Finn Lennoy - July 2120
Egh. It's bright. Too bright.
I blink a few times until the ceiling stops swimming. I'm in my room, my own bed. But I can't remember how I got here, which is… not ideal.
The last thing I remember was doing shots with the guys at the bar, then nothing. My head feels like someone wedged a jackhammer behind my eyes. Brilliant.
There's a glass of water and some tablets waiting on my bedside table. Someone's been thoughtful. Someone who knows I'm useless after drinking... Noah.
God. Of course it'd be Noah. Did he feel guilty after our argument?
I sit up slowly, down the water in one go, and swallow the meds. The dizziness hits me a second later, and I have to press my fingers to my temples until the world settles. When it does, yesterday starts leaking back through the cracks in my memory.
I lost my temper, with him... I never do that.
But hearing that he and his dad had arranged some "deal" in secret, my whole stomach had dropped. Joseph Langford is… well. I've known the Langfords long enough to know exactly what kind of man he is. Cold. Manipulative. Cruel when it suits him.
The idea of Noah being anywhere near that sphere again, working under him, it rattled me. More than it should've.
I should apologise. Noah doesn't deserve to be on the receiving end of anyone's temper, least of all mine.
I push myself out of bed, glance at the clock.
10:23 a.m.
What?
Why on earth didn't my alarm go off?
I reach for my phone, and the answer hits me straight away. The alarm's been switched off, and a message from Noah sits at the top of my screen.
Take the day off. You need it.
My chest tightens, not quite panic, more like a sharp, sinking worry. That tone. Short. Practical. Distance woven between the letters. He's upset with me. Of course he is. I left him at the lab last night when he was already stressed and he probably hadn't taken his meds.
He always pushing people away when he's overwhelmed, and I walked out anyway. At the time I thought giving him space was the right call, but maybe it wasn't.
The hangover fades under the weight of that uneasy knot in my stomach. I can't sit here and stew. I can't pretend I'm fine letting someone else check in on him. Even when I asked Officer Price yesterday, the idea put me on edge. Price is competent, trustworthy enough, but it still makes be feel uncomfortable.
Noah might be angry. Fair. He might not want to see me. Also fair. But the thought of someone else being the one to look after him, No. Can't stomach it.
I grab my shoes, run a hand through my hair, and head for the door.
I'm going to the lab. Whatever he's feeling, whatever I messed up, I need to see him.
I need to make sure he's alright. Whether he wants to see me or not.
______________________
By the time the GeneX comes into view, I'm already thinking of what I'll say. I need to make sure it's something calm. measured, but honest. I'll apologise properly and make sure he knows I wasn't angry at him, just… worried. For him.
As I near the entrance, I slow down, not because I want to, but because there's a sudden surge of nerves that nearly stops me in my tracks. What if he really doesn't want to see me?
I take a steadying breath, roll my shoulders back. No. I can face him. I need to.
The doors slide open, the familiar chemical cool air brushing past my skin as I walk through the lobby.
The lift ride feels painfully slow. I tap my foot without realising it, tiny, restless movements I normally don't allow myself. When the doors finally open into the lab, I stop dead in my tracks.
It's quiet. Too quiet.
I look around the lab and Noahs office, but he's no where to be seen.
Where is he? He's always here.
But then something clicks in my mind, and I realise he must be in his dads lab instead. As quickly as I had entered, I turn and leave.
When the door pings open, I walk down the corridor, each step echoing more loudly than I'd like. And when I look through the window into the lab I see him.
For a moment, my heart stumbles, just one beat too hard.
I lift my hand to knock… hesitate.
He's completely absorbed in his work, like the world outside this room doesn't exist. Watching him push his goggles up with the back of his hand… it does something to me. Something I can't quite name, but it makes my chest tighten and my pulse skip just a little.
Noah means more to me than he knows. More than I let myself admit. But whatever's brewing in my chest right now, fear, guilt, affection tangled into something messy, I can sort it out later.
Right now, I just glad he seems to be alright.
I shouldn't distract him at work.
Just as I start to turn away, the door to Joseph Langford's office clicks open.
"Officer Lennoy" he says, his voice precise and measured.
I stop mid-step and turn to face him, hands clasped behind my back out of habit. "Dr Langford" I reply, keeping my tone even.
He doesn't move immediately. Instead, he studies me, eyes sharp, calculating, moving slowly from my face down to my clothes. I'm not in my uniform, slightly dishevelled and Hungover... not a great image. He makes no comment, but the scrutiny alone is sharp enough to make my stomach tighten.
"I wasn't expecting to see you today" he says, glancing at his watch with deliberate emphasis, like it's a silent rebuke for my lateness.
"Apologies, sir" I say, keeping my voice steady. "Just here to perform my usual checks."
He tilts his head ever so slightly, the faintest raise of his eyebrow betraying that he doesn't believe me. He's not the type to confront it outright. Not yet. But the weight of his gaze is enough.
The silence stretches between us, taut and uncomfortable. My mind scrambles for a polite excuse to leave, something to break the tension without challenging him.
And then the lab door opens.
Noah steps through, and instantly, the air shifts. His presence is calm but firm, the kind of presence that cuts through tension without raising his voice.
"Finn" he says quietly, just enough for me to hear, his eyes flicker to his dad with a steady gaze before turning to me. "I didn't realise it was lunch time".
Joseph's sharp eyes flick to Noah, briefly narrowing. A faint, calculating smile touches his lips, but he says nothing. The tension doesn't dissipate, it pivots, subtle but heavy, like a game shifting mid-move.
I let out a slow breath I didn't realise I'd been holding, grateful and… a little relieved. Noah doesn't speak loudly, doesn't act aggressively, but his presence is enough to remind me why I trust him more than almost anyone. Even in front of someone like his dad.
Noah is acting as a shield between us. And in that moment, I can't help noticing the way Noah's hand hovers slightly in front of me, a silent, protective gesture, just enough to make my chest tighten.
Joseph's eyes linger on both of us for a heartbeat longer than necessary, calculating, measuring…
"It seems fortunate, does it not, that you have Officer Lennoy to ensure you remain… on course" he says, each word measured, the faintest trace of derision curling at the edges. "Well, I have meetings to attend"
And then he finally leaves. Unspoken tension to hang between us.
Noah exhales softly, glances at me, and for a brief second, the weight of the morning, the hangover, everything, it all feels a little lighter.
"Why are you here?" Noah finally asks, calm but straight to the point.
"Erm… well, I saw your text and thought it would be best to come" I say. I try to keep my voice steady, but the nerves seep through anyway. Subtle, but there.
He looks me up and down, not like his dad's cold scrutiny, but an honest check, a soft flicker of concern trying to disguise itself as neutrality.
"Come on. Let's head to my lab."He turns toward the lift, and I fall in behind him without a thought. I always do. It feels almost instinctive.
We ride up in silence. Noah doesn't speak, and the quiet presses at my throat until it forms a solid lump. I brace myself for the inevitable, him telling me he's upset, or disappointed, or angry.
But once we're inside his office, he moves behind his desk, rubbing the bridge of his nose, his tell for irritation, stress, or both.
I stand still, waiting to let him speak first. Waiting for the scolding I've earned.
But instead...
"He's hiding something. I know he is." Noah breaks the silence abruptly.
My mouth parts slightly in confusion. "Hiding something? Who?"
"He's been holed up in his office all morning" he paces as he talks, hands twitching with restless energy. "He even shut the blinds. Completely. He never does that."
"Are you talking about your dad?" I ask slowly.
Was he not angry with me at all? Then what was with that text?
"Yes" Noah says, still pacing. "I think he's up to something and I need to know what."
He steps closer as he turns, and before he can pass me, I reach out and catch his wrist. He freezes and looks down at my hand in mild confusion, then up at me.
"What's wrong? Did the medicine not do what it should? Are you sick?" he asks, brow tightening.
I sigh, dropping my head. God, I really misread that text.
It wasn't Take the day off, you need it as in cool down and think about your behaviour.It was just Noah's usual flat, practical tone. The least comforting tone known to mankind.
I laugh, quiet at first, then harder, the tension in my chest easing.
"Finn?" Noah asks cautiously.
When the laugh finally dies, I look up at him, relief washing through me so quickly it almost makes me dizzy.
"Christ, Noah… you really need to learn how to text in a friendlier tone" I say, smiling.
He blinks, confused. "What do you mean? My message simply said to take the day off."
"That's- no. Never mind." I sigh and release his wrist.
"You're not still intoxicated, are you? I have to say… seeing you that drunk when I arrived was unexpected." he says.
I blink."Came to get me? I don't… remember that. Did anything happen?"
Noah hesitates and looks away. Something flickers over his face like a shadow.
"Noah?" I press, heart tightening. Did I do something stupid? Did I... God, did I try to kiss him?
"Well…" He exhales sharply. "While I was looking for the car, someone may or may not have made another attempt to abduct me." He glances at me with an almost sheepish innocence, like he's bracing for a scolding.
"What?!" The word rips out of me, sharp with guilt.
I'm supposed to protect him. And instead I was drunk out of my mind while he walked straight into danger because of me.
"Don't worry, you handled it quickly" Noah says. "I was… honestly quite surprised by your efficiency. Especially given your condition."
The praise hits harder than any punch in the gut.
"Noah, I'm so-" I start to apologies, but he lifts a hand.
"We've already discussed this. I'd prefer to leave it there."It's not cold, not really. It's just Noah's way of saying It's over. You're forgiven. Lets move on.
But the guilt clings anyway. If I hadn't been able to stop that man...
I make a silent vow never to drink like that again.
Noah resumes pacing, mind clearly returning to the issue from before.
"So… you think your dad is hiding something? Do you know what?" I ask, pushing down last night's guilt and focusing on him.
"Yes. The last thing I saw before he closed the blinds was him sitting at his computer. But then he suddenly got up and shut them." Noah leans back against the desk, deep in thought.
There's something unfairly attractive about him like this, the messy hair from playing with his goggles, the sleeves pushed up to help with the summer heat, the focused intensity in his eyes. I swallow the urge to reach out, to touch him, to-
No. I need to push that thought away.
"I mean, your dad hides a lot of things" I say. "Why's this different?"
Noah's gaze sharpens, locking onto mine."Because this time, he was watching me first. As if whatever was on that screen was something I wasn't meant to see."
Ah. That does it. That's the trigger. When something involves Noah, even vaguely, he becomes driven, obsessive until he uncovers the truth.
And there's only one thing to say when he gets like that.
"So… what's the plan?"
A small smile curls on his lips.
He moves around his desk, opens his laptop, and starts typing. Then he turns the screen toward me.
A list of names and timestamps fills the display. I recognise several, they are IT personnel who handle internal system maintenance here at GeneX.
"We're going to break into the database" Noah says, smiling like this is the best idea he's had in weeks.
And for better or worse, I already know I'm going to have to help him achieve his goal.
_______________________________
It's late by the time everything finally falls into place. I managed to grab a shower and change into my spare uniform while I waited around. The day dragged on after that, most of it spent in the surveillance room, watching the feeds while Noah finished his shift in his dad's lab.
Once he was done, we holed up in his office. And we wait... and wait.
Eventually, I check my watch and it reads 11:59 p.m.
The moment it flips to midnight, Noah stands abruptly, like a switch has been flipped inside him.
"Time to go?" I ask.
"Yes. Time to go." He glances at his own watch, quick and precise. "The last IT employee should have left by now."
Earlier, Noah managed to get the IT department's internal rota. He showed me the schedule with a kind of quiet satisfaction that honestly should've concerned me more. According to the logs, the last staff member clocked out at 23:30. We decided to give ourselves extra time, just in case they lingered.
We take the lift down to the basement and as soon as the doors slide open, the temperature drops. The corridor is cold, the kind of cold that seeps through the fabric of your sleeves. Probably intentional, to keep the servers from overheating.
Everything feels too quiet.
Before we move forward, I hold an arm out."Noah. Stay here and keep out of sight."
He listens, slipping into the shadowed corner of the corridor, the dim blue glow from the server rooms catching in his snow white hair.
I make a slow sweep of the area. The only sound down here is the steady hum of server fans stacked row after row behind glass panels. The rooms are dark except for the faint blue LED strips running along the equipment.
I can't hear any footsteps or voices.
Once I'm satisfied, I return to him.
"Clear. Looks like everyone's gone."
We walk together deeper into the basement, then turn into the IT office.
Rows of computers line the walls, screens asleep, casting a faint reflection onto the desks. In the far corner, separated from the rest, sits the manager's desk, it's cleaner, larger, the kind that belongs to someone with authority.
"The manager's terminal is our best option" Noah murmurs, eyes sweeping the layout. "He'll have higher level clearance."
I nod, keeping my eyes on the corridor behind us, listening for anything out of place, even the smallest noise.
But beside me, Noah steps forward with quiet purpose.
And I can't help noticing the steadiness in his posture, the confidence in his movements.
Doing dangerous, reckless things shouldn't suit him this well... But some how it does. And that thought alone sends a strange warmth curling through my chest.
If we get caught down here, we're finished. I've heard the whispers of people trying to steal GeneX intel to sell on the black market. Anyone finding us in the IT office at this hour wouldn't bother asking questions. They'd assume the worst.
Noah knows that. He knows exactly what kind of trouble this could bring. And yet… he's still here. Still pushing forward. Still hacking into the system just to uncover whatever his dad's hiding.
He heads straight for the manager's desk, pulling the chair back with a soft scrape. He starts typing. Fast. Much faster than I expected.
The screen boots up, a login screen glowing faintly in the blue haze from the server racks outside and Noah connects a slim black device to the computer's USB port.
"Give me a second…" he murmurs.
A second turns into ten, then twenty. His fingers barely pause, dancing across the keys with sharp precision, entering commands I don't recognise, slipping past firewalls like he's done it a hundred times. Maybe he has.
For scientist, he sure has a few tricks up his leave.
A bar flashes green across the screen. ACCESS GRANTED.
Noah huffs a small, satisfied breath. "Easier than I expected"
"Why do I feel like this isn't your first time doing this" I ask, lifting a brow.
He doesn't answer directly. Instead he opens a new window, pulling up the GeneX internal network. Lines of digital pathways thread across the screen like veins.
"Maybe only once... a long time ago." Noah mutters, leaning closer, his voice tightening with focus. "Now to connect remotely to my father's terminal."
Watching him work feels strange, like I'm seeing a side of him he never intended to show. The hum of the servers outside syncs with the rapid tapping of his keys.
Another window opens. Another stream of code.
Then another green notification flashes. REMOTE CONNECTION ESTABLISHED. WELCOME JOSEPH LANGFORD,
He exhales, shoulders dropping. "I've got access to his laptop."
Even I can't help stepping forward, the scale of what he's doing finally sinking in. Somewhere several floors above us, in a pristine locked office, Joseph's computer is now wide open under Noah's hands.
"Alright," Noah whispers, swallowing hard. "Let's see what my father's been hiding."
After a few clicks through Joseph's folders, Noah opens one labelled "SDO." Special Division Operations. Joseph's private unit.
Even I've wondered about them. No one talks about SDO openly, not unless they want to lose their job. All anyone knows is that when GeneX needs something done quietly… or dirty… the special division is the team they call. Off the record and off the books.
Noah opens the folder and a list of files appears, they are numbered 001 onward.
"Uh… I wasn't expecting this" Noah mutters. "What do you think the numbers mean?"
He clicks the first file.
CONFIDENTIAL
Test Subject: 001
Gender: Female
Power: Forcefield Generation
Status: Deceased
Location: N/A
Cause of Death: Burnout
And that's all. No name. No age. No photo. No humanity.
The rest of the information seems to be blacked out.
Somehow it's... disappointing.
"I thought there'd be more" I admit.
Noah exhales sharply. "Agreed. Let's continue. There must be something here he deliberately tried to conceal"
He opens the next.
CONFIDENTIAL
Test Subject: 002
Gender: Male
Power: Weapon Creation
Status: Alive
Location: Overseas
Cause of Death: N/A
Then the next.
CONFIDENTIAL
Test Subject: 003
Gender: Male
Power: Sound Wave
Status: Deceased
Location: N/A
Cause of Death: Burnout
I lean back. "These are pretty generic. Do you really think we'll find anything?"
"Let's check a few more" Noah says, nodding. But there's hesitation behind it. A weight.
"You okay?" I ask.
"I'm fine, it's just…" He scrolls deeper into the folder. And deeper. File after file. "The volume is significant… and many of them lack identifiers" he observes, his tone calm but probing. "It raises questions about the true scope of my father's activities."
He scrolls back up and clicks the next one.
CONFIDENTIAL
Test Subject: 004
Gender: Male
POWER: Shadow Manipulation
Status: Unknown
Location: Unknown – Missing in Action
CAUSE OF DEATH: TBD
"Missing in action?" Noah murmurs, his voice low. "uhm... interesting. My father doesn't lose assets. Not easily."
He's right. That doesn't fit. Joseph doesn't misplace people, especially not ones with powers. Something about this… feels off.
I lean closer, eyes scanning the file over his shoulder. "Are they… a runaway?" I suggest, though the words taste wrong in my mouth. It's not like these people are ordinary employees walking out the door. These are test subjects, probably engineered, controlled, and monitored every step of the way.
Noah pauses, jaw tightening slightly. "If they escaped… how? The Special Division isn't merely a department, it's seems like a containment. And my father… he wouldn't leave loose ends."
The implications sit heavy between us. If this subject really is missing… either Joseph is hiding something deeper than even we imagined, or something went catastrophically wrong.
I glance around the dim office, the faint hum of the servers filling the silence, and feel the weight of it pressing down. Whoever this was, they're out there somewhere. Alone, powerful, and potentially dangerous.
"Whatever happened" I mutter, "I doubt they will stay missing for long"
We keep searching through the other files. The deeper we go, the more unsettling it becomes.
Burnout. Burnout. Alive. Burnout. Terminated. Burnout. Alive.
The sheer volume makes my skin crawl. Whatever Joseph Langford is doing… it's cruel and inhuman. Every one of these "subjects" survived the initial Lunex mutation. They were meant to be the lucky ones...
Eventually, Noah closes the laptop with a soft click. He sinks back into the chair. For a moment, I just watch him. There is something in his eyes. Not frustrated. Not annoyed.
But sadness. Raw, heavy sadness pulling at his features.
I place my hand on his shoulder, but he doesn't look up.
"Noah… what's wrong?" My voice feels too small for the silence that follows.
He's quiet. Then, barely above a whisper:
"I… Is this my fault?"
The words hit me like a punch, and my stomach drops.
"What are you talking about?" I tug his chair back gently and kneel in front of him.
He still won't meet my eyes.
"He had so many successful mutations to experiment on… Is this because I helped improve the survival rate?"
"No" I say immediately, too quickly and I force myself to soften my voice. "Noah, look at me."
He doesn't.
I gently place my hand under his chin, not forcing, just enough to guide him. When he finally lifts his eyes to mine, they're red at the corners, glassy with a kind of guilt no one his age should ever have to carry.
"You improved survival rates" I tell him, steady and slow. "You saved lives. You gave people a chance they never would've had."
"But-"
"No." I shake my head firmly. "Whatever your dad did with that opportunity… that's on him. Not you."
He swallows hard, jaw tightening. "But if they hadn't survived, then he wouldn't have-"
"Noah." I cup his face, squeezing gently. "You didn't create the special division. You didn't tell him to experiment on people. You didn't turn them into numbers in a hidden folder. That's him. That's all him."
He looks away again, guilt pulling at him like gravity. "But I made it possible."
"That's not how this works." My voice comes out rougher than intended. Because seeing him like this, shoulders hunched, heart breaking, it does something to me. Something sharp and helpless. "You used your brain to help people live. Joseph used it to exploit them. That is not your burden to carry."
The hum within the room fills the silence between us. Cold, mechanical, unfeeling. Completely opposite to the person in front of me... even though sometimes he wants to act like he is.
I take a breath. "If anything… you're the one person in this building who's trying to do the right thing."
His eyes flick up to mine, uncertain and slightly vulnerable.
"Your nullifier is what will save other in the future. And I'm not going to let you blame yourself for his sins" I add, softer now. "Not while I'm here."
Noah's breath shudders, and for a moment he looks like he might break. Really break. I check my pockets for his medicine but realise I didn't have any in this spare uniform.
So I reach out, more boldly this time, and place my hand over his.
A silent promise. One I mean more than I should.
"You hear me?" I ask quietly.
He nods small, barely there, but real.
"Good." I give his hand a gentle squeeze. "We'll figure this out. Together."
And I mean it.