Operation: One percent

Chapter 50

Ace

We were walking for I don't know how long, and my thoughts were restless in their presence.

Even though I was aware of their insignificance, they kept intruding like unwanted in-laws.

If I were to take my father down, my own status would start to deplete, and with such status, the possibility of me protecting others and myself would diminish. I did think about it before, I also spoke about it with Margaret, but I never actually felt it. Now, my intent had a different weight to it, and as much as I knew it was the right thing to do, my own selfishness was coming to shine. A seed of doubt.

Now that I have, I wonder where did I get my confidence to overtake Alin?

„Penny for your thoughts?" Margaret spoke.

I raised my eyebrows in question.

„Don't look at me like that. You barely spoke since the moment we left Jett, and I can clearly tell that something is bothering you."

I sighed.

„I...I don't know if I should do this."

It was her turn to raise an eyebrow.

„What do you mean?"

„I mean taking down Lilith."

She stood for a second in her tracks now, clearly stunned by what I have revealed, but then proceeded to move forward with looking at me.

„So you got cold feet?"

„It's not that I got cold feet, it's just that I am starting to think that only power can overthrow power, and right now I am anything but."

She was silent, and that made me nervous, prompting me to talk more.

„I am not saying that I have given up entirely, I am just saying that I am not in a position of power that I once was, and that puts me at a great disadvantage. Maybe I can still reconcile with him, and Margaret, I swear, I would never let anything happen to you. I am just trying to look at this with different eyes."

She had a look of disappointment on her face. Small but noticeable, and now she moved to stand in front of me.

"I won't lie, it hurts me to think that you are willing to keep Lilith running even though you saw how bad it is for society. And, I understand that you are afraid, but I don't want you to be naive. Do you seriously think that your father would give up on getting rid of you now after he initially sent for your death?"

Margaret was right, but her voice of reason was muted by my greed.

"It's not that I am naive, I am logical. And I am sorry that you are hurt by it. I just know that I am not myself if I am not a Montague."

She tightened her lips into a thin line, moving her head away from me.

"Ace I am tired. I am so tired of this path I had chosen for myself. I suppose that I understand you are afraid to get the revenge you wanted. If I am being honest, this road that I have been on sucked the life out of me so much, that I needed a reason to stop. But you must know, the reason why I started this path was because of what Lilith took from me. What your people took from me. I didn't have a choice back then but to avenge my daughter. You do. "

"There is always a choice. " I respond to her, not letting her go out of my sight.

"Of course there is, but as you can see, for some choices I am too weak. I was too weak to take your life, and only because of my cowardice, you are standing alive right now. And the feelings that I have developed in the meantime absolutely hindered my decision to kill you. "

She breathed in, then continued.

"Your revenge might actually prevent for anyone to go through what I went through. I really do understand what I am asking you to do, and if you do not go through with it I will not support it, but I will understand it. Besides, I have a feeling you would never forgive yourself if you didn't do this."

"That is not the point." I spoke."The point is I need to regain my resources and everything before I can strike him, Margaret. Jett is more preoccupied with Adamo, and we have no real friends here, my resources above are almost non-existent, and with whatever resources you have remaining in Rintalis -the minute we stick our heads out in Rintalis, they will find us."

A realization dawned on me, and maybe with what I had in my pockets, she would be kept safe. 

„I have this." I produced a small box with lenses that I obtained from the hacker.

She looked at the box quizzically.

„Are you proposing right now?"

„What? No, how did that even... never mind. Anyways, this device can keep us hidden for a day."

I showed her the lenses that I had.

„It's not perfect, because it's only for 24 hours, and you have to put both of these to work, but when the moment comes that we do decide to strike, they will come in handy."

She observed the lenses with curiosity and then started to speak again.

„Now you remember that you have this?" She teased.

„Well, it's not like I had time to think while I was running for my life. This only works for 24 hours remember? But regarding us, I am asking you to believe in my capability. That is all I want. I want you to believe in me as I believe in you."

"I am sorry. I need some time to think about this." She took her pill and swallowed it.

Walking in silence, we reached something that looked like a river. How real this river was, I had no idea, but we both sat in the grass.

„Do you think that you could..stop taking them?"

She laughed it off.

„If I could I would."

I reached for her hand and her fingers interlocked with mine. 

" I....I will try." She uttered.