The next morning.
In the lab, Agatha placed Hope on her lap and looked at her with eyes full of love. When Claudia awakened her, she couldn’t believe what she was seeing. For hours, she felt she was being delusional until Eva and Claudia helped her realize her everything was real.
It took her a long while to accept the new reality and she was more than grateful for it.
When Hope died before her eyes, she had lost her will to live and was no better than a living corpse. Now, she regained her spirits even though she was sad by the constant sleep of Hope.
As she continued to stare at her daughter, her attention was pulled by the sound of the automatic door opening. She turned towards her right and saw Kiba stepping into the lab. His face was pale and he looked worn-out.
"Kiba..."
Agatha looked at him with a complicated expression. The first thing she remembered was how she shouted at him when they lost their daughter. She had chided him for breaking his promise, for failing to protect Hope.
"I’m sorry... I was unfair to you."
Agatha apologized.
"Forgive me."
Maybe it was her sorrow that made her say mean things, but now thinking with a clear mind, she knew his sorrow was no less than hers. He might be a devil but she knew the extent he loved Hope.
And now she couldn’t express how bad she felt for being mean to the love of her life...
Kiba sat before her and took her face between his hands. He wiped the tears in her eyes before saying, "There’s nothing to forgive for."
Agatha opened her lips to disagree and apologize again, but before she could, he placed his mouth on hers. His lips softly pressed against hers, kissing her. She responded by kissing him back, their lips joining passionately.
Her hands moved to the back of his head to pull him closer, and their lips fully melted with each other.
They lost themselves in the feelings they had for each other...
In the corner of the lab, Eva smiled.
"At least they are happy now."
She was glad for them.
A minute passed, and she was surprised them showing no sign of stopping. They continued to kiss and express their love as if they were alone.
Eva was amused by this. She crouched before them and whispered in their ears, "Get a room!"
Agatha was startled. Like a shocked cat, she pulled back, her face flushed with warm blood. Kiba, on the other hand, showed no such reactions. He turned towards Eva, and to the surprise of both women, locked his lips with hers!
"Mmm!"
Eva gasped as he caressed her soft, rosy lips, tantalizing her. His fingers pushed her brown hair from her neck and traced a circle there, making her feel goosebumps.
She obviously knew he was smooth and had his ways to get in women’s pants, but this kiss truly caught her off-guard! She didn’t expect this side of his personality to return soon!
"You are always welcome in our room," Kiba told her as he broke the kiss. "And join us."
Agatha and Eva: "......."
Kiba took Hope in his arms and left the speechless women. He stepped towards the end of the lab where an empty genetic pod was placed. The pod opened on his command and he placed Hope inside.
On the digital screens beside the pod, he pressed a few virtual buttons. The pod closed and crystalline liquid started filling up, wrapping Hope.
Claudia was resourceful and master in genetics, but her expertise was nowhere near him. And now was the time for him to use that for the only thing that truly mattered.
[[Sir, you have barely recovered by 2%. Despite the rest and heavy medication, your body and spirit are still exhausted beyond limit.]] Claudia’s voice ringed inside the lab. [[You need more time.]]
"Claudia... I need to know that I’m not living an empty reality."
Kiba replied as he placed a hand on the pod and enveloped it with his powers. Readings and graphs popped on the screen.
[[.....]]
Claudia understood his point of view.
While he was obviously happy beyond words to see Hope alive, he wanted to confirm that she would open her eyes, sooner or later. Time wasn’t important to him as much as the confirmation that she would ultimately be back.
******
Late evening.
In the living room, Kiba, Eva, and Agatha sat around the dining table. Two droids served lavish dinner dishes to them.
Fresh pasta with white truffle sauce, lobster, stuffed rigatoni, carrot purée, smoked salmon potato cakes, etc.
Claudia chose a great dinner to brighten the mood, but none of them were really in the mood to eat.
"Kiba... what would we do?" Agatha asked, her voice strained.
Kiba looked at her and answered with a smile, "We would take help from Section IV."
Agatha was shocked but she slowly nodded.
Kiba has successfully examined Hope with the combination of both his powers, lab gadgets, and vast knowledge. Just like Claudia, he found Hope was real. She wasn’t some clone or dual copy.
Furthermore, he realized the true purpose of the powers inside Hope.
They were used to create her body and bring stability to her existence. But since she was a child, the powers were too much for her to handle. This was why she was in a state of slumber.
Based on his observation, this state would last till these powers fully fused. Then her consciousness would awaken.
The only issue was how long this process would take. He might have a long life but he couldn’t wait for decades. He wanted to shorten this process while making sure no side effects.
"Agatha... she would awaken soon, and that’s a promise I intend to keep."
Agatha gently smiled and placed a hand on his.
"I know."
The mood instantly brightened. Eva broke into a smile and said, "Well, then, let’s eat!"
The dinner started...
*****
A few hours later.
Kiba arrived on the terrace of a thirty-stories building. He looked ahead where there was nothing but a crater, spanning for over fifty kilometers. To his other side, there was another crater, though smaller.
They were barricaded by military forces from the World Government. Despite that, thousands of people and media came for observation.
Swish~!
A gust of wind brushed past Kiba, bringing dust and debris particles from the craters. Through them, he sniffed the smell of blood and destruction.
"So many people died for no fault of theirs... all due to me."