Healthy is how the comment section should look like❤

Ethan

I watched from the corner of my eye. I could feel her breaking, and she wasn't doing anything to hide it from her face. I had to do something, not just search blindedly and take time. I knew there was no way we were going to find them. The Inc lords were not people you'd find. They were people who found you.

With Ralph making calls, Fiona, Caramel and Ivy comforting each other, and Malcolm with some other officials, looking for ways to confront the issue, I stood on the side lines, feeling uncomfortable.

I couldn't help but feel responsible for this. I don't know why but, this just feels like one of those times it seemed like I had done something terribly wrong and the ones I care about was going to suffer for it.

I raked my hands through my hair.

The vibration in my pocket startled me a bit.

I quickly fished for my phone, making sure no one around me noticed, before moving to a corner, not completely out of sight.

It was an unknown number.

Hesitantly, I picked it up, looking around briefly, I placed it against my ear.

"Ethan." I froze, shutting my eyes for a minute. I guess my guts didn't lie.

"There's a black van just outside the RTR, Come out, and get in." The line went dead.

I swallowed, sliding my phone back into my pocket.

Turning, I made my way out of the little corner, meeting Ivy's gaze, already knowing she had been watching me.

The look of question in her eyes, had me gesturing her over to where I stood.

She excused herself from Fiona and Caramel, as she walked over to me. "Hey." She said as she reached me, tucking both hands to the back pocket of her jean shorts.

"Hey, how are you holding up?"

She sighed, her eyes telling me she wasn't okay. "Bad." She said. "I feel like the more time we waste, he's out there, going through God knows what."

I placed my hand on her shoulder. "We'll find him... In fact, I think I have a lead."

She got alert at this. "What lead, what is it?"

"That's the thing, I don't really know, but I know that it's a step closer to finding Roman-- I need you to stay here while I go find out more about-"

She shook her head. "Hell no, I'm not going to sit here and let you do this alone, Roman is my friend, okay? I'm not sitting this one out, whatever it is."

"Ivy, listen to me. I don't know what I'm walkng into, besides, when I'm out there, I'll need someone I trust to be in here to keep me updated."

She looked confused. "What kind of lead is this? Is it relating to the call you had just now?"

"Yeah-"

"Who was it?"

"No one of great importance, Ivy. But they know something about all this. Look," I said, going closer to her, noticing how wary of this whole situation she had gotten. "I need you to trust me on this."

"B-but what if it's a trap."

"I promise I'll be careful."

"Where are you going?" She asked.

"I don't know... But I do know I'll be back, okay? I promise."

Hesitantly, she nodded. "Please be careful."

I nodded, pulling her in for hug, hoping she didn't feel the worry I felt.

I placed a small kiss on her hair, before letting go of her. "See you soon, hopefully with good news."

She nodded. "Yeah."

My eyes lingered on hers for a bit, before I walked out.

I could see the questions in her eyes, and I would have told her, but the last thing I wanted was a connection between her and that bastard. I'd do everything in my power to protect her from him.

Reaching outside, I saw the black van at the other side of the road.

Hesitantly, I walked towards it, crossing over.

The side door rolled open, a man dressed in black overalls ushered me in.

It was a little dark inside the van as the door rolled shut again.

One of the men pushed me to the seat at the corner, I shot a glare his way before my eyes landed on the demon opposite me. His eyes covered with black sun shades as he gave me a smug look. "Ethan." He acknowledged my presence as soon as the van started moving.

My eyes on his dark shades, unflinching, I spoke. "Dean."

A smirk kicked up at the corner of his lips.

"I don't know if you heard but, these sun shades are mostly needed when you're in the sun, and want to protect your eyes from it. Not when you're in a car that's already dark-- oh shit..." I looked up to one of the men standing. "Did he go blind?"

Turning back to Dean, I noticed the smug look on his face was long gone.

He took off the sunshades, throwing it angrily to a corner, but still maintained the calm and collected look. One thing I noticed he had in common with Glory.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"So good to see you, after how many years?"

"Where are we going?" I repeated my question.

"Did your hair grow longer? I guess Glory stopped monitoring your self care upkeep."

"Where the fuck are we going, Dean?"

He sighed. "I'm only trying to make small conversation, Eth."

"Well I'm not here to make small conversations... What did you do to Roman?"

"Oh, the poor lad."

The resignation in his voice had me sitting up. "Tell me he's alive."

Dean thought about it for a second. "Yes... Barely."

I furrowed my brows. "What the fuck do you mean by Barely? Why did you take him?"

"Well obviously, would you have agreed to come here if I hadn't?"

My jaw clenched. "What did you do to him? Where is he?"

"Relax, the lad is barely alive, but is alive either way. I don't kidnap anyone to spare them, but you can consider yourself lucky, good thing you're VIP." He grinned like a complete maniac. "I'm taking you to him."

"What do you want from me?"

"Word is out that you're back on good terms with your mother."

I suppressed a groan.

Dean leaned in confusion dropping down his brows. "Did you suddenly forget everything she did to you?"

"I don't see the reason why I'm being forced to have this conversation with you."

He shook his head. "After everything she did to Lacy, you can still sit around the same table with her, and dine?"

"So you have people following me now?"

He scoffed. "I'm sure you know almost everyone important has people following you. This shouldn't come as a surprise to you, puppet."

"Don't fucking call me that."

He raised both his hand, a smirk tugging at the side of his lips. "There's something big coming. And I need your help."

"Oh, I'm sorry, I lent it over to someone else a few days ago... Is that all?"

Dean shot me an unimpressed look. "Be serious with me."

"Do I look anything other than serious?"

Dean sighed. "I already promised not to hurt your friend. So I'm just gonna propose this to you in a normal civilized way. Glory is on the route to building a new dimension."

At this information, he had my full attention. "What?"

He nodded. "She's calling it The New Earth. You've been wondering why she's keeping quiet about all of this Rebel-lions nonsense. She knows the movement is capable of tearing down everything she has created. Now, she wants to appease everyone by giving them their own earth. Then, the Rebel-lions would be shut down forever."

I shook my head. "How is she doing it without your help?"

"Who says she doesn't have my help?"

"You're helping her?" I asked, disbelief coating my words.

"Yes I am, I have no choice... But we can stop her. You can stop her. The Rebel-lions can actually get everyone out of here, as crazy and impossible as that sounds."

I watched him closely. "Why are you telling me this?"

"The only way this new dimension can be stopped from being built, is if we put a stop to the mastermind-- indefinitely."

The silence after he spoke dragged on, my mind trying to comprehend what he was trying to tell me.

It didn't take too long before it clicked.

"If there's anyone who can do that, it's you Ethan."

"You've gotta be joking if you think I'm gonna kill her."

"If you don't, you're risking the chance of anyone ever getting out of here."

I shook my head. "I'm not stupid, Dean. I know this is one of your ploys. I'm not gonna kill Glory."

He scratched his jaw. "You see, kid... You don't have a choice in this."

The van pulled to a stop.

"You know what I'm capable of, we both know that I know the right spot to hit and break you."

I froze, knowing he was talking about Ivy.

"Now, I don't want to go that far, what I did to Roman, is just a tip of an iceberg... I can do more damage to your little lady friend, you know that right?"

I didn't answer, my hand balling into a fist.

"I'm going to give you a few weeks to think about it, and get back to me. Glory has to go. We both know that."

One of the guards dragged the door open, another one holding my arm and lifting me up forcefully.

Dean gave me a pointed look as he spoke. "Let it be soon, Eth, you don't want to force my hand."

With that, I was pushed back out of the Van, the door rolling shut immediately as the van drove away.

I stood there, the thoughts in my head refusing to formulate into proper words. I forced to put it all in the back of my mind turning around to find myself at the Musel base. There on the ground, laid Romans' body.

"Fuck."

Quickly, I rushed over to where he laid, turning him around, he looked white, his lips dried like his life had been drained slowly out of him...

There were no visible injuries.

Immediately, I checked for his pulse... It was decreasing, slowly, and at the same time, quickly.

His life was draining slowly out of him. They might have injected him with something.

Immediately, I fished for my phone, speed dialing Ivy.

She picked up mid-ring. "Update?"

"Good news, I found him, Bad news, he's dying... How fast can you get to the Musel?"

_____

Vote and Comment :-)

First update of the year! Woohoo!

Dean? Any thoughts about him?

And poor Roman, what do you think they did to him?

A new Dimension? Did anyone else guess this?

Follow the official page for the series on Instagram. Username: theroboticseries

See y'all in the next update!