Jiele's head throbbed as she slowly regained consciousness. Her surroundings came into focus, and she realized she was lying on the cold, damp ground. Confusion and pain surged through her body as the memory of Nero's attack flooded back. She struggled to sit up, her mind racing with thoughts of what had transpired.
Slowly, Jiele managed to push herself off the ground, her body aching from the impact. She glanced around, her eyes scanning the area for any sign of Nero, but he was nowhere to be found. With a deep breath, she steadied herself and made her way home, her mind still reeling from the encounter.
On the way back, she came across the scene Nero had diverged from.
Careful evading the sight of the presiding security forces that had just arrived, she sparingly continued on her path, heading straight back home. On the way, she dropped by the store and picked up her hidden groceries.
As Jiele entered the hideout, she found Enzo waiting anxiously, concern etched on his face. His eyes widened at the sight of her disheveled appearance, her clothes damp from the drizzle outside. "Jiele, what happened? Are you alright?" he asked, his voice filled with worry.
Jiele sighed heavily, her voice filled with a mix of exhaustion and frustration. "A guy, I went after this guy....." Jiele mentioned.
"You went after a guy? What did we say about any flayed interests especially at night? I thought you were going out for groceries?" Enzo questioned.
"He had a tattoo, one similar to that of Jon's" she added.
"I went after him and I think I startled him. I don't know how, but he knocked me over and then disappeared," she explained, her voice trembling slightly. Enzo's brows furrowed confusion as he listened, trying to make sense of the situation.
"I don't understand. He seemed so lost, I never thought he had that in him" Jiele mused, her voice tinged with confusion.
Enzo shook his head, his expression mirroring his bewilderment, "What are you talking about? Enzo questioned.
"He, he was a hyper-anomaly Enzo!" Jiele proclaimed.
Enzo's eyes immediately widened in surprise and his face froze up in awe.
They sat in silence for a while, contemplating the events and revelations that had unfolded. Jiele's mind raced with thoughts of Nero and the implications of his actions. She couldn't shake off the feeling that there was more to his story, a deeper pain that fueled his erratic behavior.
"At first, I tailed him because I suspected he could be a part of some secret agency like the hood or the Syndicate, but after he came out of that building and ran down the road, I knew something was off." Jiele stated.
"That can't be possible. There are only five confirmed hyper-anomalies in the world. Do you have any idea what this means?" Enzo exclaimed in bewilderment after regaining his composure.
Hyper-anomalies are a rare breed of anomalies gifted with the ability to create and manipulate energy of sorts. Formerly, there were only five know hyper-anomalies in the world including; Jace Joseph Junior (Tytron), Regan Allen, Christian 'Chris' Jordan(Spur), Larry Cage and Magna Lane(Now deceased).
"This changes everything. All that we knew and all we were told. We have to keep this to ourselves for now, there's no telling what could happen if anyone finds out that there's another hyper-anomaly in the world. We need to find a way to track him down." Jiele explained.
"From his outlook, he seemed to be in a distraught state. I can't tell all that he might be going through, but judging from his actions, I think he needs all the help he can get. We can provide a bit of help to him Enzo." She added.
"We don't know the guy, and you want us to go out searching for him?" Enzo asked laced in amazement.
"For all we know, he could already be with the syndicate or even denumbit" Enzo added.
"Just for a second Enzo, just for even one second, imagine he wasn't. He could've killed me when he struck me down unconscious but he didn't. Imagine then if he gets discovered by denumbit or even the syndicate, what will be our resolve?" Jiele questioned.
"What if he learns to harness his powers for the worse? What would become of the rest of us? The kind of power he possess is extraordinary. We can help him Enzo" Jiele affirmed.
"At least for the time being. Please consider this." Jiele begged.
After a brief moment of contemplation, Enzo released a sigh of frustration, nodding his head, and conforming to jiele's idea.
"Alright. We'll help him out. But we're contacting Jon as soon as we make contact with the guy" He added.
Meanwhile, in the depths of the city, Nero had sought refuge in an abandoned building. The walls were crumbling, and the wind whistled through the broken windows, adding an eerie atmosphere to the desolate space. He confined himself to a corner of the building, his mind consumed by a whirlwind of emotions.
Memories of Martha flooded his thoughts, each one a bittersweet reminder of the love they had shared. Guilt gnawed at his soul as he replayed the memories they had shared and all the events that led up to the moment of her tragic demise. He clenched his fists, his anger and sorrow intertwining in an agonizing dance.
Lost in his anguish, Nero's thoughts turned to Jiele. He couldn't forget the look in her eyes, the mixture of fear and confusion. The realization of what he had done weighed heavily on his conscience. He questioned the darkness that consumed him, the inability to control his powers that had led him down this path.
As the night wore on, Nero's resolve hardened. He vowed to seek redemption, to confront the demons within and find a way to make amends for the pain he had caused. The road ahead seemed daunting, but he knew he couldn't turn back.
Suddenly, caught sight of the bag he had grabbed from Martha's room at the retirement home.