Green Baby
"You have to take her," a woman whose facial features remained illegible, no matter how he tried to focus on it, spoke to him as she handed him a baby wrapped in a thick blanket.
"Take good care of her, Jace," she added as tears slid down her cheeks. "I love you, but this will be the end of us, the conclave will do terrible things to an impure blood like her."
He answered, he couldn't remember what he answered, but he recalled how he felt as he did all he could to protect his baby from dying in the brutal wilderness.
Memories of his joy when he bought a Denizen status into Neo City came back to him, his joy as they moved out of the street into their own housing unit.
How the world stood still when she called him 'Dada' for the first time.
"Dada!" the word came back to him louder.
"Dada!" Adea's voice reached him even louder.
He was yanked out of his mind, where his life was flashing past him, one last time, as was the norm for one in their final moments.
Adea was kneeling on his chest, pulling on his face with teary eyes.
"Dada," she called into his unresponsive eyes.
He wanted to talk back, but Halo had ceased all system functions to prioritize consciousness retention for the longest time.
It was similar to how it was when he had helped boot up the system…Sleep paralysis on steroids, but this time it hurt real bad as he looked at Adea's hurt eyes as she stared back at him.
This was why former him kept Adea locked indoors like a prisoner; this city was a terrible place.
Death was so common that it was nonsensical.
The finance goblin had a smile as it raised up the Qube, smug with its deed.
*UCK!!!!!... Jace screamed mentally, trapped in a body that was fast approaching death.
[30 Seconds Left]...Halo flashed a message box in his eyes.
He let his mind focus on Adea's eyes, no matter how hard it hurt him.
He owed it to her to burn this moment into his memory, even though it would probably mean nothing, but it was all he could do in the moment, so that he did.
That was when he noticed it, her green eyes, they were greener than they should.
[25 Seconds Left]
He noticed glyphic markings spreading from her eyes to her face.
[23 Seconds Left]
Rune markings appearing all across her body.
[19 Seconds Left]
Her lavender hair stood up electrified as they shed their neutral colour for a brighter shade of green.
[17 Seconds Left]
Jace's mind arrived at one single conclusion, so unreal he forgot he was dying.
.
.
.
Adea was awakening.
[13 Seconds Left]
The runes and glyphic markings came alive, radiating bright rays of green, like whatever energy within was trying to spill out from there.
[11 Seconds Left]
Adea's weight on top of his chest was gone, as her being levitated above his dying self, her eyes shut as she seemed to come to some sort of peace with herself.
[7 Seconds Left]
[5 Seconds Left]...at least she will be okay, Jace concluded as his death drew closer.
Hexers were sought after by everyone; they were diamonds in human form.
As a young hexer without a guardian, she might end up exploited, but she will be alive…Jace concluded in hurt as he resigned himself to his final seconds.
[3 Seconds Left]
Adea floated down back to his chest and rested her hands on his open chest.
He felt at bliss, his unresponsive eyelids reflexively shut in euphoria.
The feeling sent him back to a very distant moment.
He stood behind his mum, in their tiny place, as she made porridge.
"She will listen to all my stories without sleeping," he declared proudly to his pregnant mum.
"She won't be able to make sense of what you are saying for a really long time," his mum burst his newly formed bubble ruthlessly as she stirred the pot with effort.
"Then I will show her my drawing book, show her the all-powerful limitless."
Mum laughed, "She won't be able to make sense of drawings too, for a long time."
"Then I will be with her every time, and make her my best friend," he declared defiantly, unaccepting of the double trick defeat.
"That you can do," mum answered, shuffling his hair.
…
"Dada, it tastes weird, but I like it," Adea declared as she took the last scoop of her brightly coloured Vita-Noodles.
"Yhh, tastes as weird as shit," Jace said in agreement as he lifted his daughter up. "But it's good food."
"Just wait till I install a neuro chip and improve my employability rating," he whispered to her, holding her tiny self close to his chest. "We will be able to afford Spicy noodles, their smell is really good, Adea."
She didn't respond.
She just let her cute head rest on his shoulder.
The moment was perfect…up until someone put their hands on his baby's side and pulled her backwards.
He tightened his hands around her, but the person didn't relent; he pulled harder.
Jace woke.
"My…My, A Hexer," the finance goblin spoke excitedly as it tried to pull Adea out of his grip as she lay unconscious on top of him.
[Death Crisis Averted | Foreign Energy intervention]...Halo flashed a new message box before his eyes.
[All Systems State Optimal]...Jace smiled, glad to be alive, happy at another chance to protect Adea right, but most importantly.
Appreciative of the chance to collect a debt owed.
A hole to the chest, He was petty like that.
"Ohh! She is a healer," Finance gasped as he noticed Jace's eye that were staring into his.
"Thanks for being the trigger that gave us such a blessing," the goblin rasped as he lined up that handgun that had donuted Jace's heart earlier, but Jace was several steps ahead.
His hand clutched onto that mini pistol, hidden in Adea's Jacket.
Halo's crosshair settled on the goblin's chest, his hand hidden behind Adea's jacket.
He pulled.
The finance goblin's mouth hung open mid-talk as the shot landed, spearing through its chest.
It didn't stop moving, though.
Different biology…Jace noted as he lined his crosshair to the goblin's head.
His hands, the steadiest it has been since the gunfight began, his eyes burning with hate.
He pulled twice.
The finance goblin fell to the side, lifeless.
[Residual Foreign Energy Converted to Bio Energy]
[Current Energy Level 42%....Optimizing System for Engagement]
[Optimization Complete]
[Engage]