Athena was surprised by Mark's words. She never expected this boy to know something like that. After his unconscious response to her presence, it was clear that there was more to this teen than met the eye. However, she decided to explore this later. For the time being, there were more pressing concerns.
The young man looked at the shadow with suspicion. If the person could project their psyche, they could also enter his mind. Because of the repairs, the system was off, and he could not use his points to buy an ability or a feat to protect himself from the intrusion. For the time being, all he could do was shift his mental focus away from the system or his rescue plans.
The shadow noticed Mark's worried state. Athena sought to lower his guard; the woman would have trouble reading his emotions, while the teen was suspicious of her. "Relax, I have come to help. You can call me Nyx. I am Melly's friend. I tried to contact Melly, but she seems to be unconscious."
Mark remembered Melly had been talking about her new friend like crazy. Yet he never expected this friend to have the same abilities as his little sister. An Idea came to him; this person could actually be of great help. The young man dropped his guard a bit, but not completely. He decided to share what he knew. "Melly and my mother were taken away by a gang called the Blazing Hand. I think they are aiming to use them as leverage. That way, the gang can get me to work for them."
Athena was puzzled by his words; she had never inquired about Melly's current family. "Why would they want to do that? Who are you really?" The woman tried to scan his thoughts, but most of his mind was guarded against her. A person this young should not have any kind of mental defenses against the abilities she possesses.
Meanwhile, Mark decided on his favorite approach, the half-truths method. If he could get the person's help, setting up a distraction would be much easier. Mark shared his speculations on the matter. "I have a virtual workshop at A.M.S., and the mechs that I design are in high demand. They want me to build mechs for them in real life. That way, they can take over the city."
Athena felt that something was off. While this person was not telling any lies that she could sense, the woman felt that he was not sharing the whole truth. For Melly's sake, she decided to hold her questions. However, once they have resolved the current issue, she will get to the bottom of things.
While Mark withheld much information, his intention to aid his mother and the golden-eyed girl was genuine. He asked for her help with sincerity. "I am heading to the place they had demanded. However, I need a distraction to save Melly and my Mom. Do you think you can help me?"
Athena thought for a moment. Helping the girl was the purpose of her visit. However, with Melly unconscious, she could not do much. The woman needed a conscious person to act as a relay for her projection, but there was someone else she could use. "Yes, I will do what I can. But I need another point to enter the facility, you mentioned your mother was taken with her... right?"
Mark was puzzled by her question. He knew very little about mental abilities. "Yes, but what do you have in mind?"
Athena explained part of her abilities to him; however, she was careful not to reveal too much. Having anyone else know how her abilities work was dangerous for her. "I need a conscious person to use as a relay point. That way, I can project my consciousness into the area where they are. Think of it as a comm-pad call. If the device at the other end is off, the call would never get through."
Mark understood her words to some extent. The point was that she needed someone awake and aware; however, he did not know the conditions his mother was in. For a moment, a pensive expression showed on his face as he thought about his mother, and flashes from his old life slipped through his focus.
Athena caught these feelings and became even more confused about the young man. Yet she needed to hurry; her abilities had a limit, and time was running out. Ignoring the young man's confusing feelings, she instructed him on what she needed. "I need you to think about your mother. The way she acts and speaks. If you can, remember any conversations you had with her."
Unintentionally, Mark thought about the time he met Rachel back when he regressed. The feelings about seeing his mother alive after so long slipped through. Also, he thought about the way she would have died if he had not changed anything. Realizing his blunder, he shifted his focus. Mark relived a memory of the family's conversation at breakfast that morning.
While Mark's blunder was brief, Athena caught everything. The images Mark accidentally released caused even more confusion. Feelings of loss and regret jumbled together with hope and nostalgia. The new pieces of the puzzle raised more questions than they answered. Now, she was definitely interested in him. However, helping Melly came first.
Having what she needed from Mark, the woman turned her attention to Rachel. She found her quickly. Before moving to where Mark's mother was, Athena decided to inform the young man about his mother and coordinate a few things.
The dark figure related her findings. "I can feel her; she is awake. At the moment, she is on the floor of a dark room, and her hands are bound behind her back. S The room that she is in appears to be some sort of warehouse." Athena concentrates on her thoughts. "Like you, she is waiting for a distraction to do something. I think she is planning to break out."
The shadow turns to look at Mark. "What do you want to do?"
Mark decided to integrate Nyx into his strategy. With her help, it would be possible to take out his mother and Melly while the attack was underway. "Please help her out if you can, and try to see if she and Melly can escape. I have a group of... friends who would help me, and we will put an end to the gang. It would be best for my Mom and Melly to be away from the place."
Athena decided not to inquire about his friends. Her psychic projection moved from the sky-cab to the warehouse where Rachel was located. Observing the area, she noticed the two men by the warehouse door. She focused her attention on them. If she can manage to drive them away, it would help the struggling woman on the floor.
The two men of the Blazing Hand hated each other with passion. One was an old member; the man had a discipline acquired through hardship and training. His devotion to his organization was unquestionable. This man was ready to lay his life on the line if he needed to fulfill the Blazing Hand's goals.
The other one was a recent addition. Part of a gang that the Blazing Hand had absorbed to replenish their ranks after the recent battle. This man was feral and unhinged; with only a little nudge, he would spring into action. He was just what Nix needed. These kinds of people have weak minds, perfect for her manipulations. She enacted her plan of action without delay.
On the floor, Rachel moved slowly. She had managed to undo her bindings with one of the tools in her tool belt. The woman was at her wits' end waiting for a distraction to happen. All of a sudden, the two men by the door started fighting each other. Taking advantage of the distraction, the woman ran to the droids she had spotted before.
As she arrived at the spot where the droids were, she took a better look at the broken machines. These were battle droids. Some of these machines were damaged beyond repair; however, a small number could be repaired. Using parts from the ones that were too damaged, Rachel could patch the ones in a better state.
In a dark corner, a shadow observed the woman's efforts. Nyx was surprised by the thoughts and feelings coming from Rachel. Instead of looking for a way out, the woman was desperate to find Melly. Athena wondered why she would go to such lengths; the girl had nothing to do with her.
The rabid man finished dealing with the object of his hatred. Looking around, he saw the woman had fled to one of the corners of the room. Having dealt with the old coot, he was determined to have his way with her. A sinister grin showed in his blood-covered face as he began to walk towards the woman hiding amongst the broken droids in the corner.
However, after a few steps, the man falls to the ground. In his state of rage, the feral man failed to notice the wounds that the other man had inflicted upon him. As he lay on the floor, a pool of blood formed around him as his life faded away.
The sound of the falling man made Rachel turn her head. Her eyes were drawn to the dark figure with golden eyes hiding behind the lifeless bodies. The woman was surprised for a moment, but she fixated on the golden eyes. With a trembling voice, a question falls from her mouth. "Is that you, Melly?"
The shadow moves closer. First, Mark's lack of reaction, and now Rachel's familiarity with the shadow before her. Athena wondered why the psychic projections did not freak out the members of this family. Who were these people who seemed all too familiar with abilities like the ones she had? She wondered if Melly was more developed than she expected.
Shaking her confusion, she answered the woman's question. "No, I'm not Melly, but I am her friend. I have come to help."
Rachel recognizes the descriptions Melly gave. While she wondered how it was possible to see a virtual avatar in the real world, her disbelief would have to wait. At the moment, there were more pressing matters. She continued fiddling with the droids as she spoke. "You are Nyx... My daughter has been talking a lot about you."
Rachel tinkers with the part of a droid, breaking it loose, and transferring it to another droid near her. While installing the working part. She speaks with the shadow. "Do you think you can help me find her?"
Athena observed the woman as she worked. It was clear that she knew what she was doing. Having no way to interact with physical objects, it was best to let her mount the rescue. "I know where she is. I was able to take the information from the gang members before they started to fight amongst themselves."
Rachel turned to the shadow and looked at the glowing eyes, searching for cues. "Did you make them do that?" It was clear that Rachel was judging the shadow's actions. This person interacted with Melly; she felt the need to gauge their measure.
Athena did not know why, but she felt the need to explain herself. It was as if she were facing someone with a higher moral standing. "While I did give them a little nudge, I never made them kill each other. That was their doing. My intention was for them to fight each other and nothing else."
Rachel compared her abilities to Melly's; it was clear that the person behind this shadow was more in control of the things they could do. "So you read their minds, my daughter can do the same." Thinking about the golden-eyed girl brings a smile to Rachel's face. "Keeping secrets from her is a pain. I think that my son Mark is the only one who can do it."
The phrase 'My Daughter' gave Athena pause for a moment. This woman, who was nothing to Melly, viewed the girl as her daughter and was ready to risk life and limb for her. A mixture of envy and guilt fell over her. If she had met someone like this growing up, her life would be so different. Perhaps she would have never gone through the hell she experienced, and her life would be the same as Melly's.
A few minutes after the conversation, Rachel managed to repair four droids. She used voice commands to give them instructions. While the machines had no laser guns or ranged weapons, Rachel armed them with broken pipes and alloy sheets. Supported by Nyx, the woman prepared to rescue her girl.