Nico's eyes were glued to his phone not because he was scrolling through it or anything like that. No, his eyes were completely fixed on one thing, well one text really.
Welcome back to Sugarhouse, Mr.N.
How did they even get his number? He replaced his phone every time they tried as much as to text him. They normally weren't so straight forward with their messages. He wondered to himself what had changed. Why assume he'd come back when he left them four years ago. That's when he decided to check his call history and there it was. He had talked to them the previous night. More specifically during his time being wasted.
"Of course it had to be that time," he said to himself while he started wishing the previous night hadn't happened at all.
Why did Remi not like the flowers he gave her? Then this wouldn't be happening. That was what Nico thought or at least tried to make himself believe. He knew that this was bound to happen sooner or later and he had to deal with it now before it got out of hand. With that, he finally got enough resolve to text back and say he wanted no part of them.
Nico looked at the time and noticed he could still meet up with Remi. Just as he was about to text her he received a message on his phone. A reply to his decline.
The Big Man's gone.
Nico had already started driving away from the restaurant when the message came in. He screeched his car to a stop when he read it. If it weren't the honking of angry drivers behind him who were late to their own functions, he would have stayed there and thought about the message. The honking was too much for him to stay there though.
He had started driving again when he thought about the message. Could he really be gone? No, he couldn't. He kept trying to tell himself he wasn't gone but finally ended up texting back, 'When.'
Two months ago.
That was about the same time they started reaching out to him. Maybe they were telling the truth but Nico simply couldn't accept it. It just seemed impossible to him. He started thinking hard of what he'd do. Whoever was talking to him had left one more message.
Meet up 4pm HQ.
He now had to options go to Remi or HQ. If he went to HQ, it would basically be agreeing to go back. If he didn't then he would always have a part of him that would wonder if he really was gone. If there really was no chance to ever see him, to talk to him.
He banged his head on the steering wheel a bit before driving off. He heaved out a huge sigh and turned off his phone. As if his day hadn't been bad enough already, he had this uncomfortable feeling that it was about to get a whole lot worse.
The building was about three stories tall. It looked like a dwarf in comparison to all the surrounding buildings. It had been long since Nico last was here. Around four years or so. He had always avoided even using any route that would lead him there.
When he got closer to the building he got out of the car and started walking slowly. Always careful of what he might find once he arrived. He didn't like the situation one bit. He didn't know what he's online texter looked like but they must have known him.
It was a mess. The building that is. Time had done what it does best and left it a shell of its former self. Nico looked at it as nostalgic memories started flowing back. Some happy memories others not so happy.
"So you came," said a feminine voice from behind him. Nico turned around to see the source of the voice.
She looked to be short to Nico. Although everyone looked short to him. He was at least six feet after all. The girl was actually five something herself. She had long black hair that flowed down her back. Her skin was dark in colour not black but a soft amber that seemed to glow in the sunlight.
She had dark freckled across her nose. She was dressed in a three piece suit that complemented her voluptuous body. She was smiling warmly at Nico when he turned.
"Oh hey Erza, " Nico started," Still as beautiful as ever."
"I know."
Nico and Erza got closer and closer to each other till they finally hugged each other tightly.
"Missed you so much, " Nico told Erza while they were still hugging.
"Same here. Things haven't been the same without you," she replied back.
Normally Nico would have chatted the day away with Erza like they used to but not today. Instead, he got straight to the point. He asked if she was serious in the messages that she had sent to him. Erza's warm smile disappeared as she started looking at the ground obviously hurt by the topic.
"Yeah," she said while still facing the ground, "I wouldn't have contacted you otherwise. I know how much you did to get away from here."
This was all Nico needed to confirm his worst fears. He knew this day would come eventually but he never expected it to be so soon.
"I know you don't like it but we need you back. You're the one he wanted to leave everything to, " Erza said in a pleading tone.
"I...I can't. "
"Why not?"
"I already put all that behind me. I...I changed. I got two parents that love me, a bestfriend and even a girlfriend. I want to be with. "
"We need you back, N."
" That's another thing I'm not N anymore I'm Nico."
"Look, I know you're happy and all but-"
"But what?"
"Even if you don't come Alex won't just leave you like that. He sees you as a threat. He'll come after you and those you care for."
"So what? Fight or die?"
"Look, we don't need you to do much. Just come back and make sure he doesn't get into power."
Nico didn't like the sound of things but he knew she was right. He wouldn't be let off easy like that and he could risk putting Remi or Gray in danger.
"Fine."
"Good. Then let's get going."
"Going? Going where?"
"To HQ. The real one. Things changed after you left."
With that both Nico and Erza got into his car but Erza was the one on the wheel.