The threat Kei'shof leaves behind after he unhacks Serenity's body, leaves Zero tense. His jaw clenches as he watches Serenity's eyes lose their focus and fall shut. Her body loses it's balance and she slumps forward.
Zero cuts in front of her, and catches her against his chest, his hands on her waist to keep her upright.
She groans, her dark eyebrows furrowing behind her black bangs, and she blinks dull red eyes. "Zero?" She looks around, her full mouth pulling into a frown. "When…?"
"Sleep walking." Zero shrugs, his hands tightening around her before he lets her go so she can stand.
Figure it out, Zero. Or I'll have no choice but to use her.
He knows what he has to do, what the next step is. He may not want to, he thinks as he looks at One, she's almost as normal as she could get.
"If I could have anything in the big vast universe, it would be normalcy. Well, someone elses normalcy. I don't like mine very much." Big brown eyes blink up at him.
Serenity's red eyes widen, "Oh my God that's so scary! What if I had gotten bit? What if you did?!" She gasps and looks around, "Where are Lizzy and the others? Did they die?"
Zero frowns and rubs the back of his neck, she doesn't seem all too upset about the possibility. It looks like the side effects of one of her limiters being removed is starting.
Maybe he should keep her away from the others until sunrise? At least until the effect wears off. He rubs the back of his neck, plus it'll give them time for her to find the others, and to answer any questions she's bound to have now that she has one of her abilities unlocked.
He chuckles, the sound almost nervous, "Relax. They're still in the shed. And it looks like most of the dead have gone."
Serenity nods. She starts to stretch her arms, her eyes widening, "You know, I think I should sleep-walk more often. My shoulder hardly hurts anymore."
She starts to unwrap her shoulder and gasps at the now fully healed wound. The area is still pink where the knew skin has grown, and it looks as if she was never hurt in the first place.
Zero frowns, he knew removing a limiter was going to ease up on some of her abilities, but he didn't know how much. He knows Kei'shof put five limiters in total, now four with him removing one. And if he remembers One's stats before she entered the cryo-chamber, then having one limiter removed shouldn't allow her to heal her shoulder at such an immense rate. Sure, it would still heal, but it wouldn't be fully healed, at least not yet.
"You should still keep it covered up." He says, eyeing her bare shoulder, "The skin is still raw and fresh, it can still get infected." While he's telling the truth, it's only half the truth. Calvin, Jay, and Lizzie can't find out about it.
Being on this planet the humans call earth for three years, he's learned how alike they are to his people. They are greedy and opportunistic. If they find out Serenity can heal at such a rate, they'll assume she was bitten by the dead, they'll assume she's the cure all. They'll give her to their government, lock her up, question and interrogate her - Zero pulls at his hair and clears his throat.
"I have a favor to ask of you" He says.
Serenity gasps and turns to him, "No way! You saved my life so many times I'm starting to get embarrassed." She twirls a lock of black hair around her finger and scuffs the tip of her shoe against the ground.
Zero tilts his head and shrugs. He glances around the abandoned street and then glances up at the sky. He groans, it's the fucking apocalypse for these people, of course theirs no power or working electronics. So of course this is going to be a little harder.
Then a light bulb flicks on and he grabs Serenity's wrist and tugs her closer. This is going to get questions out of her, and maybe he shouldn't be withholding it from her in the first place but. . . Her wish. . . He can't give it to her permanently, but he can give it to her this time. Once she's fully back, then he'll tell her.
He holds their wrists side by side, "Keep your hand here, okay?" He glances up at her through dark lashes. She blinks and nods. He chuckles glances back down at their hands and he pulls up his holographic screen.
"No way," She whispers in awe, using her free hand to tuck her black hair behind her ear. She stares at his wrist, and sees a circular spot of his skin glowing.
Her head rears back when a second hologram pops up, this one coming from her wrist next to his.
She stares at the screen, taking in the big bold words before her.
[Welcome, CP1]
[Loading. . .]
[Loading. . .]
[TWENTY - SIX PERCENT unlocked]
"Woah, what is this?" Serenity asks, red eyes glued to the hologram.
Zero doesn't answer her as he flicks and presses on his holo-screen. "Luckily, I know a cheat code." He mutters under his breath. "I'm already connected to any and all servers here on Earth. All I need to do is get us connected and then share my link with their servers with you. Problem solved."
Serenity didn't know there's a problem to begin with but she's glad he solved it.
There's an audible bing in her head and a message board enters her holo-screen.
[CP0 wishes to connect.]
Serenity glances at Zero through the screens that emitt from their wrists and hits accept.
[CP0 is now linking you to ALL EARTH SERVERS.]
[CONNECTION LINKING]
[CONNECTION ESTABLISHED.]
Another larger screen appears before her, moving along with her eyesight. She notices it isn't coming from her wrist like the first one.
"How?" She whispers, as she gains access to what is left of the earth's internet web. She frowns and a sudden block appears. While she is able to connect to the Internet, something is blocking her from gaining any other access. "Why can't I. .?"
"They must be blocking you." Zero mutter, gritting his teeth as he runs his hand through his hair. "I admit, they're resilient little pests. You'll have to hack into it."
"Hack into it?" Her dark eyebrows raise, then she narrows her eyes, "Wait, why are we doing this anyway?"
Zero bites the inside of his cheek, and it begins. "I need you to find a few people for me." He glanced at her and offers a small smile. And I'll answer any and all of your questions when we're done. Deal?"
Serenity stares at Zero with a critical eye. Then she
gives a firm nod, "Deal."
"Good." Zero grins. "Now here's what you'll need to do."