Evolved

17. Subconscious.

A furious Theo watched Hera leave the room, "Let me help her!" 

The Director held him back and frowned. "She will be fine with Jean and Ivy. We need to talk about what just happened here, Theo."

Zeke, who had been hiding in the background, went to leave when he was frozen to the spot. "You too, Zeke. I know you aren't telling me something about her." 

Zeke turned with an apologetic smile. "Too soon, my friend. They weren't ready to know."

 Both men frowned at the cryptic message.

"What are you talking about now? Why can't you explain properly?" The forced separation from Hera already annoyed Theo, and Zeke's antics were only exasperating him further.

He begrudgingly shut up after the Director's stern look. "Zeke, I need you to tell me what you see. Hera is my daughter, and I want to protect her."

Zeke chuckled, and his eyes lit up. "No. Not just your daughter. Your children. Your offspring. Your descendants." Zeke's expression was whimsical. "She is a bright star, you know. Brighter than any other I have seen. But not just one star. No. Two stars in one. A Stellar collision!"

When Theo looked over at the Director, he expected a confused expression matching his own but instead saw some recognition in his eyes. Joseph swallowed nervously before encouraging Zeke further. "Go on..."

"I've already said too much, my friend. Too much knowledge can be dangerous. You know this better than anyone. I must go." Zeke smiled tightly and left the room, much to Theos' dismay.

"What was that?" Theo was irked by the lack of clarity, but the Director seemed to know more than he was letting on.

"I think I understand, but when Zeke is ready, he will tell us. There must be a good reason he is playing coy with me..." They stood in silence for a few moments before one broke the silence with a regretful sigh.

"I want you to know that I respect you, sir, and you're the closest thing I have to a father..." Theo cringed at the silence he received back. "But, I want to spend time with Hera. To continue training as we have been and to be a friend to her if she needs me."

The older man scoffed and looked pointedly at Theo. "You want to be friends with my daughter? Is that all?"

The heat that crept up Theos' neck betrayed him, "I... I don't know yet. But I will let her make her own choices..."

The Director sighed and put his hand on Theos shoulder. "I would never have put her in your care to start with if I didn't trust you. You are an excellent trainer and a good man, and if that's what she wants, then that's up to her. I've missed so much time being her dad, and I'm not going to fuck it up by trying to control her now." 

Theo swallowed the lump forming in his throat from his words and smiled at his less-than-professional language. "Thank you... I assumed you thought something was up, and that's why you wanted me to give her space."

"Sometimes, a bit of space can bring clarity, Theo. A greater appreciation even." He smiled knowingly. "Is there 'something up' that I need to know?" He raised his eyebrows, and Theo choked a laugh back before shaking his head. "No, sir."

"Well, head to the observatory then for the debrief." Before Theo could interrupt, the Director added, "You have twenty minutes. Then I expect you to be there." Theo mumbled a thank you before heading to the person he needed to see. Zeke's stellar collision. Theo rolled his eyes, smiling to himself. He could hardly understand Zeke most of the time, but he listened to him nonetheless. He was always right in the end when Theo figured out what the hell he was talking about.