The Moon, Selene's Villa
"You showed him mercy." - Said Lucas - "I suppose you're a better person than I..."
Neruite shook her head.
"You made me a bit more mellow, Lucas."
"But I wouldn't be... I mean..." - Lucas sighed - "I myself am not this nice. How would I make you nicer?"
"Your view of me, of me-as-Neruite, is kinder than you are." - Said Neruite, smiling lightly - "People want deities they can look up to. Besides... Even for one such as Julian. Would you like to have his death in your consciousness?"
Lucas paused for a moment, then blushed and sighed.
"I'm just a translator... Not a soldier."
Neruite walked up to Lucas and hugged her.
"You are not a soldier, and in the terms you think of the Brazilian military, you will never be. But you are no longer just a translator, Lucas. You received that power and you did your very best with it. Even if I had not decided to spare Julian, I want you to understand, Lucas, that what you did was the best that could be done in those circumstances..."
"...even because there may well come a time in which I have to kill someone if I keep playing hero..." - Said Lucas, somberly.
"Maybe. Know, however, that, in all likelihood, it will be the best choice possible for everyone involved if it happens. And that I and the other gods will help you through it."
Lucas blushed.
"You guys are too kind."
"Yeah, it's not like you did anything to earn it, like, say, fighting an omnipotent opponent for me or anything." - Said Neruite, smirking.
"Still..." - Said Lucas - "I sometimes wonder... What or who am I becoming?"
Her phone rang.
"Yello. Oh. Sure, I'll bring you guys to my place so we can talk. Yeah. See you soon."
"Gotta go to my plot, Neruite. I'll be back soonish.
The Moon, Lucas's Plot
"Thank you for bringing us here, Lucas." - Said Hawkins - "We understand that you had to take extreme measures to deal with that threat, but you revealed its nature and that of the Enemy to the entire Globe... We must decide on what to do. This may risk even your plans regarding dealing with countries, I'm afraid."
Lucas nodded, distractedly, as she looked at her laptop, sipping a can of Dr Pepper.
"Mm-hmm..."
"Lucas..." - Said Hawkins - "Are you listening?"
Lucas smiled as she looked at her PC screen.
"Hawkins." - Said Cecilia, her sensors picking up something - "You might want to take a look online."
Hawkins walked up to where Lucas was, to look at what was entertaining her so.
"Lucas, listen to me. Do you know what you have done?"
He then saw what Lucas was looking at.
"Samuel Pitchford: The New Orson Welles!" - Said the title - "The Dark Moon Never Existed! Studio Fakes Dark Moon And Its Sensors To Promote Upcoming Film. The sponsors are going wild!"
She prepared the cover-up too... - Thought Hawkins.
"No. What?" - Asked Lucas, smiling the most faux-innocent smile Hawkins had ever seen.
The Moon, Selene's Villa
Neruite, omniscient in her world, giggled to herself. She knew the answer to Lucas's question, after all.
