Apocalypse: The Huntress Luna

Chapter 16

Today was becoming more and more confusing as it went by.

Someone had stolen my father's research and we had no idea why.

And to be honest, this was the first time I was hearing about any of his research.

We stood there in Gus' office, shocked and still unmoving. I had no idea what this meant and as my parents were no longer with us, only Gus could shed some light into it.

He was still crouching on the ground so I leaned down and helped him up and into his seat.

"Gus. You need to explain this. Please."

He took a deep breath and pushed his glasses up his nose while Calli and I settled in front of him.

We sat staring, waiting for him to speak.

"Where do I start…" he said more to himself than us and then he looked up.

"Your father and mother were scientists as well as medics, as you well know. They and a very small team were working on an antidote for Vargul venom and they were getting some promising results.

But they ran into a bit of a snag…"

His eyes darted to the door nervously and then lowered his voice before continuing.

"Their team was being picked off one by one."

"Picked off? What- you mean they were being murdered??" Calli whispered hoarsely.

"Unofficially speaking, yes. All their deaths were very suspicious but this was at a time when the Council wasn't as established as it is now and things were swept under the rug."

"Why would someone want to stop the progress of an antidote though? It doesn't make sense?" I questioned.

"I'm not sure but your parents thought it was a play at power. Someone wanted to take the antidote for themselves to assume power over what remains of the world. 

Their small team shared the same mind on the matter and your father trusted each and everyone of them not to let it fall into the wrong hands. And they all gave their lives for it," he whispered sadly.

My mind was reeling with all this new information and suddenly my body went cold as a thought popped into my mind.

"Gus, are you saying my parents were ...murdered as well?" My voice was barely a whisper but I know they heard me.

"No, they were not murdered."

"But you said-"

"Yes I know what I said but I also know for a fact that they weren't murdered. They had developed a prototype vaccine, as close as anyone has ever gotten in the past - and they tested it on Alma."

What??

"But that would mean-" but Calli stopped before she could finish and turned to me, grief and worry etched across her face.

"She was bitten" I finished for her, as realisation turned my skin into goose flesh.

"Yes," Gus said quietly. 

I watched him make his way over to me and he pulled me up and gently stroked a stray tear on my cheek.

I didn't even realise but slow, hot tears were falling.

It felt as if they had died again and my heart was twisting into a bitter knot.

"Please tell me everything you remember Gus. I need to know," I said shakily.

He released me and rested against the corner of his desk but continued to hold my hand.

"Very well. They had made a trip to meet someone at another settlement and on their way back to Tectum, they were attacked in broad daylight. Alma was bitten on the arm and even though it was barely a scratch, the venom was already in her system.

The transition takes a week as you know so they got to work quickly and administered the prototype vaccine as soon as possible."

"But let me guess- it failed, right?" Calli interrupted.

"No, actually. It worked. A week passed and Alma was still...Alma. 

When Jerry told us, I was gobsmacked and over the moon! They had finally done it! 

That was until her health began to deteriorate and very quickly. In a matter of days, she looked like a cancer patient as you must remember, barely even breathing. The vaccine was too strong or it was missing something. I had never seen Jerry behave the way he did when he realised what was happening.

His wife was dying before his eyes and he could do nothing to stop it."

"When she passed, Jerry didn't want anyone to know about what happened in case the attacker would come for it so he collected everything and gave it to me. I told him we should take it to the Council as it needs to be developed further but he refused. He said he could not let it fall into the wrong hands and that he has made arrangements already. I don't know what he meant by that but he told me to trust him and made me swear on my honour never to speak of it to anyone and I never did. Not until today."

“But what about the Council? Wouldn't they have heard about mom’s bite or about the prototype?”

“Yes, they were told of Alma’s condition as she needed to be taken to a secure prison facility to ensure everyone's safety. But as far as they know - the prototype failed and Jerry told them the formula was lost. They came snooping after your parents passed but I gave them nothing.”

After hearing Gus explain it all, something just wasn't adding up. If my mother died of the effects of the vaccine, then how did my father die? The memories were fuzzy and I could barely recall their smiles, even if I tried.

I relayed my thought out loud and his brow furrowed.

"Ah...it is a bit difficult to say but...I believe Jerry died of a broken heart, my dear. I think he knew he wouldn't be able to survive without her hence why he gave me all their research, " he said sadly, as he wiped a lone tear. Gus and my parents knew eachother in the early years of the Fall and had been by eachother's side ever since. 

Thinking back, my parents were very in love. More in love than others I would say. I did think it was strange growing up to see how different they were from other couples but I never voiced my thoughts.

It just wasn't necessary and I was grateful to be the fruit of their love.

"Thank you for telling me Gus. I just wish you would have told me sooner." I tried not to look disappointed but I knew my eyes were betraying me.

He stood again and took my hand in his. "I am so sorry to have told you like this, my dear. I truly am. I had thought of telling you earlier over the years but it never felt like the right time and I didn't want to upset you. I hope you can forgive me."

Calli had reached over and was rubbing circles on my shoulder, trying to offer me some comfort as well. I looked over both of them and let out a breath, shaking my head.

"It's okay, Gus. I know you did what you thought was right at the time. It's just a lot to take in," and I offered them a small smile.

"I still have so many questions but I think the most pressing matter is the stolen research. We have no idea who at Tectum would have taken it and why now of all times. And how did they even know to look here?"

"There is one thing we haven't thought about though," Calli added as she stood, with her hand still on my shoulder.

"What is the one thing that stands out here at Tectum? Or more so, who?"

Gus and I traded looks, not sure what she was getting at until it dawned on me.

"The Archivio," I said quietly, shocked.

"Yes. Andy, you need to go with the team tomorrow. You need to go to the Archivio."

But Gus held up his hand. “We don't know it is them for sure, Calliope. For all we know, it could be someone else using their arrival to their advantage. Or this could be the arrangement Jerry was talking about.” 

Calli just grunted in annoyance and started pacing. “Will you report this, Gus?”

He shook his head sharply. “No. The Council didn’t know I had the research. It’s best not to open that can of worms. We will have to investigate this amongst ourselves. We don't know who we can trust.”

My mind was going a million miles an hour and was starting to hurt. This was becoming too much for me right now.

Calli could see it and she quickly grabbed some water and pushed it into my hand with a couple of aspirin.

“Drink.”

I nodded in thanks and sat back down while taking the pills. 

“We may not know who is behind this but they don't know that we know. Let's keep it that way. Andy, why don't you take the rest of the day off? I'll take care of things here.”

“No, I’m okay. I'll take the next class, you do too much already. Plus, we don't want to be suspicious.”

As Calli and I stood to leave, Gus called out one last time.

“Lets keep today's events to ourselves, ladies. We don't know who we can trust just yet. But we are going to get to the bottom of this, I know we will. So you three come by for dinner tonight and you can let me know your decision then.”

“Thank you, Gus.”

……………………

Once Calli and I got back to my office, we both agreed to push today's events aside and concentrate on finishing the day.

While Calli looked through the upcoming months schedule, I took the last few classes which consisted of bandaging and slings. As soon as the clock struck three, we all bustled to make our way out and I couldn't have been more relieved.

Some of the recruits even stopped by me to ask if I was feeling okay today which was sweet. I ended up just telling them that I have a splitting headache but I had taken some pills for it already.

Once everything was locked up, Calli and I made our way to Yann’s school to wait outside for him.

When we arrived, we decided to sit on the little patch of grass in silence, both of us thinking deeply about today.

As more people exited their buildings, I lay back and stared up into the sky as an attempt to forget about today's worries. People were walking by, watching, but it didn’t bother me. I felt exhausted and just couldn't bring myself to care.

Calli watched for a second then decided to join me and we lay with our heads on either side of each other to go through a quick meditation.

At the end of it, I quietly watched a few fluffy clouds crawl by as Calli’s fingers looped around and snagged a thick strand of my hair to play with. This was an old habit of Yann’s that he outgrew but it always brought me comfort and she knew it.

I turned my head slightly to look at her and she gave me a reassuring smile while she reached out and wiped my tears.

“I know, it is okay to feel everything as it is happening. Don’t bottle it up. By letting it flow, you are being strong,” she whispered gently while caressing my cheek.

Not many people had the privilege of seeing Calli's gentle, soft side but I did hope one day that she found someone special to share it with.

I nodded and smiled back with teary eyes and sat up while she pulled herself onto her elbows.

We sat and breathed it all out and I felt a huge weight lifted off of my shoulders. The drama was still there of course but now both our minds and hearts were clear.

Just as the kids began to exit their class, Calli nodded behind me at something she was staring at.

“Now there is a snaaaack,” she wolf whistled quietly and wiggled her eyebrows seductively.

Peeping over my shoulder, a few of the Archivio ‘muscle’ were leaving the gym shirtless and covered in sweat. A few women who were also finished their work for the day literally began to drool and stare shamelessly as they watched the men walk by.

It also just happened to be the exact moment Magnus walked out and caught us staring.

Before I could look away, he raised his hand to wave at us and I mentally face-palmed myself from embarrassment. I tried not to grimace but I returned his wave and I had to fight to keep my eyes on his face and not his gleaming, chiseled chest.

And my God, it was chiseled…

I think he could tell I was embarrassed as he gave us a big smirk but followed his men to the barracks.

I had the decency to look away but Calli was shamelessly taking it all in and was even getting returned looks from a few of the men.

“Babe, quick look now, he’s talking to his men,” she said through her teeth.

“What? No! He will catch me again!”

“Just do it, quickly!”

Groaning, I turned my head and caught a glimpse of Magnus again and I can tell you I did not regret it. My eyes ran across his torso hungrily, taking in just how perfect he was and how no others came close. His ebony hair was slick with sweat and some fell over his eyes which was hella sexy. 

I think he could sense our gazes because he stopped and quickly looked over at us which made us both jump with fright at being caught- yet again.

We tried to hide it by getting up and looking busy which just made him laugh out loud.

I decided it was no use hiding so I turned and gave him a sheepish grin with a small wave. 

He returned it and flashed us a sexy smile while heading off which made Calli swoon and my heart skip a beat. 

“Whew...is it hot today or whaaat,” she said while fanning herself feverently. 

“It is deeefinitely hot out…” I replied, dusting off the grass from my hands.

“Is he going to be my dad?”

Calli and I both jumped an inch in the air and turned to see Yann standing next to us, watching Magnus go.

“Jessssusss boy, you almost gave us a heart attack!” Calli’s hand was over her racing heart and hugged him with the other. “And uh...yeah maybe…” she said under her breath.

“Calli!? C’mon, really??”

They both just laughed and started heading home with me in tow as I tried to get those thoughts out of Yann’s mind.