Chereads / Rebirth of Artemis / Chapter 28 - Crossing the Boundary

Chapter 28 - Crossing the Boundary

Terra awoke to the sounds of birds chirping. It was bright and early in the morning. She looked around. She tried to get up off the bed but she couldn't move without a terrible pain shooting through her body. She laid down and let the pain fade. She drifted back to sleep. She was in a house. Jilaya's house. Ivan stood in front of her.

Ivan: Breaking my sword only bought you time. I decided it was time to come and visit you again.

Terra looked into Ivan's eyes. The last time she saw him...

Ivan: I see you met the shadow squadron. They are my elites.

Terra: ...get out of my head....

Ivan: What was that?

Terra: Get out of my head!

Ivan: Hmmm. Make me. Oh wait, you can't. Either way. I'd like you to see something.

Ivan showed Terra A locked down Mike.

Ivan: I've started a war. Haven't I? If you won't die. Then come here so I can kill you. Maybe Donny's death wouldn't have been in vain.

Terra tried to contain her anger.

Ivan: I can tell you are angry. But if you come here.

Ivan showed Terra an address.

Ivan: And you fight and beat me. You may be able to get your crush of the month back. Amelia would be so happy!

Terra: ...You're lying! Stop!

Ivan: You don't know if I'm lying or not. And if I am, what do you have to lose. You want to avenge him. Right?

Ivan waved goodbye to Terra and disappeared. Terra awoke and jolted up. She almost hit Amala. Then Terra noticed she was still wounded and she fell back to laying down.

Amala: Good morning I guess.

Leon: Hey Terra, you like your bacon crispy or nah?

Amala: Why do you care? Everyone likes their bacon crispy.

Leon: Well I'm sorry for asking. How is she holding up?

Terra: I can answer for myself. I think I-

Terra started thinking about the dream she just had.

Amala: You can finish your sentence weirdo.

Terra: Ivan. He appeared in my dream.

Amala: What?

Terra: I woke up earlier and then drifted back to sleep. It was like it was real. Ivan talked to me.

Amelia walked in.

Amelia: What did he say?

Terra: Wait you stayed here?

Amelia: Yeah. Now what did he tell you?

Terra: We can bring back Donny.

Amelia: Bring back Donny?! How? Tell me!

Terra: He said he can. But he might be lying. He gave us an address.

Amelia: If he is lying. He dies.

Terra: We can't just kill him.

Amelia: Why not?

Terra: If you really want him to bring back Donny then you can't kill him. We could capture him. Amelia, I've accepted Donny's death. Bu-

Amelia: No you haven't. We both think his death was preventable. We have a chance to save him. To save my brother.

Terra: Maybe it's worth a shot...

Amala: Wait, you guys talked about hurting or even killing Ivan. Do you remember who Integer is? She will kill you, then resurrect you and kill you again. Over and over. No matter what hurting Ivan gets you both killed!

Leon: Not if we all go. We could take out two birds with one stone. Take them both out.

Amala: You are talking about taking down two people who made most metas nowadays, and have supreme power.

Terra: I kind of like where you're going Leon. She forcefully made most metas. Like Millie. She didn't ask for this life. And now she's missing an arm. I started this when I beat Beck. Maybe it's time to end it.

Amala: Well don't blame me when you die.

Terra: So does that mean your coming with?

Amala: Goddamnit.

Leon: I mean I'm going so as my guardian, doesn't that mean you have to go?

Amala: You're 18!

Leon: Well I haven't moved out.

Amala: That makes no sense, but if it means I get to get out of here then fine.

Amelia: And they have Mike. Probably as bait. I'll talk to Millie about it.

Terra: Why? She's crippled!

Amelia: Amala has lots of knowledge on Soul Blades. So I went digging around yesterday and I found out that the first soul blade is actually still out there!

Leon: And? Why do you care?

Amelia: We can make a prosthetic for Millie out of the soul steel it's made from!

Amala: None of us are good at making shit like that.

Amelia: But someone in the white mountains is. And the soul blade is there.

Terra: Hey! That's where I lived!

Amelia: See? Terra gets to visit her old home, and we get Millie a new arm!

Leon: Well that's all fine and dandy. But how are we going to get there?

Amelia: ...good question. Anyone got any ideas?

Terra: You can run us there!

Amelia: Hell no! I can't run back and forth from here to New hampshire over and over! My breaks would take longer than it would for us to get there!

Amala: So you're just lazy?

Amelia: You know what, maybe I am.

Terra: We'll find a way. I know it.

Amala: Why can't we just, you know. Drive?

Amala pulled out her phone and did something.

Amala: It takes about 5 hours to get from here to there.

Terra: Perfect! Let's do that.

Leon: But Amelia could probably make it there way faster.

Amelia: One. I would by carrying one of you at a time. Two. I don't even know the way! Let's say I could make it there and back in 1 hour. It would be 4 hours. But that's not accounting for the fact that I can't run for 4 hours straight! Not even 1 hour! I'd probably even be slow-

Amala: Okay! We get it.

Amelia: Either way, I'm gonna go talk to Millie.

Amelia opened the door and sped off.

Terra: Leon, you can teleport, right?

Leon: Yeah. But only short distances.

Amala: Alright. That's that then. Leon. It's time to go and find a van.

Leon: Hell yeah!

Terra: To buy?

Amala: Of course.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

Amelia was at the bar with Millie. They'd been talking about the normal stuff. Pretty much nothing.

Amelia: So um.

Millie: Yeah?

Amelia: I wanted to ask if you wanted to come with us to take down Ivan.

Millie: Wait what? What are you talking about?

Amelia: Terra and me have this whole plan to take down both Ivan and Integer.

Millie: You want to take down Ivan? And to add on Integer?!

Everyone in the bar looked at both of them.

Amelia: Outside. Now.

Millie and Amelia rushed outside and went out next to the bar.

Millie: How do you expect that to work? Use your head!

Amelia: Listen. If we don't try. I-I don't know if I'll be able to live with myself.

Millie: But I have things here for me. A little danger is great and all but a suicide mission is another thing. I have to take care of Kris.

Amelia: We could also get you a new arm.

Millie: Really? But my arm isn't worth my life.

Amelia: Well. It's fine. We don't need you. I'll do it myself. Nobody to have drinks with. Have conversations for hours. I'll go.

Millie: Don't be an asshole!

Amelia: I am an asshole. But to be real. I am going no matter what. Ivan told Terra that we could bring Donny back if we go there and face Ivan. If Kris died. You would do anything to commemorate him. Wouldn't you? We aren't that different.

Millie: Fine! I'll go. Is that what you want to hear?

Amelia smiled.

Amelia: We'll make it worth your while.