They ducked into an alleyway, trying to catch their breath. The man in the suit appeared at the entrance, but instead of attacking, he pulled off his hat and sunglasses, revealing a familiar face.
“Lead?” Allelea gasped.
Lead grinned. “Surprise. I figured you might need some help.”
Cyto looked between them, still confused. “Who is this?”
“He’s a friend,” Allelea explained quickly. “And he’s here to help us.”
Lead nodded. “We don’t have much time. The organization knows you’re here, and they’re not going to stop until they get you back. We need to get you out of the city, Allelea. Else you'll be brain wiped.”
Cyto hesitated, but seeing the determination in Allelea’s eyes, he nodded. “Alright. Let’s go.”
As they made their way through the winding streets, Allelea couldn’t help but feel a renewed sense of hope. With Lead by their side, they had a fighting chance to restore Cyto’s memories and take down the organization once and for all.
***
As they navigated the narrow streets of Saint Petersburg, Lead led them to a safe house hidden in a quiet neighborhood. Once inside, he locked the door and turned to face Cyto and Allelea.
“We should be safe here for a while,” Lead said, pulling out a map and spreading it on the table. “I’ve been making some progress on finding my old friends. It’s been a challenge, but I think I’m getting closer.”
Allelea leaned in, curious. “What have you found?”
Lead pointed to several marked locations on the map. “I’ve tracked down Aurelia and Thalia. They’re both at Harvard, still in similar roles as before. Nick... I don't know, and Gallus and Selena are rivals now instead of lovers, living in France. You met them. It’s strange how their lives have shifted in this new timeline.”
Allelea had to stifle a laugh. Those two? Lovers? Never in a million years was that likely.
Cyto, still trying to process everything, asked, “And what about you? How did you end up here?”
Lead sighed. “After the timeline shift, I found myself in Germany, living a completely different life. I, of course, had all my memories. I met you guys one day and we hit it off. That’s how I found out about the resistance and eventually joined them.”
He looked at Cyto with determination. “We need to bring everyone together. If we can reunite the group, we might be able to figure out how to restore the original timeline or at least create a better one.”
Lead's past life began to flash before his eyes as he kept remembering it all. He didn't want to, not one bit... but he did. And he hated it all. He didn't want to go back to the original world. No way. His sanity was in pieces as it is. "No... please, not the original world. I really can't go back there. There's the storm, remember?"
Cyto added, "One problem at a time. I'm still clueless but I do know this. Relax, and you can do it."
Allelea nodded. “We'll do a more... local one... what about Cyto’s memories? How can we help him remember?”
Lead thought for a moment. “It won’t be easy, but we can start by exposing him to familiar places and objects from his past. The more triggers we can provide, the better chance we have of breaking through the brainwashing.”
Cyto looked at the map, feeling a mix of hope and fear. “So, what’s the plan?”
Lead smiled. “First, we need to get you both out of Russia safely. Then, we’ll head to India to regroup and plan our next move. From there, we’ll work on finding the others and piecing together the puzzle.”
"We can't..." Allelea said. "It's too risky. Won't it seem suspicious to their radar here that we migrated in under a week? The visas were for settlement."
"Oh... then we need to work it out... but for now, I think poor Cyto would benefit from some rest. And you need to find your house here." Lead answered, when he suddenly felt a vibration in his pocket.
As Cyto and Allelea left the safe house, Lead watched them disappear into the night. He sighed, knowing the road ahead would be difficult for all of them. He turned back to the table, where his phone buzzed with an incoming video call.
He answered, and the screen split into three sections. On one side, Selena and Gallus appeared, sharing a device. On the other, Aurelia’s face came into view, and beside her was Thalia, whom she quickly introduced.
“Lead, meet Thalia,” Aurelia said. “She’s been helping me with the research.”
Thalia gave a small wave. “Hi, Lead. It’s good to finally meet you.”
Lead nodded. “Nice to meet you too, Thalia... after a long time.”
Selena leaned in closer to the camera. “Lead, it’s been a while. How have you been holding up?”
Lead smiled, feeling a sense of camaraderie. “It’s been tough, but I’m managing. How about you guys? How’s everyone doing?”
Gallus chuckled. “Well, Selena and I have been trying to keep things together here in France. It’s been… interesting, to say the least.”
Selena slapped his shoulder playfully. "If by interesting, you mean boring, except when I'm researching."
"And this is because I'm there, right?" Gallus teased back. "You know you love me, Princess Platina."
"You're unbearably insufferable, Gallus...If I didn't need you for this time shift research, I'd be strangling you by now..."
"Yeah, see? You need me!"
"Anyway..." Selena said through clenched teeth, "What's up with you Americans?"
"Not much here," Thalia shrugged coolly.
Aurelia added, “Thalia and I have been working hard at Harvard. It’s strange being back in academia, but we’re making progress.”
Thalia nodded. “It’s been a challenge, but we’re getting there. Lead, can you tell us more about your time in Germany? How did you end up joining the resistance?”
Lead took a deep breath, recalling the events. “After the timeline shift, I found myself in Germany, living a completely different life. I had all my memories, but everything around me was different. I met Cyto and Allelea one day, and we hit it off. That’s how I found out about the resistance and eventually joined them.”
Selena’s eyes sparkled with curiosity. “And what about your relationships with us? Do you remember how we all met in the original timeline?”
Lead nodded. “Of course. Aurelia, you were my ex, and we had a complicated history. Thalia, you were always the voice of reason, keeping us grounded. Gallus, you and Selena were the cheesy inseparable couple, always working on some new project together.”
Gallus laughed. “Yeah, those were the days. It’s strange to think how different things are now.”
Aurelia looked thoughtful. “Do you ever miss the old timeline, Lead?”
Lead hesitated, then shook his head. “I miss the people, but not the chaos. This new timeline has its own challenges, but we have a chance to make things better.”
Thalia smiled. “It’s good to hear that. We need to stay focused on the future, even as we remember the past.”
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