Tilly|✔️

Chapter 22 - The Talk

Six days had passed since I went to the theatre with Jasper, and I was already starting to fear the seventh day. Because tomorrow, we would go out to fight The Creator in an unruly war for justice.

"Now, is everyone here?" Yuki shouted out. I straightened myself up as Yuki walked slowly, counting how many of us were here. "Mark, Jasper, Emily, Tilly. Okay you're all here."

"Excuse me Yuki, where is Isla?"

"Isla isn't joining the war. It's too overwhelming for a little girl like her. She's staying in The Safehouse, where younger members of our team stay safe if a war were to plague us as it is now."

"Now I trust you have all gotten used to your weapon of choice, yes?" Yuki asked. We nodded. "Tilly, you have the machete. Emily, you have the axe, Mark, you have the sword, and Jasper, you have the gun."

We all nodded curtly.

"Good, now we must prepare for battle. Be safe, everyone."

We all nodded in response. When Yuki went into Sargent-mode, you didn't want to talk unless she shouted at you or something.

"Okay! And that concludes training!" Yuki yelled, blowing sharply on her whistle. Everyone sighed.

"Do we really have to wear these? They're kinda tight." Jasper complained.

"You'll be fine. Just get a bigger size." Yuki smirked. Jasper groaned, and went to the pile of clothes to get a bigger size.

"Will we all be alright?" I asked Yuki as I approached her. "Will any of us.....die?"

"There's no guaranteeing we'll all be fine, Tilly. I hate to say this, but it's not a pretty, perfect world of rainbows out there. Trust me, I know. I had to learn the hard way." A tear rolled down Yuki's eye, and I realised how insensitive I had been.

"I'm sorry for reminding you of Evan, Yuki." I patted her shoulder sympathetically. "I wish I could've done something to help."

"No. There was nothing you could do. It's not your fault anyway, Tilly. I need to go....do something." Yuki stood up and walked away.

"She's going to pray to Evan." I looked behind me and I saw Emily standing there. "She has a little shrine. Poor Yuki. I wish none of this had happened. If only we were normal." Emily wasn't crying, but it looked like she was about to. "Anyway, it's time for last minute practise, Tilly. Let's just leave Yuki by herself for a minute, she'll be fine." I snapped out of my daze and followed Emily to the training area, hoping that she would be okay.

~•~

"Tilly, dear?"

I turned around, and saw E-1 standing there. "E-1? What-"

"Hush, child. I don't want the others knowing I'm here." He winked and I nodded. "Just follow me, I want to show you something before you leave."

"Okay." I followed E-1 into the door he had came from.

"Could you switch on the light for me please, Tilly?" E-1 asked. I obliged, pulling on the huge cord that dangled from the high ceiling. After a few seconds the room filled with bright light, and I saw a whole flurry of pictures of a young woman. She was smiling in each of them, and had blonde hair and blue eyes just like mine.

"Here's Lucia's diary. It was one of the few things she left behind." E-1 smiled.

I opened it and studied what was inside.

23rd October, 2056

I was captured. I'm cold and alone in this cell, with a cackling, ginger haired young woman. She calls herself The Creator, but John says her real name is Hilda. Hilda is moving us to a new place where all the new experiments are. She says my name is not Lucia Walters anymore, it's E-2. I'm scared. Someone help me.

I flicked through a few pages, and discovered a picture of her and E-1, along with an entry.

14th June, 2221

Me and John have decided it's for the best. We are having our first child. If it's a boy, I'm going to call him Tyler. If it's a girl, I'm going to call her Tilly. I hope the birth goes well. And if you're reading this, whether you are Tyler or Tilly, I want you to know Mummy loves you. Even if she goes missing. Even if she's dead......

I flipped over the page but it was blank. That was her last ever entry.

I dropped the book. "Lucia is my mother??" I shouted incredulously. "And you're my....father??"

"Yes, it would seem so," E-1 replied calmly. "I'm afraid I don't really recall the event all that well. As I said before, I have been injected with so many drugs over the years that it's eaten into my memory."

"Yes. But still! That means.....the tape was fake?"

"I'm about as confused as you are, Tilly. But we must concentrate. Otherwise The Creator will win the battle."

"Yes, you're right. Thank you......E-1."

"I thought you may as well know. You know, in case you never return home from battle." E-1 sighed.

"Now, I think it would be best if you attend to your friends." E-1 smiled. "You may never see them again."

"You're right. Bye, E-1." I gave him a quick hug and disappeared through the door.

"Goodbye, Tilly." E-1 replied just before the door shut.