“Wake up” A soft-spoken voice echoed throughout the eerie darkness that encompassed everything like an oppressive force. Yet, it seemed calm and gentle. Almost motherly.

Yet something about it seemed almost empty, devoid of all emotion. Robotic.

“Wake up” The voice echoed again, as what felt without feeling slowly began to feel cold. That started out as a small sensation at where there was once not a chest. Was slowly becoming a chest, then an upper-then-lower torso. Then legs and arms and head. Until there was a brain, a nervous and immune system. Blood that flowed circulated with nutrients and cells. With a heart that lies still in the chest.

The cold sensation quickly turned into a painfully freezing one, that’d make anything gasp out in pain.

“Wake up.” The cold was overridden by heat slowly. Sending further feelings throughout the body.

Where there was once non-existence, was now life. One that had been almost completely spoken into existence.

“Wake up” As the words were spoken for a fourth time, did Lanies eyes shoot open. Gasping for air allowing it to fill her lungs, looking around in the darkened room that was all too familiar.

Everynight that sensation, those words echoed through her brain. Almost as if she were being born all over again. Specifically being created for the specific moment in which she opened her eyes. Feeling as if something had been missing only to be immediately filled upon sitting up.

Looking to the spot next to her in bed. It was filled by the body of a sleeping man. He had a head of long silky black hair, typically held together into a pony-tail while he was awake. Currently he had it loose, allowing the flowing curls to rest around his head.

Letting out a shaky breath as she tried to pull herself together. Lanie opted to leave the bed to keep from waking her partner.

Walking into the bathroom that was connected to their rather small bedroom. As soon as the door shifted closed behind her, she felt the wall in the pitch black room until she finally felt the sensor. Touching it with her fingers the room was instantly illuminated by light.

Staring back at herself in the mirror, she leaned against the counter-top to get close enough to the mirror to inspect the features of her face. From her bright green eyes, to her button nose, to her full and plump lips, that had that delicate cupid's-bow shape about them.

She turned from observing her face to observing her body. Combing over every inch of her bisque colored skin. Over the toned muscles that were developed as a result of countless hours spent training. Happy with the fact that she hadn’t found anything out of place, Lanie found herself sitting on the freezing floor, with her back against the thin metal wall that made up most of their apartment. 

At night, it made the place naturally colder, naturally far more pleasant to sleep and rest. During the day however, spending any length of time there without being properly prepared for the retained heat. Typically felt like they were being cooked alive in an oven. Especially during the summer.

Hearing the door to the bathroom open, she turned to see that Juno had woken up.

“That dream again?” He questioned softly, taking a seat next to her on the floor. His bronze skin rippling with muscles as they tensed as he moved, before slowly relaxing as he got settled.

“Yeah.” Lanie spoke almost hollowly, as if it had drained every ounce of emotion from her. Yet she knew it did more than that to her, if she were being honest with herself. The dream terrified her more than it should’ve. It wasn’t a nightmare or anything close to the sort. It was just the typical run of the mill recurring dream. And yet, it scared her to death.

“Should we pay Yesterday a visit? Get you some of that medicine that helped before?” Juno suggested wrapping his arm around Lanie, pulling her closer to his body.

It was because of that dream she had an aversion to anything cold. Even just the smallest sensation of it. So Juno found himself keeping her wrapped in his arms more often than not. For most things it worked in calming her down.

“Maybe. But I don’t want to trouble her or you with it more than I already do. It’ll pass like it always does.” Lanie muttered resting her head against his chest. Hearing his heartbeat, feeling his warmth.

She didn’t know why he dealt with her the way he did. But she was thankful. Thankful to have someone who was willing to care about her, to help when she didn’t feel deserving of it.

Taking in his warmth and his scent she felt the numbness was finally beginning to break down, as if her feelings were finally returning for the day.

Slowly she found tears shaking from her body. Unprompted, and like the dream it was par for the course.

“Come on. Let’s get you dressed and pay Yesterday a visit. Then we can go stop by Zoey’s for some of that sweet bread you like.” Juno spoke as he rubbed her back gently.

“Can we just stay like this for a while? Please?” Lanie begged not wanting to face their friends in this state. Not wanting them to see just how low she could go. Didn’t want them worrying about her more than they absolutely had to.

“Yeah, we can. We’ll go when you’re ready.” Juno placed a gentle kiss on the top of her head.

Project Machina

Lance stood on the wall that completely encompassed the Sector City. Staring out at the numerous buildings that rested far below the highwalls. That acted as both a sign of safety and power against the threat that always plagued them. The Androids.

Closer to the walls were the more strictly militaristic Rangers. The first line of defense should the walls be breached. After them were the brawlers, then nutritionists, Agents, followed by the Techies that kept everything running. Until finally stopping in the center of the city where the tallest buildings stood surrounding a massive sphere they called the Sphere of Eden.

All the smaller buildings were either a mix of training facility, residential, or job focused. With the residential districts being scattered throughout the city. The most important people to the city remained closest to the center, and the least important according to the structure of things living closest to the walls.

The city was relatively quiet this time of night, to the point that it felt like time almost stood still. It was the only time where Lance felt that the world was the safest. Where all the daily worries were something he didn’t need to worry about.

“You going to continue standing there looking at the city like it is some grand masterpiece or are we going to continue our long walk around the wall?” Septum spoke, pulling Lance from his thoughts.

“Sorry, got lost in thought.” Lance said in a low tone adjusting the katana that rested on his hip. Turning his attention to the brown haired man who sat on the edge just fifteen feet away.

“What’s got you in your head this time? The Androids who managed to slip in the other day? Or was it the Zoey thing?” Septum asked through a bite of a small nutrition bar.

“The Zoey thing surprisingly went really well. And it isn’t the Androids. Just have this feeling that there is more going on that we don’t know about.” Lance responded, making his way over to his friend.

“Lance, we’re Agents. Of course there is more going on than we know, we get paid to be the sword and shield of humanity. We’re at the center of everything that isn’t involved around the R&D (Research and Development) Department at the Tower. All we gotta do is roll with the punches when they come.” Septum spoke with a nonchalance that showed just how much of a rookie he truly was.

Having recently passed all the tests to be qualified as an Agent. Septum had recently been injected with the Serum responsible for an Agent's superhuman qualities. 

“Be that as it may, something still feels off. I just can’t place my finger on what it is. Are you ready to continue?” Lance asked, holding out his hand to Septum.

Nodding Septum took Lance’s hand allowing the older man to help him up. Soon continuing their walk around the wall.

“How are you feeling after the injections? Still feeling sore?” Lance eventually asked after a moment of silence.

“In the muscles yeah, but from what everyone said. That’s par for the course for most new Agents.” Lance said in a low tone as a small flashing light in the distance caught his attention. “What is that…?”

“What is what?” Septum questioned turning to see what had caught Lance’s attention as he walked to the outer-facing part of the wall.

In the distance outside of the walls of Eden, there was a flashing light, followed by a trail of dust. Headed right in their direction.

“Okay, what is that? Are we expecting anyone traveling during this time of night?” Septum asked in mild confusion.

“No. No we are not.” Lance said eerily resting his hand on the sheathe of his katana. “Prepare for a fight.”