think they have this expression, 'getting old', which they use for a 'case' they don't need anymore. Sort of like what we mean by 'going stale'.

    “A hunt broke down, targeting Lucas and his wife, Elena, your mother. No matter where they went, the System followed. They traveled from city to city, and from country to country, until it became too much for them to bear. That's when Lucas's counterattack began. With the help of some other 'cases' of the System, who wanted to free themselves from it, he managed to fight back. He and his allies gained even more ground, and for a while it seemed as if they would win. They had the powers and strength to fight against the enemy; all of them were trained for that cause exactly. The help he received from the others allowed him to get away for a while. He never stayed in one place for long, and his identity changed all the time. He and Elena thought that they had finally gotten rid of the System.

    “But they were wrong. I don't know why, but Nigel turned against your father as well. See, Nigel supported the aim of the System, but I don't think that's the only reason he did what he did. Anyway, Nigel had some information about Lucas that the System didn't even now of. And he didn't hesitate to use them against him. So that period of freedom didn't last long. The hunt was on again, and this time it was even more difficult to get away. Even with the help of the other 'cases', Lucas was at a disadvantage. And then he had to protect you as well as your mother.. As you can imagine, it's not easy being a fugitive with a newborn baby. But they managed it somehow.”

     A knock on the window startled Ann, as she was immersed in Max's story, and her uncle started with a jump. Outside of each of the windows stood a figure, one of a male and the other of a female, riding on motorcycles. The rider on Max's side wore a black leather jacket and a black helmet, while the woman wore all white. She took off her white helmet and, even in the dim lighting of the highway, Ann recognized Andrea's characteristics.

     Soon they reached a stoplight, and Max, Andrea and the other rider stopped their vehicles. The man took off his helmet then, and she recognized Mark. Andrea made a gesture with her hand, indicating downwards, and Ann opened the window.

    “Are you okay? Please tell me you aren't hurt!” Andrea said with a worried tone in her voice.

    “Don't worry, I'm alright. I'm not hurt,” Ann replied.

    “Aren't you going to ask if I'm alright?” Max teased them.

     Mark shot him a vicious glare. “I'm resisting the urge to shoot you right now, right here.”

    “C'mon, you know you can't do that! Power, remember?” Max taunted, and his hands emitted a blue glow.

    “Power or not, you aren't getting away with this,” Mark retorted. “Who said it was alright to do such a thing? What if she got hurt? What if they took her away?”

    “Calm down! I had everything under control! Ann and I had this planned down! I was going to-”

    “Yeah, yeah, I know. I stuck a tracking device and a wire on you while you weren't looking,” Mark said. “Me and Andrea were able to hear everything.”

    “We are going to guide you to the next Base. It's not that far, so follow us,” Andrea said and gunned her motor.

    “Don't play any nasty tricks, you moron.” Mark glared at Max once more and put his helmet on.

    “I wouldn't expect anything less by Yin and Yang,” Max said as he drove behind them.

    “Yin and Yang? Like the Chinese symbol?” Ann asked.

    “Exactly. These two work as a team in every mission, and that's their codename. They aren't matching in character, and they fight quite a lot, but they are far weaker without one another. And there's a balance between them, all the time, from when they just talk to when they fight,” he explained.

    “Then, who is Yin and who is Yang?”

    “Both of them are both. There's a light and a dark side to both of them. That's why they work so well together. They complete each other.” Max broke into a laugh. “Some people from the Fighters want them to hook up. But to tell them apart, Mark is Yin, because he always wears black , and Andrea is Yang, because her fave color is white.”

     A small smile spread on Ann's lips. “Aren't they brother and sister, though?"

     “Nope, not really. They say that for each other because they have been together since they were toddlers. They both grew up in the System's laboratories, like most of the 'cases' then, and the scientists there called all of their subjects 'siblings',” Max explained. “They share the same supernatural ability, and that's why part of their genetic code is similar, but that's as far as it goes. They aren't connected by blood in any way. That's why some fellows have tried to get those two together.” Max leaned in towards her, and covered the back of his neck with his hand, while the other remained on the steering wheel. “I don't want them to hear me through the chip. They both have feelings for each other. But that's a secret, okay?” Max revealed it to Ann, and winked meaningfully.

      “I'm not going to say anything. The secret is safe with me,” Ann replied, smiling softly. “Anyway, let's continue with the story.”

     “Oh, right. They interrupted us. Were was I? Oh, yeah.” He cleared his throat and began talking. “They managed to get round somehow, but it wasn't the easiest thing. Things weren't going very well for him. I think that's when the System found out how your father got his powers in the first place. Once they figured out that his powers were hereditary, their aim changed altogether. Lucas was 'getting old' anyway, so they couldn't do anything with him, even if they caught him eventually. They lost all interest in your father after that discovery. Instead, they targeted you. Of course, Lucas and Elena would never let them have you. Protecting you was the only thing that went through their mind during that period. But they were tricked.

    “See, your father didn't know that it was Nigel who had given away their positions so many times. They had lost contact for years, but he didn't know that he was still tracking him down. One day, while Lucas, Elena and you were in Greece, Nigel managed to locate you guys. He carried out his plan without any trouble. Your parents, especially your father, had too much in their mind, so Nigel was the least of their worries. His plan worked out perfectly. Nigel took advantage of your father's state of mind, and...”

    “He killed my parents...” Ann whispered. She felt the full impact of what she had just said, but there was no reaction. Her emotions were overtaking her, but there were no tears. At least not yet.

    “Did he tell you?” Max asked after a short pause.

    “No, but I figured it out,” she responded. “So, he did it.”

    “Well, not exactly,” Max replied. “His snipers did. All that hide and seek had taken a toll on Lucas, and it affected his powers. He didn't have time to react.” He paused again, and stared at Ann.

     He awaited a reaction, her to start crying, or get angry. Ann waited for the same thing; until a single tear run down her cheek. After that, tears streamed down like waterfalls, dropping on the files and wetting the brown cover.

    “I'm sorry. It's only natural for you to react like that.” He stroked her back gently. “Hey, I'm here for you, to help you out, don't worry. Everyone would react that way-”

    “I'm not crying for that... I mean, I am sad, but...” Ann said in an effort to stifle a sob. “Now that I know all that, it makes me wonder... Nigel is my foster father. Or, was. I just wonder if... every time he said 'I love you'... did he mean me... or my powers? Was he proud of me, or of his successful plan? Everything he did...”

     A faint cry escaped her lips before she could finish her sentence. She covered her face with her hands. She huddled up on the seat, bringing her knees to her chin and burst into tears and sobs. Max bit his lip and kept stroking her back soothingly, keeping an eye on the road at the same time. The rear lights of Andrea's and Mark's motorbikes led the way. He'd told her everything he knew, and everything he was allowed to say. There was a lot she didn't know yet. And there was plenty of time until she found out. Or maybe not. Nothing was certain at this point. He ought to be her family until then. He gave a promise to him, and he was going to keep it no matter what.

     After a little while, Andrea and Mark slowed down, indicating that they had almost reached their destination. Ann was beginning to calm down, still curled up in a fetal position. Her eyes and cheeks were red from the crying, and the slim streams of the tears down her cheeks were still visible. She wiped them away with her hands, but since those were wet as well, it didn't make a difference. Max dug up a box of tissues, which was flattened after being stomped on multiple times. Ann took one and uttered a “thank you”.

     They stopped in front of a building with a big red sign on top of the roof, reading “Lexy's Dance Studio” written with white calligraphic letters. The growling of the engine slowly died out, leaving Max and Ann in complete silence. Andrea and Mark had parked their motorbikes right in front of their Jeep, and it seemed that they had already gone inside. At last, Max got out and went around the car to open the door of Ann's seat. He offered her his arm, and she accepted it. She got out of the car and stood quietly in front of Max.

    “So, what do you want to do now that you know the story?” Max asked. “As you can imagine, the System are going to fight to get you back. You know now how precious you are to them, and they are not going to let this go without a fight. What are you going to do?”

    “Fight back.”