Humanity at Stake (Completed)

Chapter 46

"'cuz my baby knows that his daddy's a soldier"
"I watch him grow up with pride" -"Hailie's Song" by Eminem (Male rendition)

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Nova's mouth gaped open after they were granted entrance to the city. This was the most humans she'd seen in her life combined. Her eyes swept around, the architecture not looking that different from the location of the old HQ on Estium.

Buildings were made of brick, the houses and shops close together. Only wide sidewalks and roads broke the lines of buildings before the continued again. The place seemed to amaze everyone but Christopher. Even with Leon being born here, he still held awe in his face.

"I wonder how many people live here," Nova whispered out. Ridge and Tony nodded in agreement.

"At one point there was 10,000 people living here," Christopher responded in a distracted tone, his eyes shifting between the streets before something dawned on him.

"How did you know th-" Leon started to ask, but was cut off.

"You guys go see if you can find the Resistance headquarters. I'll catch up with you all in a bit," Christopher spoke, not bothering to pay them a second look as he took off down one of the streets.

"He's hiding something," Tony stated bluntly, earning hums in agreement from everyone but Pax who was too involved in his surrounding buildings.

"Are we tailing him?" Nova asked, leaning to watch the blond disappear into the crowd.

"Definitely." Tony and Nova took off after Christopher, the boys lagging behind before rushing to catch up.

"Don't you think this is invading his person life?" Ridge inquired, his voice worried. Tony rolled her eyes.

"If you're so worried about your involvement, then go off and find the headquarters," Tony snapped, looking over her shoulder to Ridge. He stayed quiet, his head bowing downwards. Pax and Leon shared a look between each other, watching Tony hesitantly.

"You're just as curious as us." With that she turned around. Nova was up ahead, looking down a smaller road. She glanced back to her friends, waving them to hurry before heading down it.

She made sure to keep an eye on where Christopher was going, tailing behind him. She tugged at her cape, drawing it around her shoulder as she followed behind. She peeked down quickly, checking to make sure her swords were covered. He went around another corner, and by then, the rest of her comrades had caught up. She just about rounded the corner of a less busy street, only to find Christopher at the steps of a house right around the bend. She quickly backed up, peeking her head out.

"He just stopped at a house?" Nova murmured back down the line. Tony squatted below Nova, peeking out around the corner. Pax and Leon nudged out around them. Ridge sat awkwardly in the back, not too much into Christopher's affairs to look. He sent an awkward smile to a woman who was staring at them oddly.

The door Christopher was at revealed an elderly couple.

"Merrill, David," Christopher greeted the two, his voice soft. Nova's mouth involuntarily dropped as Christopher leaned forward, initiating a hug with each person.

"Chris! He's been looking forward to you visiting," the woman responded warmly, a smile stretching her cheeks.

"Did she just call him... Chris?" Nova asked incredulously.

"And he didn't try to murder her?" Leon finished her thought with just as much surprise. They all visibly gasped as the stone cold blond they knew smiled, his mouth opening in excitement as he bent down.

Next thing they knew, a small child came rushing out the door, leaping into Christopher's arms. His hair was short, a bright blond. From where they stood. They couldn't make out his eye color to confirm their sudden suspicions.

"Hey there, little punk! How are we?" Christopher asked, his smile easy as he tickled the kid's stomach. The boy giggled.

"Is that...?" Pax started off, his voice dropping off in disbelief.

"... his kid?"  Leon finished, his own mouth dropping open this time.

"He's... nice?" Nova added her input at the sight. During their shocked answers, the kid set his sights on them over Christopher's shoulder

"There's weird people watching us," he answered in distress, ignoring Christopher's question. Nova squeaked as the four of them whipped to cover behind the wall.

"This is probably why he didn't say anything to you guys," Ridge chimed in, his arms crossed over his chest.

"Oh, put a can in it!" Tony hissed. Leon bounced on his soles as he looked around.

"Do you suppose he's still looking for us?" Leon asked. Nova shrugged, gesturing for him to check. Leon poked his head out before quickly bringing it back.

"He was still watching!" Leon whisper-yelled, a hand clamping over his mouth in horror. "We're so dead." Nova went to the corner, seeing the boy hug Christopher's leg as he stood up.

"I just came for a quick visit since they had me come here for an errand," he explained to Merrill and David, his voice sounding like guilt laced it. He looked down at the little boy hugging his leg, ruffling up his hair.

"I promise once I'm done with the things they have me doing, I'll come to visit then. We'll have a good time together, all right, Orin?" The boy hesitantly nodded his head, burying his head into Christopher's pant leg. Christopher looked back up to the couple in front of him, his eyes as sad as his smile.

"Will you visit her grave while you're here?" David asked him. Christopher looked down at the ground, shaking his head.

"I want to, but we're running urgent business that needs to be taken to the headquarters right away." The older woman looked at her husband, a hand coming up to rest on his arm before she looked back to Christopher in worry.

"How urgent, Chris?" she asked, her voice wavering as if she was afraid to hear the answer. Christopher glanced down at the boy attached to him. He was watching the exchange between the three people in front of him. Christopher covered his exposed ear, mumbling something to the two elders. The older woman covered her mouth, the tears running down her face were even noticeable from Nova's position. The lady rushed forward, wrapping her arms around Christopher tightly.

"You come back to us, you hear!" Merrill spoke shakily. Even David looked upset by what Christopher had said to them, his hand coming up to squeeze his shoulder.

"You're like a son to us. Don't forget that." Christopher nodded, leaving the woman's embrace to hug the man. When both the adults stepped back, he stooped down to the child once again. He wrapped his arms around the kid, Orin throwing his arms around Christopher. His arms didn't reach all the way around as he held him. Christopher pulled back, leaving a lingering kiss on the boy's cheek before standing up once again. He started heading towards Nova and the group, turning back to wave at the three before turning away.

"You guys," he hissed angrily as he rounded the corner, out of sight from who he was visiting. "What the fuck do you think you're doing here? I thought I told you to go look for the headquarters!"

"You did! But you were acting suspicious, and we wanted to see why!" Nova excused them.

"Was that... who was the kid?" Tony asked him hesitantly, her voice softer than they had seen her. Leon looked back at her, his eyes narrowing at her tone.

"That was my son, Orin," Christopher confirmed from them. None of them said anything, already suspecting as much.

"Were those your parents?" Tony questioned again, not hearing the conversation Nova had.

"No, they've been dead for a while," Christopher sighed out, looking away. "It doesn't matter, let's go find the headquarters before the sunsets."

"Where's Orin's mother?" Tony pressed again as they started to move. Christopher stiffened, his hand curling at his side.

"She's dead too. Now drop. It." Tony shrank back, keeping her mouth closed as she silently followed behind Christopher.

They all did.