New Game+

Cliff actually spaced out at Seeker's orders.

The nightmares he had to face were many. Fighting an Overcomer was simply one of the few things he was tasked to do.

"Uh…Cliff? Cliff? Are you there?" Lynd called out worriedly as seconds passed and Cliff maintained a blank reaction. For someone nearing Inhuman stage, this was a terrifying event.

"Don't worry. I've made the necessary preparations that will ensure your survival."

"Zeek. Aren't you being a little too harsh on Cliff?" Meryl finally asked. A hint of anger was heard on her tone.

Seeker glanced at Meryl and had an odd look.

"Alright. That's it." Seeker had a frustrated appearance. His reaction had a trace of true anger.

The faces of the three turned pale as Cliff awoke from his stupor.

"Exactly, why are you two afraid of me? Don't think I haven't noticed." Seeker turned to Meryl and Lynd.

Seeker frowned and crossed his arms with a fork in hand.

"Is it because of the Overcomer's Will? Do you really think I'm that heartless because of that? The Overcomer's Will brings me confidence. In a manner of speaking it simply allows me to have faith on myself. It doesn't mean that I am like Dragon or Lennox or the Empress for that manner. I simply have the Will." Seeker explained.

"You've changed, Zeek. Whether you want to admit it or not." Lynd finally voiced out.

"Changed? I haven't changed. We are simply moving on with our plans!" Seeker answered angrily.

Well if that's the case, why have you been giving Cliff impossible missions?"

"What impossible missions?"

"You made him into a suicide bomber that was to throw the bomb just as it was about to explode. That bomb had to be near him to cover him up, and far enough so that he'd survive." Meryl pointed out.

"Yes. But with his memory and that test we did, he could easily accomplish that!" Seeker defended.

"We already went through several tests runs with a dummy bomb and he performed it marvelously. With his memories, he can almost do what I can do in imitating my Ranked Heroes skill."

"Well, it's just different when it's a real bomb. Also, you… kind of painted a target on his face on his recent mission. I wouldn't be able to sleep if I knew a Near-Overcomer was after me."

"And that's why I sent Lowengren. Amir Mann is now targeting Lowengren and even Alean!" Seeker turned to Lynd.

"Do not underestimate Lowengren's deception. If he said he deceived Amir Mann, then he deceived him. You should be worried that Alean wouldn't run into him or her limbs would be ripped off just like Cliff's! Everything I ordered; those are within his skillsets. I was confident he'd survive both." Seeker continued to argue.

"In case you've forgotten, Cliff is the only person left for these jobs who can risk showing his face to his enemies. Especially to those groups of people. We can't let Alean or Lowengren do those as the world thinks their dead. And because Charles finally discovered where that baby Ricardo is, I cannot risk separating him from being with Ferna. I don't know how Ricardo died but it could happen anytime soon. We ensure Ricardo's survival; we can give Charles as a shot at dating Ferna! She might be the key to Charles's faith! Do you not want to give Charles a shot at becoming a Ranked Hero?" Seeker explained carefully.

 "I wouldn't make you guys do things beyond the norm. For Cliff, I am confident of what he can do, and I won't ever cross the line!" Seeker spoke righteously.

"You made him kiss that guy too. That kinda crossed the line." Meryl finally spoke up. Her look at Seeker was angry.

"Now you're prepping me to be sold to some pervert. Am I to give those guys a kiss too?" Meryl added angrily.

"What?! I made Cliff kiss who?!" Seeker was shocked.

"Yeah, Zeek. That was too much." Lynd echoed.

"Kiss who?!" Seeker repeated.

"Primer Elionios. That weapons dealer." Meryl reminded Seeker with angry eyes.

"I asked Cliff to kill the man!" Seeker defended.

"Kill? What? No. You sent me a message that I was to kiss him!" Cliff finally spoke.

Cliff rummaged for his comm device and revealed it to Seeker.

Seeker glanced at the comm device and it read:

"Change of plans. Things are getting a little more complicated than I thought. Kiss him."

Seeker glanced at the messaged and paused. He was shocked at the message and it took him a few seconds to actually react accordingly despite his great Unlocking.

Because the government and even the WGP were watching them, Harker had launched a unique set of comm devices that can only send and receive from their devices. Seeker had installed the same program on his device but he realized that although the message relay of their comm device would go through Harker's unique server, the comm devices are still bound with Pangean law which included strict autocorrecting tools designed to minimize cursing and strong language.

Seeker laughed. He laughed and laughed.

"Kiss? That's supposed to be kill! I guess the AI autocorrected it to kiss and I didn't notice." Seeker laughed as he tested his theory on his comm device.

The theory was proven right as the word kill immediately became kiss as he sent it to Cliff.

Seeker couldn't stop laughing.

Even Meryl and Lynd were doing their best not to laugh.

"So you really kissed him? Was it just a smack or did you add some tongue to it?" Seeker asked with a laugh.

Cliff's expression remained mortified.

Meryl and Lynd couldn't contain their laughter anymore.

Cliff felt his heart clench as if it was attempting to forcibly stop beating. The memory of that kiss would be engraved forever in Cliff's memories. His strange memories weren't something that he couldn't turn off at the moment and so, the constant reminder and memory that could even recreate the sensation were present.

Seeker continued to laugh until suddenly, he realized it.

"Wait. Does that mean he's alive?!" Seeker asked angrily.

Meryl and Lynd were stunned at Seeker's changing mood.

"Great! Just great!" Seeker cursed angrily as a familiar terror fell.

Although no one was greatly or physically affected by the pressure the two were confused.

"Zeek? What's wrong?" Meryl tried to pacify.

"He had to die! He was one of the key people that the Pioneer used that forced Pangea into a weapons deficiency crisis! I wanted him dead since his connections were already established. It was all planned and I can't change it now because he's alive!"

"Zeek. This could be something-"

SMACK!

Seeker slammed the table angrily.

"You don't get it! He was supposed to die! You know the rules I've set! We kill those who were the original contacts of these Pioneers forcing these Pioneers to command someone we already control. Since we don't have time to go through the process of confirming if these people were already in contact with the Pioneers the best way is to simply kill and replace! But that attack we did on that night would have made Primer fearful! And so we cannot make that opportunity again!" Seeker was angry.

"But Zeek, we can attack them again-"

"No! With Primer having an attack and some pervert kissing him randomly, he would have made an investigation and take efforts in hiding! Other organizations will notice this and therefore, the Pioneers would learn of this! I already captured his son because I thought his father is dead! Now he'd be searching for his son!"

Seeker continued to grow more and more enraged. He couldn't imagine what reactions Primer Elionios would do after this event. His son has been kidnapped, his base raided, and some strange weirdo kissed him.

 "What made you think that the command was kiss?!" Seeker chastised.

"Zeek! Stop it! To his defense, you've been giving him strange orders. Shut the gate on the north side. Drop that bullet there. Make sure to let that guy see you before you hit him." Lynd recited several lines from Cliff's comm device.

"That last message… If I received it, I would have done the same and kissed the guy instead of killing him! Could you give him a break! You first sent him on a suicide mission to fight Amir Mann, who wouldn't be the same after that?! What is going on with you? Are you becoming delusional? Insane? Bipolar? Is that other memory affecting you? Tell Arthur! You're not good enough to remain our leader if you don't get your nutterballs together!" Lynd shouted back angrily. A profound vibration surrounded the room as Lynd employed Peals of Thunder.

The room suddenly turned quiet. All they could hear is Lynd's exaggerated breathing.

Seeing as Seeker was quiet and had a complicated expression, Lynd continued.

 "I hate it. I feel like I'm losing you. You are not that man in the future! The Zeek I signed up to join has always been that young, playful, forgetful and careless kid. Believe it or not, I felt safe. Even if he would push me to the limits, I would happily do so! But mark my words, Zeek! If that other you take over, I would lose my faith in you!" Lynd shouted all the more.

Meryl and Cliff gazed at Lynd. Meryl sighed and nodded.

"Me too, Zeek."

Seeker was no longer angry but had his usual look.

"Lynd. Thanks. I'm sorry. You're right. Ever since I received the Overcomer's will, it somehow gave life to my other memories. So at one point, I'm a kid… and the other, I'm that desperate and paranoid adult of the future."

"I know. But please, Zeek. I know that your memories sharper than ever, I know that the Overcomer's Will demands some pride in yourself. And I know that and somehow your personalities changing because of that whole future you merging with the present you as you rise higher in the Unlocking. But you are not the future you!"

Meryl nodded her head. She clutched Seeker's hand to calm him down.

"Zeek, you have us now. You are not alone. The starting point you had in your future isn't the starting point now. Nor will things remain this way. We are stronger and you don't have to be that negative, demanding and very strict man you became." Lynd spoke with a strong reprimanding tone.

Seeker was silent and closed his eyes for a bit.

Memories of the present timeline resurfaced and Seeker viewed his life in the eyes of his past, and this present, ignoring the future he knows while recollecting. Seeker then started to organize his thoughts. For a normal human, his feat would have been impossible, but because the brain of an Unlocked is different than that of a human, they are able to do stranger and more diverse things with their thought.

Seeker mentally organized the two memories he had and made a clear distinction between what was from his timeline, and what was from the other.

"I'm sorry. You're right, Lynd. That me of the future had already lost all of you. And so he became that way. I guess I'm still afraid of losing you two." Seeker apologized.

"We're still kids, Zeek. Even if you have that memory, you have to make sure you remember who you are right now. Are we only our memories? No! You're a kid with an adult's memory. That makes you smarter. But that still makes you a kid." Lynd smiled.

"Your biochemical, biological and neurological states are that of a kid," Cliff mumbled unconsciously.

Everyone gave Cliff a strange look.

"I'm… I'm sorry. I just recalled Arthur's words." Cliff felt afraid.

Seeker, however, laughed.

"Right. That does explain it. I'm not an adult. I'm still a kid!" Seeker laughed.

"I guess I still have to figure it out. The merging of my memories is getting harder and harder to deal with."

"I'm sure you'll figure it out. And if me or Meryl could see that your diverting and changing… then we'll do everything and anything. Including kicking you hard on the face." Lynd smiled.

Seeker smiled and nodded.

"Understood. But I'm sorry, Cliff. You have to proceed with this mission. Only you can after all. And besides, I have to make things difficult for you because I want you to be a Ranked Hero." Seeker spoke calmly.

Cliff took a deep breath and gave a reluctant sigh.

Lynd and Meryl were surprised at Seeker's words but merely smiled.

"I'll… be more careful with my treatment to you. I guess the adult me inside of me got all greedy and wanted to take advantage of your potential. But still… your potential could be equal to Alean's. I do not know what you can do with that memory. I'll be honest, with an extreme recollection like you're you could even follow on Lynd's Path!" Seeker spoke slowly.

The three were stunned at Seeker's words.

"Right…" Meryl was the first to react.

"Memory. It could… it really could!" Lynd nodded as well.

Cliff was shocked.

"So please understand why I'm letting you go through this. The adult me wanted to keep these things from you, I guess. But I feel… that it's better for you to know." Seeker smiled.

Cliff was silent for a while. Then he spoke.

"I haven't finished my report yet. Charm is friends with Lara Diamon. The very same Lara Diamon you wanted me to come into contact with. And I've got bad news. She's an Aragarian. I mapped her using Realm Somatotopy with a hard clap and tricked her into holding her heart. She touched her right chest instead of the left."

"How did you trick her to do that?" Meryl wondered.

"I made them think that some experiments are being done to me to make my adrenaline constantly pump. Is that alright?"

"Yeah. It's within the allowable range of experiments that we can reveal." Seeker nodded. But a strange glint appeared in his eyes.

"To think the Diamon's were Aragarian's… unless…" Seeker's expression changed.

"Did you ask her for the request?"

"Yes. She agreed. Are all Aragarian's bad? This one seemed good."

"Of course some of them would appear good. Not every Aragarian treats us like those you met in Australia. Some are kind, compassionate, and relatable. But it's these ones that you should look out for. Their human traits make them all the more dangerous and difficult to deal with." Seeker frowned.

The three kept silent at Seeker's reaction.

Seeker looked around and sighed.

"That's the cautious me talking. Observe her. If she appears to be one of the wicked Aragarian's we'll show her no mercy. But if there are angels amongst those fallen ones, then we'll treat them with whatever human or Aragarian rights applicable."

Lynd and Meryl smiled at Seeker's reaction.

"However… This changes things. If Aragarian's are able to infiltrate and supplant other families… something that they didn't do on my timeline… then something must have changed. Cliff, send a message to Harker after this. Ready everyone for top-secret information to be disseminated on the next classroom session. Make him use his prepared pings for Alean and Lowengren. They are the ones who need to hear this information the most."

"What's happening, Zeek?" Lynd couldn't help but ask.

"Simply put.... more enemies have joined this war."