The Search for Angelo's Story

Part 5

Back at the lab, everyone was waiting nervously when suddenly the door opened. Everyone looked up alarmed at the sudden noise of the door opening. Gerald appeared and close behind him was Angelo. Everyone quickly stood up and made their way to the two. A mess of words was heard of questions and worries until Gerald exclaimed "alright that's enough!". Everyone silenced. "We'll get to everything if we just do it orderly". "Angelo, are you alright?" Marlina asked. Angelo nodded and said "just a little confused, was I really out for a day?". Marlina nodded sadly. "What were you thinking walking around with that concussion the whole day? Didn't you feel it? Didn't it hurt?" Jericho asked. "I thought it wasn't as serious as it was. A headache." Angelo said "that's kind of slow of you" Violet joked "I wish we could've done more for you when we found you though" she said more seriously. "That's alright" Angelo said "what happened to everyone after they came in?". "Well, one of those guards shoved you to get out of their way. You weren't expecting it so you weren't prepared to land and that's how you got hurt. We wanted to do something but with so many people running around, all the scientists being escorted out of the lab all at once, we couldn't get to you. We all really tried to find a way but Harold and my mother insisted on leaving and that everything would be alright. Violet and Jericho said they luckily found a way out of the lab and hid for a while. When everything seemed mostly clear, those soldiers had taken us to their base already and there wasn't anything they could do but wait. And while we were at the base, that woman just kept us in a room until you returned. She told us she explained to you what to do and we could only wait until you came back" Marlina explained. "And that was when you found us" Violet said "how did you know we we were the ones she was looking for if you had forgotten everything?". "She just said 'you'll know them when you see them' and she was right" Angelo said. "She used your broken memory against you" Jericho said crossing his arms. Everyone was silent for a while. "Hey, where is she anyway?" Angelo inquired. Violet began "Oh yeah, after what happened to you at the base...".

  It was after Angelo collapsed. Everyone was worrying as to what to do to help. Jane was by the door with her arms crossed. She turned her head forward to look away from Angelo and closed her eyes. Waiting for them to settle down at least a little. Marlina looked down at his fallen body. It didn't look like the Angelo she knew. The strong yet reserved guy she had known for years. She closed her eyes a moment. A few tears ran down her face as she remembered a time before the first ever break in.

  A young Marlina sat on her knees on the ground as she looked at broken pieces of her favorite small porcelain figurine at the time. Tears streaming down her face. She noticed a pair of feet had stopped in front of her and the pieces. She followed them up and saw a young Angelo, his head turned to look away from her. One clenched hand on his waist as the other just hanged loose at his side. "Are you really upset over that?" He said. His dark hair, free of the red streaks, looked deep and sort of shined in the lighting they were in, she noticed. Marlina always had a habit of paying attention to detail. "You have many like them. And it isn't like you lost something you couldn't fix or replace" he was always frank with his words. Even before anything had happened. Yet he had a different tone of voice at the time. Same soft-spoken, solemn, and low intonation he's always had and still does to this day, but back then he sounded less callous. More... Caring to the people he talked to. Marlina looked in front of her thinking about what he said. Her light brown eyes glistened with the tears she had in them. He didn't hear her respond so he turned his head to look down at her. Angelo noticed her sad expression and said "you have to be tougher than this, Marlina" he began. She looked up at him again "you can't let small events like this get you down. You wouldn't let a thing like this get you down before, at least not the Marlina I know. You would be looking for the answer, a bright side to this dark moment. You have to be strong..." He paused a moment, figuring out a way to get her to react in a brighter way "for both of us" he said then. She let out a small gasp "so are you going to let a thing like this ruin your day? Or are you going to stand up, and find a solution?" She knew he was talking about more than the figurine now. He was telling her to be strong in any situation. He just used this moment as an excuse to say so. She looked down at the broken pieces again. After a moment, she furrowed her expression and scooped up the pieces in her hands. She stood up then, standing proudly right in front of Angelo and gave a determined look. A smile forming on her face as her eyes became bright with her determination. He gave a determined look back and smirked. She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "Let's go" he said, still smirking her way and gave a wink "right!" Marlina said enthusiastically with a nod. As they walked she looked at him "hey Angelo?" She said then. He turned to look at her attentively. "Thank you" she said with a bright smile. He smirked again and gave a nod. "Now come on, I have two friends of mine I want you to meet tomorrow so let's get this done today" he said. Little did they know what was really going to happen the next day. She took his hand so he would lead her to where they could get it fixed and they made their way down the long hallway together.