NOVA

The Awakening

Time is ticking. The window to rescue Boom is slowly closing second by second, and if this opportunity is squandered because of Ryu's unawareness to the severity of the situation this entire mission will be for nothing, and Grid could possibly lose his brother forever.

Pacing back and forth on the roof of the Maze Corporation, Grid heaves a sigh of worry. His hands trembling with fear as he thinks about the unlawful things that could be happening to Boom. Continuously whispering he's okay to himself, he tries to psyche himself up for the mission while he waits for Ryu to show.

A few minutes go by, and he finds himself becoming more irritated, blood boiling with anger heating his skin until a faint voice in his mind whispers relax to him. Echoing dramatically which immediately calms him, stopping his pacing. Turning around swiftly, his vehement feeling of worry dissipates when he sees Ryu reforming from the swarm of fluttering solarkinetic moths.

"What took you so long?" He inquires, fixating his attention upon Ryu.

"Long?" Tilting his head slightly to the left. 

"I'm right on time. Check your watch." Gesturing a head nod.

Grid exhales softly, looking down at the time. Laughing to himself when he realizes that time was only moving fast due to the substantial amounts of stress he's under, and that Ryu is in fact on time.

"I'm sorry." He huffs, glancing up at him. "I'm just—"

"You're stressed because you want to save Boom." Proceeding over to him. 

"Is he someone other than your partner?" Raising a brow.

"He's my brother." 

Taken aback from the admittance, his mouth agape with incredulity, Ryu folds his arms across his chest.

"Why didn't— why does Maze have your brother locked away?" Wincing at the statement.

Grid shrugs. "I'm just as clueless as you."

"Is this why you obliged to Maze's demands regarding me? Because you were trying to get to a better position to save your brother?" He inquires, raising a brow.

"That's exactly it, and I'm sorry that it—"

Ryu holds up a hand to stop him. "It's okay. Everyone has their own motives. You told me that." He smiles, placing a hand upon Grid's shoulder. 

"So, what's the plan?"

Heaving a sigh of relief, Grid proceeds over to a locked circuit box motioning Ryu to follow him which he does.

"We have a window of one minute to get in, get Boom, and get out." Hues transitioning to bright blue with swirling elements of white code, cyberkinetically unlocking the box. 

"However, you're going to have to rescue him."

"Me?" Glancing over at him. 

"Why me?"

"Because I'm the only one that can cut off the power supply throughout this entire building to keep you from getting caught, and I can only do it from here."

"And you're sure about this?" Just wanting to make sure this plan is fool proof.

"Of course, I am." A huff. 

"I helped build the place."

A smile spreads across Ryu's face. "Well then, let's get started, shall we?"

"We shall." Placing his hand upon the control panel inside of the circuit box, shifting it into nanite tendrils that course through it. 

"The entrance is in the back." He hisses. "You'll see a small vent. That's your way in."