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I woke up with a noise; it was insistent and was coming from the window. It wasn't morning yet. I looked around and saw Sebastian asleep on the carpet- although Lilly had invited him to sleep in their bedroom last night he begged to stay with me.

Pock, pock...

The noise continued, more insistent than before. I narrowed my eyes, staring at the window. The dark shapes on the outside continued to be dark shapes. I had the sensation that before falling asleep I could see the moon through it, but now I see nothing; nor the moon, nor planes, nor other windows of other buildings. It was just that shape. And that shape was a head.

I squealed a silent squeal, covering my eyes with the sheets. The head stopped tapping the window and the room stayed quiet and still. I peeked up, trembling. The head was dark dark dark and all I could see was its eyes. They were kinda white and were shining.

"Zarina?"

More little taps. She was calling me. I pushed the sheets to the side and slowly touched one foot on the floor. Sebastian's shoulders moved to the other side and he slept again. Should I wake him? Or maybe Zarina just wants to say she's fine and ask if I am too.

Zarina, I am opening for you. I said inside my mind.

"Quickly" She said.

Is everything okay?!

"Quickly" She repeated.

I unlocked the window and Zarina came in smoothly like a cat. "Oxygen in danger! You save Oxygen!" She went to Sebastian and began shaking him.

"What? What?" He jumped.

"You save Oxygen!"

"Zarina!"

"WHAT?! WHO'S THAT?! Angelina!"

"Sebastian..!"

"You save Oxygen!"

"It's Zarina, remember her?"

"Yeah I do, what is she doing here??"

"You save Oxygen!"

"She keeps saying Oxygen is in danger, what can we do?"

"You save Oxyg-"

"Shut up!!" Sebastian shouted. "We will save Oxygen, don't worry." Then he turned to me and tossed clothes on my lap. I stared as he reached the top of his wardrobe and caught a real militar belt, with buckles and a thousand pockets.

This one reminded me of Zarina... unfortunately I don't remember who is the artist, but whoever he/she is, congrats🖐🏽🤚🏽

•••

The sun was beginning to rise when 55's elevator arrived in the underground, where the car was parked. Sebastian had a real gun and a walkie talkie clenched on his chest. He lent me the other pair of the talkies. "This is for emergency if we get separated. And when I tell you to run..."

Our feet broke off, with an impact. A man had showed up from between the lines cars. He was tall. And handsome. And I had the vague impression of knowing those outlines from somewhere.

"Hello, redhead; hello princess." He said, and his voice hit me like a train. He was Vince. I clenched my nails in Sebastian's arm. We were looking at Vince, facing the biggest of the problems. He was the evil who pretended to be good. He was fake and I believed in him, I gave him the weapon and Gene was is in danger because of him.

Sebastian raised the gun — and Vince his hands, automatically. "Please let me explain; I'm not a threat."

"Go away or I will shoot" Sebastian said, but he would not load the bullets. Zarina didn't move either; in fact she was acting normally as if there was no one who shouldn't be there. Vince kept his arms up.

       "I will leave after you hear what I have to say. Please. I want to save the Doctor... Everything Oliver told you is a lie, Damon wants to kill the kid, Damon robbed the chain from Gene's vault, and was about to kill the boy when I stole it that day you saw. But the chain fell in the middle of my escape. All this time I have been chasing you to get the chain back before Damon... and everything worked fine that night at the subway station, remember?" He sighed and placed his hands back in place next to his body. "But I was not counting on Damon's friend Peter. He appeared while I was catching a train and injected some drug in my neck. Damon has the chain to kill Gene at this very moment; and now that my brother has spread lies about me, I can't get near Oxygen to stop the one who needs to be stopped. You are my only hope, the only ones who are into what is happening, and, I hope, are smart enough to understand and help out."

Silence. Everything made sense... too much sense.

Sebastian moved the gun down, back to his belt. "Okay, nice to meet you"

Okay nice to meet you?? I turned to him, bewailed. He must be kidding me.

"Princess," Vince said. "I swear I would never hurt someone, neither a bug. You felt on your own skin what Damon does to people, and we both know he thinks he is better than everyone. If you are still in doubt because of my brother... He is selfish, you don't know yet but Oliver trapped your bodyguard and made her answer questions, personal questions about you, even about your relationship with your friend. He knows too much and can use this to control your mind. Whatever Oliver says is for his own merit and he doesn't care about Gene at all."

I felt Zarina's eyes on me, and Sebastian's hand slightly touched mine. I felt something. Perhaps I was the one needing a bath of reality.