Finn Lennoy - September 2120
The room is thick with dust and debris, but I can't stop the small smile that spreads across my face as I drop the pickaxe and step back.
Finally. Fresh air rushes through the gap, and I tilt my head up, letting the night sky fill my vision. The silhouette of trees stretches against the stars.
The tunnel is done. Noah's tunnel is finally done.
It had been exhausting work, but with the machines he provided and the incredibly detailed plan he drew up, it only took a week. I pull the ladder closer to the exit and poke my head out. The forest lies just beyond the field behind our house. It's dense, quiet, the perfect place to hide the trapdoor.
There's an old road not far away, too. Easy to get a car close by without drawing attention. Noah said the road had once served a coal plant, shut down long before we were born. It's exactly the kind of thoughtfulness that makes him… well, him. How he comes up with ideas like this and actually makes them work, I'll never understand it.
I cover the hole as best I can and make my way back. The path is lit and the tunnel wide enough to walk through comfortably.
When I reach the house, I notice the lab light is on.
Has he been back long?
I knock on the back door, and through the small window, I see him glance up. He smiles when he sees me, and I can't help but return it. His laugh is soft, almost shy, and he moves to unlock the door.
"I called for you, but you didn't answer," he says. "I was beginning preparations to go look for you."
I hover near the entrance, careful not to track dust through his lab. He'd kill me. He seems in a… good mood, which surprises me. His father had called him into work, no explanation, and yet here he is, smiling.
"I was pretty far out" I say lightly. "But good news, I finished it."
There's a glint in his eyes, and he smiles that small, knowing smile that always makes my chest tighten.
"Excellent," he says. "Then we can proceed to the next plan."
Before I can ask what that plan is, he's already moving away.
God. He always does this. Acts first, explains later.
I push myself through the side of the building, picking up speed to catch him in the garden.
"Are you not going to tell me what happened at GeneX?" I ask.
He stops near the back door, turning to me with that infuriatingly calm expression. "Oh, that. They want to push through with the Nullifer, and to do so, I'll have access to the facility."
I pause. This is exactly what he'd hoped for, not just the Nullifer, but insight into what his father has been doing at the facility. I force myself not to imagine what he might find there.
"Do you think you'll get what you want from there?" I ask cautiously.
"I believe so," he says with a nod. "We were unsuccessful with the network at headquarters, but with direct access to the facility database, it'll be much easier to hack and find what I'm looking for."
He turns back toward the house, leaving me a step behind, and I can't stop the pang in my chest. Every time he moves like this, decisive and focused, I feel the pull of something I shouldn't.
"And what are you hoping to find?" I ask, brushing dust off my clothes and slipping off my shoes.
"First, we need to find out more about this burnout cure Dr Williams mentioned," he says calmly, pausing. His tone shifts slightly, and I notice it immediately. "And I need to find out what my father did to Kai in there."
My stomach drops.
Kai… he must have been in that place for years. I can't imagine what he endured. When we found him at that school, he seemed okay, but there was something different about him, something beneath the surface.
I tighten my hands at my sides, forcing myself to stay calm. I can't let Noah see how much this worries me.
I nod, forcing my voice to stay steady, though my stomach tightens. "So… what's the plan now that the tunnel is finished?" I ask, trying to keep my tone casual.
Noah doesn't answer immediately. He walks down the corridor with that calm, measured stride, turning into one of the secured rooms. I pause at the threshold, watching him as he enters the code on the keypad. The door beeps softly and swings open. He steps inside, and I fall back slightly, letting him move ahead.
The room is… unnerving. It's filled with weapons, some clearly of his own creation, others taken from places I'd rather not talk about. My heart beats faster as I watch him. Every time he brings me here, I feel that familiar edge of worry. It means he's planning something dangerous.
He moves to a shelf at the back and pulls out a large box, sliding it across the floor before kneeling to click it open. My feet instinctively move closer, drawn by that mix of curiosity and dread.
When he lifts the lid, my eyes widen and I frown.
He glances up at me, calm as ever, but there's a sharp intensity in his eyes. "We're going to ensure Kai is kept safe… and the school," he says.
The box holds what looks unmistakably like a small missile launcher.
I swallow, forcing myself to speak steadily. "Noah, this isn't just dangerous. It's… it's a bit extreme," I say carefully.
He meets my gaze, unbothered, and I notice the faint glint in his eyes that always unnerves me. "Finn, I know it's extreme," he says quietly. "But it's necessary. I can't take any chances with Kai… not again."
I nod, and step a little closer, my eyes lingering on the launcher. "And, you really think this is the only way?" I ask softly.
He hesitates, a shadow passing over his features for a moment, and then he nods. "Yes. We have to be ready for anything."
I glance around the room, feeling the weight of the weapons, the intensity of what he's preparing for.
I swallow hard, forcing a steadying breath. "Then, I'll help. But Noah… promise me you'll be careful."
He doesn't answer, just nods, already turning his attention back to the box.
I understand why he's doing this. He wants to keep his brother safe, and I can see that clearly. But a small knot of worry lingers in my chest. Being this involved… it's dangerous. And I can't help but worry about him, even if I don't say it.
Noah closes the first box and moves to the others, sliding them into the center of the room and stacking them neatly side by side. By the time he's done, there are six boxes of various sizes lined up in the middle.
I don't ask what's in them. I've learned long ago that once he has a plan in his head, it's near impossible to sway him. And when it comes to Kai, he always puts him first. It used to be the same with Kai, too, an endless cycle of them trying to protect each other.
"Tomorrow, we'll use the tunnel to get these to Kai without being noticed," Noah says, patting one of the boxes with a small smile.
I let out a quiet sigh and nod.
Even if I can't stop him, I'll do what I can to keep him safe. I've always done that, and I always will.