THE MERCURIAL ??

"....my father. That night, after giving me it, he told me the only two people whom I can trust in the world is you and Lucy. He said if I were approached by you guys then I should trust you, or if I were to need help, I should find you two...."

She spoke softly, her eyes flickering showing that she was remembering the events of that night,

"Dad! What's going on? Why did you call me here?"

Iris's voice, filled with worry, her eyes go round at seeing her father bleeding,

"You're hurt!"

She exclaimed, looking to see if there was somewhere he was badly injured, fortunately he wasn't, it was just his arm that was bleeding, the cut was deep but not that deep. The blood made it harder to see the wound.

"Listen to me closely, here..."

Nicholas gives Iris a tiny USB, which happen to also get blood on it from the red hand.

"Why are you giving this to me? You need this..."

"I am sorry for getting you involved in this, but they have found out that I have this. The reason I told us to split up was because I did not want them to come after you. Keep this safe, you know what to do with this. I trust you. I believe in you....." he whispered, his breath was heavy due to all the running, "Do not trust anyone else except Logan Wilson and Lucy Hill, they are the only ones you can trust. Believe in them when they approach you and find them if you need help, I told you about them, right?"

Iris nods in return, her eyes were starting to fill with tears, she knew what her father was going to say next but she didn't want to hear those words.

"I will have to leave, I don't know when I will be coming back but these people only care about their reputation, and they would do anything to protect it, all that's going wrong in this world.....its because we don't know who the real culprit it, we think the people who are protecting us are our heroes even though they are the ones we have to save ourselves from. I have to go, you understand, right? By staying here, I'll be endangering you guys even more. They all won't rest until they either find this or kill me...they will think that I will either take this USB with myself or give it to someone from the inside whom I trust, that's why they all won't bother you much..."

Tears fell upon Iris's face at the thought of losing her father.

"Don't cry, my little dumpling. I love you so much!"

He hugged her and she hugged him back,

"I love you too, dad. Stay safe and take care. I will bring you back soon!"

She promised to herself in her heart that she will find her dad one day.

"Good bye.."

He kissed her forehead and then ran, disappearing into the shadows.

"I see....so you're the one he gave the USB to. Never saw that coming. Everyone thinks that thing got destroyed in the fire."

Logan remarked after hearing what Iris told him. When Nicholas, or Nick as they all used to call him, didn't give the USB to him, he thought that maybe Nick didn't trust him enough, which made him disappointed even though he never objected to it. He now sees that Nick made the right decision.

"Just what is in this USB?"

Ella, the oblivious person in the area asked.

"Have you seen it?"