Jack and Caidus made that virus together. My children meant to rise above everyone. You don't even know who you are fighting against, who the real evil is do you, Captain Scott?

The words hit Red, as the memory surged through his mind completely. The last missing pieces falling into place. He remembered how his eyes had widened in surprise at the words, how the knife had sunk into him, under the ribs, hitting his vital organs.

He was meant to bleed out here, to die slowly in the most painful way possible. He'd pulled the blade from his own body, heedless of the pain and sunk it up to the hilt up through Darius's chin, hitting the augments in his brain and then he'd stared at the old man's eyes, making sure that *he* was the last thing Darius saw as he died.

His eyes snapped open in the darkness. His armed was wrapped around Ember's waist again, her naked body curled up against his under the blankets. He was holding her close, breathing hard like a child might hold a teddy bear after he wakes up from a nightmare.

Jack created the virus. "Mad" Jack who'd he thought he'd known for years. He didn't really know him at all did he?

And Ember?

Did she know? That was the question he'd been asking himself over and over. Even when he couldn't quite remember what it was he was supposed to know. She couldn't have.

Red's arm tightened around her waist pulling her close and she stretched against him. He inhaled into her hair, trying to enjoy having her close again. But he couldn't relax.

With a groan, he pulled his arm away from her and pulled himself out of the bed. Ember had had her chambers enlarged for him while he'd been in the clinic. 

There'd been no doubt in her mind that he would get better. Maybe there was some fear, but he could stand in here without knocking his head against the ceiling or any of her connections. The bed had even been made larger so both could sleep on it. 

Not that they'd done much sleeping on it for the past few days. 

He pushed himself off the edge of the bed and stood to make sure he wasn't going to fall over and padded slowly to a small set of drawers she'd had put in for him, next to hers. 

The black pants and the black shirts with the light blue New Elysium insignia scrawled across them were pretty much the only clothing he owned currently, plus the usual underclothes.

It took him a few minutes of painful maneuvering but he managed to get a shirt on, with a pair of black pants.

The socks and shoes he managed before he sank into the wheelchair, exhausted. He was supposed to push himself a bit, not too much but enough to get himself on the move again. He could have switched on his augments to dull any pain and exhaustion he felt, but he'd already received a stern lecture from Leah about not listening to his body.

He turned back to Ember and wheeled the chair next to the bed. He crawled up onto the surface and lay down next to her again. As much as he wanted to confront Jack right now, his burning desire right now was to know what Ember knew.

If she knew anything.

He wasn't sure what terrified him more.  The idea that she might have known the entire time, or that she'd been fooled just like the rest of them. He wanted to believe the latter, he really did. But the part of him that hated Neo-Tokyo spoke up, saying she too was from Neo-Tokyo.

He put a hand on her cheek, not wanting to ask anything. Smoothing the hair away from her face, she smiled as he moved and then opened her eyes.

"Hey... You got dressed." She noticed his expression right away and sat up. "Red, what's happened, are you all right?"

The blanket fell away from her and his eye was drawn to her naked torso even as she reached for him. He took her hand in his. "I'm fine. I remembered something your father said on the Perihelion."

She stared at him waiting. "And it was that bad? You are shaking, Red..."

"He said, Jack and Caidus made the virus. He said his children would rise up above all others..."

"What, I don't understand," her voice fell as her gaze dropped to their hands.  "Their research..."

"Did you know?" His grip on her hand tightened and she flicked her gaze back up to his face.

"What?"

"Did you know what they were working on Ember? He said his children would rise above all others, he didn't say sons...he said, children. So I'm asking, did you know?"

She stared at him, her jaw hanging open, she glanced down at herself, realizing that she was naked in front of him.  A flush rushed to her cheeks as she jerked her hand out of his and pulled the blanket up around herself. She drew her knees up in front of her as she pulled away from him. 

"Ember..."

"Get out." 

Surprise radiated through him as he watched her clutch the blanket around herself. Her gaze dropped and he heard the sound of her cables moving as they snapped into her back.

"No, the answer is no, now get the fuck out."

She didn't look at him, didn't move only held the blanket in front of herself as she waited for him to leave. 

He slid out into the pilot's chamber slowly feeling every movement. He turned and looked at her one last time as he left. Tears streamed down her face as she buried her face against her knees wrapping her bare arms around her legs. Red felt lower than dirt. 

Well, I just screwed up royally.

He walked all the way off The Ember finding a bench in the cargo bay. He needed a rest before he went any further. He was getting stronger but he wasn't a hundred percent. And I just hurt the person who was helping me the most.

##########################################################

Ember stood just outside of Jack's door and walked in. Normally she would have knocked but in light of what Red had said to her, she needed to figure things out.

Red's questions had cut her to the bone. After everything they'd gone through together, the idea that she would have hidden this from him if she'd known... It made her sick inside.

She knew Red was prone to be distrustful of anything from Neo-Tokyo, but could she really be with someone who was going to suspect every time Neo-Tokyo flinched? She felt sick thinking about what it would be like to not have him around, but if she had to, she'd survive. She hated the idea.

She inhaled and pushed open the door.

Jack glanced up at her from behind his desk and cleared away whatever he'd been working on, leaving the holoprojection empty in front of her.

"Ember you need to be careful, even here." Jack reached forward and hit a button on his desk. "Static signal," he whispered. "Keeps the gossip in here."

Ember stared at her brother. Her eyes were still red-rimmed from crying after Red had made his accusations to her that morning.

And Jack, here and now...

"Why?"

"The Senate has ordered your death. You've been issued a death bond and you are a suspect in father's death as well."

Ember felt faint. A death sentence from the Senate would have money backing it. Anyone could claim it and it would be honored.

Even here.

"What is going to happen now?"

"What do you mean?"

She looked at Jack as if seeing him for the first time. "Are you not in danger as well?"

Jack laced his fingers together as he sat back and stared at her over his hands.

"No one knows about me, Ember. They'll be liquidating any assets our family had to burn the bridges." His eyes narrowed at her. "But I'm not the one who's coupled up with a commoner. So they definitely don't want you coming back to claim anything Father owned."

She felt cold all over. "So, what are you saying? Are you going to turn me in? Red, he—" She stopped talking. Red had just accused Jack of something far more serious and she was worried about a bounty on her head?

"What about Red?" Jack stood up, towering over and Ember had to force herself not to take a step back.

"He said... Father told him... You did this..." She gestured around her head.

"Father knew I was alive?"

"No, Jack, the virus, I'm talking about the fucking virus," she stared him down and it was Jack who took a step back and collapsed into his seat behind the desk.

"Red knows about that?"

"He just remembered, he was injured, and his memory just came back to him. It's not true. Tell me it is not true, Jack." Ember was very close to tears. Red had accused her of knowing about it. It had come as a shock to her that Jack may have been involved and then accusing her of possibly knowing had been more than she could bear.

From anyone else... But not from Red, not after everything else.

Jack looked down at his lap, and Ember collapsed into the chair in front of his desk.

"We started it with the intention of using it against the houses, we didn't know what it would do. How it would react..." He hesitated.

"Tell me," Ember crossed her arms and leaned back. "Jack..."

He looked up at her and for the first time, looked nervous. He leaned back and loosened his tie.

"Caidus and I worked on that virus for months. We called it the First Strike. It was just meant to be against the houses, I swear Ember."

"So what happened with Caidus..." She hesitated. No one had blamed her brothers for the virus but it was well known that Jack had killed Caidus. But the rumor had gone that Jack had been controlled by someone else.

"Caidus uploaded that virus into me through my workstation."

"He wouldn't have... Why?"

"I was right there Ember. I was a perfect sample, I don't blame him for doing it."

"I do. Actually, I blame both of you, look at everything that happened because of it..."

"Well, it reacted with my systems but we had no control mechanism in place. So..." He stopped and took a deep breath...

"So?"

"I remember waking up, covered in blood," his voice dropped to a whisper as he stared down, "the lab lights flickering on and off...  And this strange noise, I got up and looked around and I saw Father, he had Caidus in his lap, he was crying over him." Jack stopped talking for a moment and pinched the bridge of his nose.

Ember tried to find some sympathy. But all she felt was anger. This whole time she'd thought Caidus had been the victim, that both of them had been and it was their fault.

Nevermind, Red, she thought, as her heart dropped. Be angry, everything Neo-Tokyo touches is poison.

"He never even looked for me," Jack stared off into space. 

"He was the perfect son, the one who needed nothing," Ember replied feeling cold. She stood up, the urge to flee stronger than ever. She should leave, that might protect New Elysium, especially if there was a bounty. It would destroy the place from within if anyone decided to collect. 

She abruptly stood. Jack looked up at her, "Ember, where are you going?"

"I need some air," she snapped.  

"Wait--!" 

"No, Jack," she rounded on him. "You don't get a say in what I do, period. Not you, not ever..."

He sat back astonished, but Ember did not wait but simply walked out. 

Outside the door, she slid to the floor, crouching, holding her face in her hands. The tears came then, as she struggled to get her emotions in check. 

I need to get out of here. 

######################################

He saw her on the floor. How she'd managed to beat him to Jack's office was a no-brainer. He was surprised he hadn't crossed paths with her. His fists relaxed. He'd come up here to talk things out with Jack, which was code for slugging the guy. 

But Ember had gotten here first. He wasn't sure what to make of her tear stained face as she stood and jumped at the sight of him.

"Ember, I'm sorry, is this..." His words died on his lips as she turned and walked away from him. 

It was enough to stall him for a moment.

Jack opened his door and turned into Red. It was enough to make Red forget for a moment that Ember was still upset with him 

He grabbed Jack by the throat and pinned him to the wall. "Seriously Jack, it was you?" 

"Red, not a good time..." Jack gasped. "We're going to have to get a room at this rate."

Red's eyes widened. "Did you just crack a joke?" He didn't release him.

Jack looked at him. "Maybe you could go find my sister, because as much as you both might hate me right now, she has a bounty on her head."

"What does that mean? Who here would dare collect?" Red brought him to eye level. "What the fuck did you say to her Jack?"

"She knew the consequences of being with a commoner," Jack whispered. "She's what's considered 'soiled.' She can never go home."

"She IS home, Jack." Red dropped him, he was trying to figure out what kind of danger Ember was in. "What kind of game were you playing with her?"

Jack looked him in the eye. "I was hoping to send her back, reclaim the house...but you and her, keep..." Red squeezed his throat, shaking his head. 

"Red!" It was Dag.

He didn't wait but dropped Jack on the floor. "We need to find Ember."

"She's heading for her ship." Dag hesitated, looking from Jack to Red. "I don't suppose either of you are going to tell me what's going on."

"No time, Jack can spill his guts..." Red turned away. He could deal with Jack later. If Ember was in danger, he was going with her, and that was it. Even if she never wanted to speak to him again. His augments flared to life as he took off down the corridor leaving Jack with Dag.

##########################################

Ember was in her harness with her eyes closed when she felt his touch. Her eyes flew open and Red was directly in front of her.

"I know you're not ok if I can get all the way in here without you noticing," He crouched in front of her and put his hands on her face. This time she didn't back away from him but closed her eyes.

"Talk to me, Ember, please..."

"He did it."

"I know." His gaze never wavered, and it wasn't suspicion there but concern. It was enough to break the walls she'd tried erecting to keep him out.

She lowered to the floor and pulled her hands out, "Red he did it, damn it, do you know what this means?"

"That he is and always has been an ass?"

"I'm serious."

"I know," his arms encircled her. "He told me about the bounty on your head."

"Is he still alive?" She pulled back and looked into his face, her eyes searching his as he nodded.

"There was someone else I needed to get to first."

"Who?"

"You."

"Idiot."

"I am," he agreed. "Ember, I should have known better than to ask you that. You nearly died so many times getting us out of Helion 7. And your own father put you there..."

"No," she looked away from him. "Neo-Tokyo is poison. It kills everything it touches. You should run."

"You know I'm not going to do that."

"I know you're an idiot."

He smiled at her. "If you are leaving New Elysium I'm going with."

Ember pushed him onto his back and climbed on top of him. "Fine," she leaned down and wrapped her arms around his neck crushing his lips with hers.

Red grabbed her hips adjusting her against him. He tried rolling them over but she still was still attached in the back to her ship and didn't budge. "Ember..." he groaned pulling her against him.

She grinned wickedly. "Maybe I want you there."

#######################################

"Fine," he grabbed at her shirt, when she stiffened in his grasp her eyes staring straight ahead at nothing.

"It's Lars," she whispered surprised. "They came back with Nova."

He sat up, pulling her to his chest. It was telling that Lars had contacted Ember first. Red wouldn't have answered if they'd contacted him first. Lars knew that.

He buried his face against her neck and waited. The way Ember had paused, the news wasn't good. He'd have a serious heart to heart about his timing.

"It's the virus," she whispered, her focus returning to his face, her face turning paler. "It's back."

#############

Cyril Harper was taking his notes by hand. His tablet was missing and he trusted no one at this point. Between Jack's odd behavior and the missing equipment he was wondering if he needed to be more proactive.

"Cyril?" Leah's voice interrupted his thoughts. He looked up from his paper. He had a few surgeries scheduled but until they figured out what was going on he didn't feel safe doing them.

"What is it, Leah?"

"It's Juni."

"Juni?"

"Yeah, she hasn't come in for her appointment for the past two days. I checked the Orphans ward, they can't find her anywhere."

Cyril sat up. "Anywhere?"

His comms went off. "Patient inbound, augmented human."

He looked at the comms in surprise. It was the Blackstar.

"Amy?"