August 9th, 2222. The next day at school, Laibah kept spacing out and kept getting in trouble at school. She couldn't take her mind off of the story her mom and dad told her the night before. She felt lost and distraught. But, at the very least, she had Silas there to help her stay strong rather than run and refuse to hear the story. She was scared. Her life kept changing in all the ways she never imagined would happen. After she came home from school, she went right to her room and was silent. Zia was concerned, but Laibah just went straight to bed and laid down. "Laibah, I know it's hard... going through life again in such... a different time." Kein says.
"I don't even... know what the old time was like." Laibah replies. "The old me. The original Laibah. Who was I? Why was I... born again?"
"You're our little sister." Heinnen says, sternly. "You always have been, and always will be. What's there to whine about?"
"Heinnen!" Kein argues.
"No, I mean it." Heinnen adds. "It seems complicated because that's what you're making of it."
"But it is hard!" Laibah complains.
"And who is making it hard? Hm?" Heinnen asks. "Look, I'm going to have to help you now the same way I tried to help you before. Get over it."
"Heinnen!" Kein complains.
"What is so difficult?" Heinnen asks.
"... Being so different." Laibah says.
"Different?" Heinnen asks. "There's lots of humans in the world now and you're not the only laibah in existence. What makes you so different?"
"Well... I'm not like anyone around me." Laibah answers nervously.
"Not around you!" Heinnen says. "But if you found other people different?"
"Maybe we could be friends?" Laibah asks.
"And after you see some people have it better than you, even after being different?" Heinnen asks. There was silence, then he continues to say "You can't deny that part of this pity you have for yourself has its roots in narcissism. You're not alone, you're doing it to yourself. Didn't your brother just walk you through a whole ordeal, nearly hand-in-hand? Yet, you think yourself too special to feel humility?"
"Heinnen..." Kein sighs.
"What about when you see someone who has it worse than you?" Heinnen asks. "Would you have the strength to extend a hand, knowing it takes strength to do good? Or would you simply compile some sort of pity in your head to uphold this contentless sense of 'different', as you put it? Well?" Laibah didn't answer and remained still. "Are you different from us?" Laibah then shakes her head. "We're your family." Heinnen continues to say. "Your sense of loss is your own accountability. But never tell yourself it's too difficult. Tribulations are normal- difficult is normal. Integrity is pulling yourself through it all, even when nobody else is looking. That is true strength. Didn't you promise Silas to be strong?" Laibah then begins to cry as Heinnen says softly "Then be strong. You were strong enough to hurt yourself, you're strong enough to do this too..."
Laibah wipes her face, then asks behind tears "So... why didn't you two get to be born again?"
"Reincarnate?" Kein asks. "That's a good question."
"To be honest, I wasn't even sure we had real souls..." Heinnen says. "But if reincarnation is possible, there must be a soul. Meaning, we likely got rejected a second chance at life."
"Rejected?" Laibah asks. "By who?"
"The only One who can have that sort of power..." Kein replies. "The God. YHWH."
"I guess we are just abominations after all." Heinnen says in disappointment.
"Or..." Kein says as he thinks. "Or maybe there's more to it."
"How so?" Heinnen asks.
"Well, Laibah got reincarnated." Kein replies. "There's a chance she has the right to pass on. To be accepted as a human. As for us, we should've been discarded, right? But here we are. Perhaps... there's something we have to do here. Maybe there's something she has to do here, and we have to help her do it."
"Like what?" Laibah asks.
"Kid, ain't that the question?" Heinnen asks. "Nobody knows. That's what makes it fun."
"So, how do we learn more?" Laibah asks.
"You like to read?" Heinnen asks with a smile.
"What do you mean you're giving me a new assignment!?" Jade asks, infuriated towards Burke. "First I find out that there's someone else sending more people in my field, and now you're taking me off of the assignment?"
"I never said I was taking you off of the assignment." Burke replies calmly. "The primary task of gathering intel on Holly Jeong is still your primary task. This is a shorter-term mission. Don't you worry about the other people looking into Holly. If there's a threat that comes up, you'll hear it from me. Don't be so on edge. In this line of work, you must always keep your calm."
"What is the new assignment?" Jade asks. "This better be important."
"Much more than important." Burke replies. "It's top priority. You've been on the force for 6 years now. I think it's time you took on the big hits. This is a profile of a local terrorist who goes by the moniker of Skell. 6 years ago, he wiped out a call center of civilians later found to be tied to widespread scams and phishing activity. 5 years ago, he was responsible for killing Governor George McCallister. Since then, he's been moving up the ladder. However, he's been slow, methodical, precise. We haven't been able to track him down. We know next to nothing about him. Aside from his appearance of a red cloak and gold skull mask. His killings became more frequent last year and the previous agent on this case died by the hands of Skell himself. The body was left behind with nothing on him aside from the clothes he was wearing. His cellphone, wallet, weapons, charms, notes, folders, files and everything he had... gone. The body was left for us to find, as if he were taunting us. This is a high priority case, high severity level. If we're going to have you take any further actions involving Holly Jeong, you may need to be prepared for facing any of her task force. Especially the recently renown Squad 9 unit that's been deployed around Omnia, snuffing out terrorist threats with no casualties. Clearly, these guys are good, and this job on Skell might be the right warmup you'll need to face that potential threat. Understand?"
"Understood..." Jade says.
"Good." Burke replies. "The files we do have aren't extensive by any means. I'd assume we did have more details on this Skell beforehand, but that likely went with the deceased agent. Keep your wits about you and stay calm. I don't want to lose another agent, like yourself, Jade Haskell."
After Jade left, she looked through what little files she had on Skell. There were just a few pictures of him in security cameras as well as many photos of dead politicians that he killed and clear photos of the calling card he left behind. "Tch." Jade scoffs. "How the hell am I supposed to work with this? No leads, no clues? And then there's that Squad 9... I've heard of them but who the hell are they?" Jade pulls out her phone and looks up information online and finds not only articles of threats they've apprehended without any fatalities, but clear pictures of the three members faces, Dana, Carl and Silas. Jade looks at Silas' face for a moment, as if trying to recall where she had seen that face before. "Isn't that... the son of Siran? Siran of The Six Guns? What the hell is a Six Gun doing as a CT? Counter-terrorism, from a terrorist? What the hell kind of joke is this?" Jade stands up, puts her phone away and makes her way to her house. "I may not have any leads on Skell, but I at least know how and where to find Squad 9. It might be the closest thing to a lead I have. Though, I can't attack or do anything without permission. It could start a war if I did. Maybe, with any bit of luck, they'll have more info on Skell than I do. After I get Skell, I can dispose of the weird spawn of Siran with the one white eye. Just need to get everything ready for a business trip..."