Replicant (Part Two)

"I can´t. I don´t have any more left," Iris hurriedly said.

Ed reached into one of the inside pockets of his jacket and pulled out what seemed to be a grey tablet. Lancer passed him a small glass of alcohol at once, and Ed dropped the tablet into it before handing it over to Iris.

She did not take it. 

"Is it the alcohol?" Ed said, looking over to his partner. "Maybe she´s still underage, Lance." 

"She thinks you´re trying to poison her," Lancer snorted.

"The tablet," Iris said. 

"Oh, you´ll find out."

Iris stared. She knew the wine was safe to drink, of the tablet she wasn´t so sure. Six years down in the underworld had taught her otherwise. 

"Fine," Ed finally said. He took out another tablet and gulped it down instantly, smiling at her. 

"Drink that," she pointed at the glass. Ed rolled his eyes but took a generous sip. Iris waited, staring. 

"Smart one," Lancer chuckled. "She´s cautious."

"Probably why she survived out here for so long in the first place, aside from her powers." 

Iris finally took the glass and gulped its contents down to the last drop. She waited but felt . . . nothing.

"Now, use it on me," Ed simply said once more. 

Iris gave him a puzzled look, reaching for her power again, but this time she felt her eyes widen with shock. Where she´d barely felt faint sparks and bursts before, there was now loads of it. She´d only been able to use it once a month, roughly, but now she seemed to have enough for every day of the month. She reached in and focused on Ed.  

Iris had felt nothing, but apparently, Ed had picked up on something. She wasn´t even sure what she was doing. She reached in again, and this time, made out five different sources of energy. She concentrated on another, just like she´d done with the first one. Ed´s smile widened. 

"Another one, perhaps?" he said, nodding.

Iris tried a different one yet again. Her eyes widened. She´s never seen this before. Shadows of Ed and Lancer clouded her field of vision, each, however, doing a different action. 

Agitated and overwhelmed, she stopped and instead tried a fourth one. It felt similar to the previous one, yet different at the same time. Suddenly, her field of vision was blinded by the singular lamp in the room, her ears could hear voices from upstairs clearly, and most of all, she felt much more tired than before. The cut Trap had given her before throbbed with a stinging pain. 

"Ow," she cried, and stopped at once. However, still curious, she reached in to try the fifth one. For the final time, she focused. Nothing happened. Again.

Ed, however, seemingly sensed something, because he laid back on his seat, looking thrilled. 

He smiled. "That´s it, then," he said to Lancer, who was also looking at her with utmost curiosity. "She just used all five."

"So, what am I?" Iris inquired. 

"The vast majority of Replicants are noblemen or Prowlers. Technically, some of them can only use up to three elements. Most can only use one. Four, however, is even rarer. Folks who possess between one and four powers are known as Technomancers. You just showed you have control over all five." 

"Just like the Prowlers?" she said.

"As far as we know," Ed replied. "And we don´t know much. Hardly any Technomancers exist outside the monarchy´s control. Let alone, a Replicant, someone with all five abilities."

The room fell silent, and Edward continued. "It was very faint, and you have a lot to learn, but there is no doubt. You´re a Replicant. Trap has kept you hidden away pretty well, gotta give him that. Had you not been on the job yesterday fighting off Prowlers, we´d never have found you."

She whispered something to herself, shaking her head. Then she spoke loudly in disbelief.

“This can’t be real.”

“It’s real,” Ed said firmly. “The Monarch’s forces already suspect something, and soon, they’ll know exactly what you are."

Iris fell silent, confused, and conflicted. 

"Trap knew I was one? A . . . Replicant. I mean?"

"Possible."

"So, now what? I turn myself in? What does all this mean?"

"It means that you, Iris, are a very special person. Replicants are extremely rare, even amongst the nobility." Ed’s gaze softened for just a moment. “This is your choice, Iris. You can fight it, run from it- but you’ll always be hunted. Or you can come with us, and we can teach you to control it."

"I want to leave Arnem. Leave all of this," she waved angrily across the room. "I just want to live without the fear of getting killed any second. And now you come here, talking about how I´m someone special . . . with some . . . stupid powers, and expect me to believe you? What do you even want from me? To use me like a tool, and then cast me away when you have no more need for me?"

"Hardly," Ed remained cool. "We want to help you. You don´t have to fight. We´ll bring you to the outskirts if that´s what you want. We´ll teach you. And in return, until you leave, we hope that you can help us."

Iris calmed herself down again, finding herself seriously considering that. If what these men were saying was true, she had to stay, to learn more about her powers and find out everything they know. Her thoughts circled back to Cly, Trap, Rash, and the others. Rash had been so quick to betray them. But then again, this was the underworld.

No friends. 

For as long as she´d remembered, she´d kept to herself and didn´t feel the need to get familiar with anyone. And everyone, in turn, was happy to leave her alone. Because if you let someone get too close, it´ll only hurt more when they betray you. 

It didn´t seem that way between Lancer and Ed, though. Ed had been sitting with his back turned on Lancer this whole time, almost as if they trusted each other. A front? Ed couldn´t be that foolish, could he? Their friendliness seemed awfully foreign to Iris.

A Replicant. She was one of those. Of that, she was now sure. That probably didn´t explain what happened back with the Prowlers, but still, she had to learn to use her powers. Learn everything they know. Maybe then she´ll find the answers she wants.

It´s not like it´ll be too late to cast everything away after that. 

Ed got up to leave, and Lancer quickly finished his drink to follow him. 

"Think about it, Lance will be back tomorrow. The decision is yours alone."

Iris looked in at her reserves again. "Will my abilities allow me to leave the confines of Arnem and go away?" she asked. 

Ed waited and then nodded, looking back at her.

Iris took a deep breath, sighing. "I´m in, then."

 Ed and Lancer turned around, Ed raising his eyebrow and smiling ever so slightly.

"I´ll come. I´ll help you guys in any way I can. But as soon as we find a chance to escape, I´m leaving after that."

She had to leave. She had to escape this grim, underground city somehow. And she liked to believe that an entire vast world was waiting for her above.

Ed´s smile broadened. "Certainly!"

"What about Trap?"

"Oh, he´ll be furious," Lancer said. 

With that, Ed and Lancer left. Iris was still in thought. She took one final look at the dull grey brick walls that had been her "home" these past six years, her eyes determined, and then followed them out the door and into the rain, never looking back. 

END OF PROLOGUE