Trouble in Paradise [closed;solo]

It was a bright, cold day at the beginning of April, the clocks of church bells striking thirteen in the distance as the sun only seemed to rise higher and higher by the moment. He slipped out of the sacred ground through its exquisite doors, moving quickly but not quickly enough to prevent the inevitable swirl of gritty dust from entering inside; it would cause too much inconvenience later on if that were to happen. The flu was already persisting for longer than usual already. One wrong mishap meant getting sick for an unidentifiable amount of time. Even with the warmth and crispy air of spring, winter still seemed to plague and linger around for more than it was permitted to.

Glaring, vibrant colors were what splattered the entire surface of the nearby town, practically laughing with the spring sunshine smiling down upon them in their happy-go-lucky manners. Parlors with useless knickknacks, canals that were scarcely used in the modern era, and multiple over-detailed sculptures accompanied by their very own fountain with gray-blue fish spitting water out of them in an endless cycle. If one took the time to stop and take in all of the little details presented to them, the sweet aroma of coffee and tiramisu might fill their nostrils and bring about a tingly sensation within their bodies from head to toe, as though the dulcet fragrance was a drug that stimulated their senses and made them a tiny bit more alert. He didn’t care about all of that in the slightest. All he wanted was to pass through the endless mob of people, buy the necessary things, and get back as quickly as possible. It was no use trying to socialize with the faceless crowd encircling him. They all had terrible taste in conversation, asking the same accursed question each time. It was a hassle to give the same answer over and over again that he didn’t bother with it anymore. Those were simply trivial manners at this point in time.

Under normal circumstances, he may have attempted to appreciate the pleasant weather brought by the cooling and warming of the sun and breeze. But with San Lorenzo roaring with enthusiasm and rage, there was no way to keep it in some kind of peaceful slumber. Shops were packed and condensed, street vendors being used at every corner they were available, and the more bodies that flowed in and out of the vicinity, the narrower the aisle pathways seemed to get, forcing people to walk in a straight line like soldiers marching out to their deaths in files. There were even more pointless stores and marts obediently lying on all sides. Not a single one had doors at this point - they wouldn’t have lasted very long against all of the impatience, might, and violence of the customers anyway. All of the herds that were gathered around like sheep, jumping onto countertops and bleating at the top of their lungs mindlessly. Police were trying to keep the people contained in their pens, but even the shepherds themselves seemed to lack the determination and will to rebel for long. Controlled by the crowd, they were.

A large tattered wagon stood before him, towering larger than most of the other carts around and decorated with a collage of the ripest of fruits, radiating with reds and yellows and blues. Some number of posters were plastered at the sides, almost scarcely hanging on by a thread. The shop owner was standing proudly by her stand, hollering prices as though it were an auction going in reverse, waving her hand around with a carrot as a makeshift hammer to swat the flies buzzing around, tempted by the honeyed juice that the saccharine produce contained. At the countertop, a man who seemed to be her father - or perhaps her husband - busied himself with the cashier, delightfully taking the dirtied bills and coins that customers placed at the tips of his fingers. Sweaty buyers were skillfully weaving in and out of the crowd with their way of dancing in and out like ballerinas, all to get to this one stand. It was the most renowned and known for having the highest quality of crops in the agriculture industry. Perhaps it was karma cursing him by having all of the people come out today of all days. The effort wasn’t worth it but he found himself compelled to after their food supply seemed to be running low.

In actuality, they were rather plentiful with the storage. There were just a few things that seemed to be diminishing faster and faster with each passing day and unfortunately, with pressing matters in mind, he was standing in the crowd, looking through the fruits. Perhaps he would’ve been a bit more enthusiastic about completing this task if it weren’t for a bumbling idiot trailing along behind him like a shadow that would never go away. For safety purposes, they said. It felt like an insult to his capabilities and having to deal with a subordinate bodyguard who spent his times singing flattery and captivating unsuspecting girls who fall for his pathetic tricks and let themselves be played like marionettes by his strings, flapping their wings about. He wasn’t sure whether the subordinate or his victims were more pitiful to watch - either way, it was not the kind of scene he would prefer to have someone seeing his eyes on.

One ear lent itself to listening into conversations circulating about as black gloved hands extended themselves towards a bag of cherries, trying to determine whether they were of the quality that the stand claimed they were to be. Not that one, not this one, not that one either… this one. Beady crimson red globules attached to the thin green stems, rather plump in size, but not too soft where it seemed to squish rather easily and firm enough to hold its own. Definitely had a substantial amount of juice within it. The shop owners weren’t lying about their quality. Already high quality made premium when being very selective with the given choices.

Moving onward towards the apples, he could hear the strict, unmistakable sound of marching in its staccato rhythm coming closer and closer. Pushing around citizens who only grunted and growled in annoyance as they were being forced to stay in line, they seemed to be asking about something. Papers were crumbling and being thrown to the floor, where they were destined to be marked with footprints all over, tarnished of their snow white color. Tch. It would be better to hurry up and get out of the marketplace before the authorities tried to question him once again. Ranking member of the army or not, he wasn’t one to be recognized. Staying any longer would only bring unnecessary trouble. Where was that accursed idiot…?

No, never mind that. Finish getting some apples, be inconspicuous, and leave. The longer he stuck around, the more likely it was he would get caught. With all of this going on, there were other things more important to be concerned about. If the “bodyguard” wasn’t doing his job, that wasn’t anything to take note of. He’d simply get punished later by some other overly-loyal crony.

They were getting closer. At this point in time, he would’ve decided to simply leave and pretend that none of this was happening. That was slightly impossible at this time. Maybe it was his own laziness or an irrational portion of his brain telling him to be less cautious, but he continued as though he were simply a normal customer. The bright red apple, Braeburn, was certainly firm to the core, streaked slightly with a bit of yellow at the sides and was intensely a vibrant crimson. This batch should do. Now all he had to do was get to the register without the police questioning him or simply bypass by taking a shortcut out---

”Oi, you there!” Perhaps it was not a wise decision to stick around so long when he saw all of the police occupying the area. Green eyes narrowed and glanced at the people looming over at the corner of his eyes, casting shadows from the angle they placed themselves. The crowd seemed to have dispersed, being scared off by the authoritative figures’ appearance, and they seemed to have surrounded him. Wonderful. That stupid oaf of an escort had hightailed and ran as well, most likely hooking up with some other girls and drinking away until the morning came. Cutting his pay later may be an effective use of time.

His gaze dropped to the paper that the closest officer grasped within his fingers, the paper crinkling at the top and looking slightly yellow at the edges. Large, black print in all capitals at the top detailed the word “WANTED” and slightly smaller font underneath the provided picture. The image was shoddily done, consisting of scribbles and coloring that flew out of the lines - it was akin to what a four-year old would draw. Wobbly work, triangle noses, choppy hair, awful-to-gods anatomy to the point where one would believe it was a caricature illustrated by a toddler. Whoever the person they were trying to find was fortunate enough that this was their poster; there was no way they would find the criminal if this was what they had for reference.

”You’re associated with this crook, aren’t you?” Warren folded both of his arms across one another in front of him, opting to remain silent. ”That stupid mask of yours screams guilty!”

These were professionals in their occupation? How society has fallen. No wonder the gifted were able to stay hidden so easily; the normal denizens were absolutely narrow-minded. ”No, I don’t know this person.” He would prefer to leave as soon as possible and get back already. This was a waste of time and energy that could be utilized more efficiently in other activities. ”Now if you would excuse me, I have to get back to my family.”

”You’re not leaving! Men, arrest him!”

”How poor you are at fulfilling your job, arresting without proof.” His fingers reached into his pockets. He would prefer not to bring any attention to himself, but this choice was becoming evidently the best without using his powers. Abusing it would prove detrimental.

”Why you---” The red-haired officer grabbed his communicator, pressing the button. ”Base, we have identified an accomplice. Permission to open fire?”

”Hmph.”

There was a prolonged silence and static. The man before him seemed to be getting more and more agitated by the lack of response from headquarters, and Warren could care less. He wanted to leave already; these bumbling idiots shouldn’t have been hired in the first place. The tips of his fingers found what he was looking for, playing with it inside the concealed cloth. They didn’t notice. ”I’m going to fucking put you in chains myself. Hands up!” Oh, so they did know.

His eyes hardened, cold and bitter as he put both of his hands to the back of his head. One was clasped into knuckles. ”As you wish.”

”Good, good. Now take a few paces forward.”

”As you say.”

A content smile crept up on the officer’s face, plastering all over his features. ”Why couldn’t you be this obedient from the start?”

Warren shifted in his position, preparing one leg to leap and move away. He found himself bumping into a young girl, no older than fifteen perhaps, with platinum blonde hair and the most peculiar of red-pink eyes. She was gasping for breath, her inhales and exhales rather shallow, her hands on her knees. Must’ve pushed her way through the crowd and accidentally found herself in this confrontation.

The grin on his face fell into a frown, his eyes narrowing into an irritated glare. ”The hell do you want little girl? Move on, you have no business here.” The newcomer’s cheeks seemed to tinge with a dust of pink, her own lips curved downward slightly.

She placed her hands on her hips, leaning forward to face the much taller redhead. ”I do have business here. Leave my brother alone. We need to go to the hospital to visit our ill mother.” Her cheeks puffed up ever so slightly, in a child-like manner. ”Can’t a guy hide birthmarks while buying apples so people won’t stare?” The girl spun on her heel to face Warren and she winked, going onto the tips of her toes, and cuffing her hand at his ear to whisper: ”Please play along, sir.” She took a step back, turning back to face the police again.

He had no reason to trust her, not in the slightest. He would’ve managed to get out on his own, but he found himself complying. Less work on his part that way. ”If you plan to hold me here and deny me of visiting family, please, be my guest.”

”Ack… B-but.. I don’t… Argh!” How the officer’s face turned red all of a sudden as he tried to sputter something out was most amusing. The girl’s smile brightened and she wrapped her arms around Warren’s arm, his eyes scarcely widening to express his surprise. He would prefer that she hadn’t done this - they were strangers -, but it would be suspicious if he shook her off.

”Thank you so very much sir! Come on, let’s go~” Her grip on him loosened. ”Mom will love the apples.”

The police left an opening for them to leave, their eyes boring into them as they walked off. They were walking for almost an eternity through the once-again crowded streets without exchanging many words. This girl… What was she thinking? If the officers they were dealing with weren’t as dumb as these ones, she would’ve gotten herself into a serious mess and he wouldn’t have bothered to help her, possibly.

She was a peculiar one. From the mannerisms she displayed, it was clear that she was brought up in a house that emphasized respect and honor. The girl was overly polite, constantly referring to others with sir or ma’am somewhere in her speaking habits; she was very cheerful and charismatic, with a thousand-watt smile and she wasn’t the kind to ask questions that might barge into one’s private business. With the clothes she was wearing, a dark blue bow to one side of her head with a matching choker, a foreign-style school uniform and a cardigan, she gave the impression of being rather young and childish, very naive and impressionable. Here and there, she’d toss out one of her “heartwarming puns” that fell rather flat from poor delivery, despite her efforts to try and humor others. A very simple girl who didn’t know the machinery of the world yet. Intriguing, to say the least, she definitely had some string of justice and moral goodness playing along for her. She gave the impression of being kind, but she knew her limits and how to refuse. Sweet but aware of her boundaries and wasn’t as energetic or peppy as one would expect for her age. Quite toned down, actually.

The girl didn’t hesitate to snatch glances at him here and there as they were walking down the alley ways. Ever so often, he would catch her staring at him and she would turn away, slightly flustered that she was being obvious. Once the coast seemed to be clear, they rested in a nearby park, taking refuge underneath a tree for shade as it desperately tried to keep the lights filtering through its branches away, swaying with the breeze. The police wouldn’t have been able to follow them with the overflooded city today.

His hands stayed in his pockets as he viewed the onlooking scenery. Bright, blue skies as the eyes could see, a glistening, glimmering lake reflecting the radiant warm rays of sunlight, flowers littered all across the ground with the happiest of smiles all across their yellow and brownish-black faces. It seemed as though the temperature had risen by quite a bit since he first exited the house. He should get back as soon as possible. He had to.

”Ah, uhm, excuse me, sir.” The girl with the lilac-red eyes quietly started, flashing a miniscule smile in his direction as though she had to watch how she behaved or what she said around him. His eyes crinkled with amusement beneath his mask; Anna would’ve been scolding him for the stuffy formalities and he couldn’t help but agree now that he was on the receiving end of it all. ”I know you looked like you had it all figured out on what you were going to do when the police caught you, but I just wanted to help a little and--”

He knew where this was going. ”There is nothing to apologize for. You saved my hide.”

”I’m glad you think it’s like that! I felt really compelled to after how that officer was treating you, really.” Her smile brightened even more now, eyes flashing with excitement as she pulled her body into a sitting position. ”I mean, how can he have the right to apprehend you because of your mask?”

Warren visibly flinched, a ’tch’ quivering its way up from his throat. So much for going for a while without anyone bringing up the queer accessory that he wore to obscure most of his face. In reality, he couldn’t blame the police for acting up the way they did. Society pinned it down that anyone who wore, said, or did something that was remotely suspicious should be deemed as a suspect or accomplice or a participant of any sort of event with a bad stigma attached to it. Many unexplained events happened, partially on behalf of the people in black under Argona’s orders, but it only stimulated fear. A fear that didn’t seem to want to push its wave through and leave when it should’ve.

Her change in behavior immediately told him that he was being too obvious. An awfully perceptive one she was. ”Ah, I’ve been so rude.” The girl stood up, folding her hands in front, and lowering her head slightly as a sign of respect. Asian ethnicity? Getting a better look at her, he would’ve said Chinese or Taiwanese. ”My name’s Evie and I live here in Florence. And you are…?”

Don’t give your actual name. The voice in his head repeated. He didn’t know anything about this Evie girl besides the one act of charity that she had committed for him. That was it. There was nothing more. He didn’t have to stick around and socialize with her - there were more important things to expend his energy on compared to this. He had to get home. Why was he still even here? If anyone caught them out with one another and called them out on it, he could get into serious trouble. From a rough estimate, Warren was seven years her senior. Not the largest age gap ever, but there was something socially unacceptable about it and he’d have to actually run this time if he got stuck.

”Did… Did I say something wrong?”

Deep breath.

”No. Warren Parks.” He shook his head, casting a glance over his shoulder. These plastic bags were starting to dig into his fingers, their handles were, even with his gloves on. At first, Warren hadn’t been expecting any sort of reaction from just his name alone - people rarely recognized him as a high-standing member of the military -, but the shocked gasp that billowed out very, very close to his neck caused him to feel slightly uncomfortable.

Evie had closed the distance between them, her eyes shining wildly with flickering stars, hands in front in a childlike, ecstatic gesture. ”This can’t be a coincidence! It can’t be! You’re the major for my brother’s unit!” Play it cool, play it cool. Her mannerism were beginning to shine forth and they slightly resembled that of a certain chocolate-haired woman he knew. ”Could you tell me how he’s doing? He hasn’t come home in a while and it’s worrying my father and I.”

His eyelids felt heavy for a scarce moment and he found them closing and shadowing over his eyes, blackening his vision. ”I cannot. I don’t remember the name of everyone enlisted.” That was a lie. He had to take their attendance every day. Of course he knew. The unit was rather small, either way. Too young to handle any group larger they said.

”Oh… I see.”

A sigh escaped from him. ”My apologies, I must be heading home. My family is expecting me.” Without waiting for an answer, Warren began to take a few paces forward and back into the swarming world of Florence where everybody seemed to be enjoying themselves in the sweltering, chilly weather. Bracing himself to deal with the beads of sweat that would form on the surface of his skin, he tried to step in, but himself stopped by the voice of the girl. Evie. What was she saying? There were too many people to make out every single word she uttered out, only fragments and pieces making their way to his ears.

He glanced back at the corner of his green eyes, half of it blocked by the raised surface of his mask. She was waving to him excitedly, her hand cuffed at her mouth as though it would amplify what she said. ”I’lll… you… soon!” ‘I’ll see you again soon!’ he had to assume. Perhaps they would, perhaps they wouldn’t. He just wanted to get back to his place already.

To get to the forest and then to the church concealed within it really wasn’t that far, honestly. A mile or two in walking distance that approximated to about fifteen minutes to half an hour. But the walk seemed to be taking an eternity today. He wasn’t sure whether it was the masses of bodies that prohibited him from going much quicker than a terribly languid pace, the white noise all around that made it difficult to concentrate - even for someone with normal hearing - , or the accursed sunlight reflecting off every glass surface, bouncing back and forth as though purposely trying to blind someone. The air was still slightly cold and crisp, for now.

There wasn’t much to say other than his complete impatience. He’d fucked up sticking around to chat with Evie, even if it was only for a few minutes or so. With the afternoon came an even larger crowd of people as they started heading home from work or deciding to eat out for dinner with their family. Being stuck in this goddamn crowd only made him want to resort to an option that he strictly prohibited himself from using. He was a sitting duck out here, the only thing to at least endear him every step was trying to drink in the details from around.

Warren picked up the pace a bit, pulling ahead of the crowd. From where he was now, it shouldn’t take much longer to reach the bustling city’s exit and actually start heading somewhere or doing something more significant, to say the least. It was liberating, not being entangled with the masses, caught like an unsuspecting fly in the web of a spider that was sadistically allowing it to suffocate to death within the cobs while it gleefully watched its struggles before sinking its pointed, venomous teeth in and sucking its very life away until the very last breath is drawn. He had never been a fan of crowds, but this was starting to be a bit more overbearing than he first expected it to be. This was what he got for not going out much, save for espionage and gathering intel.

Seemingly, out of nowhere, the bodyguard from before was back. Slightly in a daze and a bit tipsy, but that didn’t really matter. Long-reaching purple-black hair that rivaled the length of a girl’s, extending to his hips, with angular features that defined him as a man. Beady, charcoal eyes and a running scar. Very handsome and was someone who could pull off the cool sidelong glance that everyone was so obsessed about. He was popular with the ladies, without a doubt, and acted like a hotshot when he was practically useless in both skills and value. Constantly boasting and showing off, but never actually being able to do anything that he claimed he could. It was a miracle that no one had called him out on it.

… No, Warren was lying to himself. The bodyguard was a very talented swordsman and archer, a deadshot who was known to never miss a strike. It was his gift, after all. Trying to dodge was almost impossible - it would require overpowering the bodyguard and outsmarting him, which unfortunately, was a bigger task than it should’ve been. Bumbling idiot or not, the flirt was able to get his head in the game when it came to fighting. Last Warren had heard, he had only ever lost one fight and it was supposedly to Argona. His defeat was why he joined their force, to learn and get stronger to one day beat her in a spar of some sort. People claimed that he asked to be a bodyguard so that he could slack off, but he was presumably mentored by Argona herself.

But this man was not tolerable in the slightest.

”Yo Warren, my man. Where’ve you been? There were some very lovely hunnies at the bar that you would’ve loved to meet. I managed to hook up with some for later, if you’d like to join us...”

Warren’s eyes shut close, shoving his hands further into his pockets, breathing in and slowly exhaling. ”I refuse, Aster.” There was nothing better than getting this person out of his sight right now, but Aster was never one to be shaken off that easily. ”Do you want to be demoted even further?” It wasn’t much of a threat, and he was slightly ashamed that this was the best that he could come up with thus far. Aster was not one who was worried about losing his rank because he was already in the lower-tier. Going down the ladder more only meant more freedom and less responsibilities, only much less… “exciting” tasks.

A hearty laugh emanated from the bodyguard as he swung one arm over Warren’s shoulders, a thousand-watt Chesire-like toothy grin stitched from head to toe. Ha. ”If you’re so shy about it all, why didn’t you just say so? Don’t worry about it.” Aster crept closer to his ear, his grin morphing into a smirk. ”There are quite some babes there and they’d love a military hero like you.”

”Absolutely not. I’m married, you fool.” Warren glanced away, quickening his pace once again, half-hoping to lose his companion if he went too briskly. Aster was the kind to take things slow… for not so great reasons. He was always crawling around at the pace of a sloth and lumbering around like a fucking idiot because of all the women around. Whether they were married, had children, or were on a date with another boy, Aster never passed the opportunity to barge his way into their business and capture their fleeting hearts between his fingers. Deadshot at stealing the female population’s attention and enraging more than enough of the other half of the world’s citizens. He was not going to stoop down to this playboy’s level. Anna was the only one he would keep his eyes on.

There that stupid boy went again. He just couldn’t help himself, could he? He was slithering his way around him for one moment and the next moment he was captivating a high school student, holding her hand up to his lips and making her face grow red. Warren only rolled his eyes, strumming his fingers across the surface of a nearby counter. His mind found itself wandering back to the platinum blonde girl from before, the one who had gotten him out of a pinch, if only by just a bit.

This was ridiculous. In no ways would they see each other again. Florence was a very large city, one of the much larger ones on the water-encircled nation. With a population booming at an exponential rate and many more coming in an influx here and there, it was impossible to guarantee a reunion. Why was he so bothered by this…? Where he had he seen those eyes before? They seemed so familiar for some reason. Lilac-red eyes that shone with encrusted stars at the very surface, revealing an entire universe and intriguing their audience to the very end.  No, no. That was ridiculous. He never got a good look at her eyes anyway. There was no way that--...

… Ahem.

”Hey, Warren buddy. Pal.” They were nowhere close to being familiar with one another for Aster to be using those terms. This guy was always nosing his way into others’ business and knowing just one personal fact about them made him think they were the best of friends possible. If only he would stop with this facade already and got on with the program instead of running away. ”You seem more distracted from before. Did the police getcha or did something else happen?”

His emerald green eyes stared off into space, his arms folded across as the two of them walked together, side by side, once again down the stone-paved road and towards the verdant green forest that was beginning to come into view. It took him a few moments to respond, as though he was letting the words sink in. ”Hmm…” Warren straightened up, pushing the edge of his mask up slightly in a similar gesture that one does with glasses. ”My unheard of lucky blessings. Someone bailed me out.”

”. . .”

”. . . What?” His voice came out more accusatory than he would’ve liked, but Warren convinced himself that Aster deserved it. This stupid fucking idiot - if he had at least stuck around during the incident with the police, he wouldn’t have had to deal with all of this.

Aster’s dark eyes narrowed in suspicion, eyebrow taut in confusion. ”Wait, who would bail you out?” Suddenly, it contorted into a mischievous, almost accusatory and teasing expression that was stuck on whether it was trying to poke fun at him or being utterly shocked. ”Don’t tell me. It was one of your lovely secret adm---”

He regretted bothering to tell Aster anything. For someone who was feigning this sort of behavior, it was convincing enough to the point that Warren was under the impression that he didn’t take any of this seriously enough. It was all fun and games for him until the going gets rough. ”Just kidding. No one ever would…” His green eyes fell onto the poster flying in front of his face, having unlatched itself from the wooden pillar it had been clasped onto when the wind was too strong.

Without much care, the sheets crumpled and wrinkled when Warren caught it. This wasn’t of much use to him anyway. Aster glanced over his shoulder, trying to get a peek as to what he was looking at and Warren didn’t bother to stop him. It was the poster from before, the one that had gotten him stuck with the officers in the first place. He didn’t get a good look at it before and up close, the details were that much worse. One couldn’t tell whether they had used broken crayons or tried to make it look cool with airbrush or not. Scanning over the text, the words written all across in Italian in larger font while the English text was practically an ant in comparison to it. Not like it mattered - he didn’t need to read it anyway.

His eyes fell on the name, the one supposedly depicted on this criminal old-school styled wanted poster, and they widened a tiny bit. How…? The girl with the lilac-red eyes flashed back into his mind again, the way she had clammed up for a few brief moments after he announced his name, and her reaction. The gentle politeness that had shattered into inexplicable excitement and anxiety. Warren lifted his head up and saw the familiar platinum blonde bed of hair, much shorter this time. He could feel his jaw lowering a tiny bit, his mouth agape.

Aster was staring at him in utter confusion, trying to make sense of something that he couldn’t make the connections for. His gaze was shifting from Warren to the poster paper in his hands and back before he snatched the page, observing it in detail, hand resting underneath his chin. Warren didn’t care what Aster was doing with that paper. That didn’t concern him in the slightest and whatever the playboy was thinking was irrelevant in this situation. He had other matters to attend to. I swear I just saw him. Yes, he definitely did. He was a man to repay debts whenever he could; looks like he would have to find Evie later.

”Aster, you go ahead. I have something to attend to.” Why the hell was he doing this…? He was already delayed going home as was. He shoved the bags of fruit into the boy’s hands as a startled expression was evidently written across it. ”Watch my family for me.” He had to trust this buffon and hope he didn’t fuck up everything while he was gone for the moments it would take to get this done and over with.

Warren stalked forward, weaving his way back into the crowds. ”Buddy? Where are you---” Aster was calling out to him, his eyes still glued on the poster for a few moments.

He turned around for a few brief moments, with a glance cast above his shoulder. ”Do not hit on my wife. I assure that you will suffer a fate worse than death if you do.”

Aster’s chuckling in the background only brought a sense of dread that he had entrusted this bodyguard with his precious family. It was the only person he could turn to on such short notice though. It was the foregone conclusion. Whatever bad thing happened now would be his own little slip-up from the moment he decided to do this. Warren knew he shouldn’t have stayed any longer in the city, but something compelled him to keep going, just this once. A special exception for a certain member of his unit.

What the hell are you doing, Elliot?

Elliot Lhant. The wanted criminal on the posters plastered all over town for the last few days.

---

Sweet, mellifluous humming of an antique melody that people scarcely remembered nowadays. Soft, gentle, unchanging, blending in a way that made one feel rather sleepy if they listened to it for too long. A bit on the angelic side - one could tell that the owner of the hum had perfect-pitch from her skill alone. Her footsteps brushed against the stone-paved road as she walked down the dark alleyway, her arms cradling a bag of baguettes, pork buns, and a few other kinds of freshly produced meals within them. She wouldn’t cease, her platinum blonde, almost white as snow, hair bobbing and stirring with the breeze that passed by.

”I’ve got everything I need for today…!” She abruptly stopped in her tracks, a hacking fit of coughs bubbling from her lungs and forcing her to try and clear her throat. One hand shot up to cover her lips, eyes wincing from the sudden pain that came with it. It was almost like being shot by a bullet, but that was most definitely too much an exaggeration. A tiny frown etched across her face as she lowered her hand. Every day that seemed to pass by, she seemed to feel weaker. Ever since her brother disappeared a week ago without so much as a trace and now, he was labeled as wanted all across the city. What had he been getting himself into? Father was very worried and getting upset again… He wasn’t very good at concealing it.

A soft sigh passed by her lips as her head turned up to look at the sky, to the sun. Too many things happened in the past month and her brother vanishing only compounded onto that. Except, this time, it was much worse than everything else that had happened. Evie found herself in denial for awhile, but now, all she could do was question what he was thinking. He must have had a good reason to do this. He knew the strain and stress that their father already. So why…?

Why would he even…? Evie shook her head, another sigh. There was no point in worrying about it now. Maybe she would talk to Keith later; he would know what to do in this mess. He always knew how to help out whenever he could, but he’s been so busy lately that she could only hope that he was home. It was only a little bit more until she got to his house, after all. A simple knock should suffice, but she could humor herself with their little secret code too. Evie sputtered, coughs shaking her entire body again and forcing her to lean onto the wall for a few temporary moments. Then, that was then, she found herself face to face with a man with bright red hair with an almost crazed look on his face.

His eyes seemed to be obscured by his bangs, blood dripping from his mouth. His hair was disheveled, a complete mess, and he was swaying back and forth as he walked closer and closer. One hand, clad with a brown glove, reached towards the belt hanging, loaded with all sorts of tools on them. Wrench, gun, sword, knives, cigars, lighter. He grabbed the wrench, the metal clanging with his fingers. Metal… hand? No, no. No.

”Easy money, easy food. It’s a good thing I saw you, little lady.” He sounded tired, worn out, famished beyond belief. The man’s face was very gaunt and rigid. She didn’t know how to fight. She didn’t know how to defend herself. She couldn’t move, paralyzed by fear and terror flashing through her lilac-red eyes. What should she do…? What should she do…?

Evie took a step back, clutching her bags in front of her a little closer. Her entire body was shaking, her vision was moving and trembling before her, black blossoms beginning to litter the colors and block out the light. Part of her mouth was agape as she shook her head. ”No… Please.” It was a pointless plea, a plea that would fall on deaf ears. She felt like a cornered mouse, the large cat unsheathing its claws as the white glinted with the sun maliciously as the feline bore its sharp, cutting knife.

”Please…” She murmured. He was closing the distance, and the more steps she took back, the more she thought she could find an escape. There was none. Dead end. She felt sick to her stomach with fear. Never before could she recall a sensation like this being felt in her entire life. There wasn’t anything like this, was there? What was this…? What was this man?

His dull orange eye seemed to shine, piercing through the darkness with flames as he grit his teeth. There was a barely concealed seething sort of insanity leaking from him as her blood ran cold. She could only stand there meekly, timidly, unable to fight back. She was weak, in that sense. She couldn’t fight physically. Give her books or anything else, and she could win the spelling bee for you or lead your team to victory in the decathlon. But she wasn’t cut out for this kind of thing. Why couldn’t she think of something to get out of this? She was just a normal human being. She was normal. Why would a man like him target her?

Evie nearly stumbled over a steel pipe, setting the food bag aside and clutching the makeshift weapon in her hands. If maybe, she could hold him off enough to get in a better position to sprint and run. She griped the pipe harder, keeping it in front of her body. There was a sudden burst of laughter from the man, the hysterical kind, that made her blood seem to stop flowing through her body and strike fear through every nerve in existence… but it made her curious. A kind of curiosity that made her wonder whether she should chase it or not.

He wouldn’t stop laughing. ”You think that you can get away with that measly thing?” No, she didn’t think she could. But… she could try, couldn’t she? ”I’ll have a bit of mercy on you, then. I won't kill you, yet.”

His fingers clasped the wrench even more and he raised it and swung, Evie holding the steel pipe as a loud screeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeech! emitted as the metal rang against each other. Within moments, she found herself disarmed and backing away like a child again. She wanted her brother. She wanted her father. Where were they…? Why wouldn’t they come to help her?

Her throat constricted itself, like a serpent that wanted to squeeze the life out of her heart. She couldn’t close her mouth, sitting there, watching as the man raised his wrench again.

”Just one hit.”

It sounded too far to be this close, like it was a distant memory or dream, like a voice that was simply echoing in the canyon.

”Don’t scream.”

Was he whispering…? Was he speaking softly on purpose? Were her ears not working properly…? Her heart was pounding against her chest, screaming to break free and leave.

”Don’t scream…!”

He swung forward, slashing diagonally from her forehead to her arm. The cold metal stung, and she could feel her body convulsing as it curled up. Black was everywhere. She felt light-headed, dizzy. Why were her eyes feeling so heavy? Her head nodded backwards as she collapsed, body falling to the ground with a sickening thud! within all of the muck and grime of the dark alleyway. The last thing she could register was the man reaching into her bag and seizing her wallet.

Elliot… Help me.

He didn’t know how long he had been wandering around the marketplace, aimlessly searching for something that he scarcely had a lead on. At one point or another, he found himself sprinting, marching through the sea of customers and shoving his way through. There were too many blondes around here and some had the right tinge within a specific lighting. It was too confusing and frustrating. When he thought he finally found Elliot, the boy always turned out to be another faceless stranger who was irritated with him for grabbing their shoulders. One of the younger boys he had spun around had incessantly apologized for “bumping” into him and wouldn’t stop trailing him in order to find something to be of use and to repay him.

Yet again, Warren found himself stuck with someone he didn’t want to be around.

It was as though the world was taunting him, trying to get him to socialize with as many people as he could now that he was outside and not cooped up in his house or flying around solo. Today alone, he found himself speaking to more than he had in the past month. Interacting with his family was a very special exception that he could make for them alone. They were the only ones that he should be making an exception for, the only ones he wanted to care about. And he wasn’t thinking of the goddamn family that he was stuck with as a child and had to grow up with, no.

Within the last few moments, he found his thoughts fluttering to a woman with a smile freer than the wind, her face innocent and full of boundless energy like a child in a sense, but betrayed the maternal and affectionate nature she held. She was one with caramel sweet hair that extended to the square of her back with the sunniest of chocolate-colored eyes. Anna had a habit of sneaking up on those she was fond of, but he was the only one she would wrap her arms around or sit down and have a heart-to-heart conversation with. Someone who was very understanding and supportive, the kind to take on more responsibilities than she could actually handle sometimes. A little bit hard on herself and had a tendency to test her limits with an almost reckless behavior; strangely more perceptive than she makes herself to be.

That was a given. The conditions they were faced with before. Kill or be killed - that’s what it was. Anna was clever, projecting herself as much weaker than she actually was to catch opponents off-guard. But the way her face contorted with each fatal blow she had to deal only displayed her weak will when it came to those things. She couldn’t do it. She got tired of it and cried into her pillows, but she didn’t want to die either. A promise she had to keep, she said. For those who died but didn’t want to, those who couldn’t control their fate.

Bitterness found itself pooling into his green eyes, sparking a blaze and fire that wouldn’t leave. Unfortunately, the boy that was walking with him got the receiving end of the glare. ”U-uhm, Warren…” Upon seeing it, the blonde boy practically jumped an entire foot backwards and shrunk away into his jacket. Another stutterer. Wasn’t the first kind he had to deal with, after all. There were many and the number only seemed to keep growing with anxiety blooming in more and more children. He mustn’t have been that much older than sixteen, at the greatest age Warren could estimate to.

Warren was silent for a few moments, a gloved hand coming up to cover his eyes again. That was a careless mistake on his part. ”My apologies. I was lost in thought.”

He heard the boy mumble another ‘sorry’ under his breath anyway, and all he could do was shake his head in disapproval. Did they never get tired with repeating the same words over and over again like a broken record? No, this wasn’t the time to be thinking about that. Elliot was first, for now. There were other things he had to attend to afterwards and he wanted to be quick about this, as swift and efficiently as possible. Too much energy was being spread into trivial activities and matters. Anymore, and he would find himself unable to muster up the strength or motivation to continue for the rest of the day. He was exceeding his normal expenditures as is.

”H-hey, uhm, why is it th-that you w-wear that mask…?”

”Everytime. Every single time.”

It was inevitable, really. Having a mask on in the middle of broad daylight was very strange and people would always find that he shouldn’t have it on. They wouldn’t understand the real reason for it in the first place. Only those who were gifted and realized the backlash using their powers had on them would know what he was talking about. It was dumb, it was pathetic to hide, but going out in the open with all of those details visible made him susceptible to being captured and sent to a research facility to be used like a guinea pig. It would endanger his family. There was no shame in it, yet there was. For the sake of his precious ones, he would keep it all hidden.

Maybe that was the excuse he made. Truly was an excuse, if one thought about it some more. After all, who wouldn’t to face the consequences and results of them abusing what they own? Nobody ever really wanted to. Those that did were liars.

This question was tired out and exhausted, though. Did people not have any other question to ask? At least spice it up and humor him with something such as ‘Why’d you pick that mask?’ or ‘What would you do if that mask broke? Do you have a replacement?’. But nobody bothered with thinking outside the box, anymore. It was always about jumping onto the bandwagon.

I knew this was going to happen. He knew that there was absolutely no way to avoid this inquiry being asked constantly, lest he take off the mask in the first place, but then he would get a different question instead. The one time he took it off was back in Chicago, at that water park, but it involved too much facepaint back then and having to be careful around water. He was fortunate enough that Lamia and Magic didn’t stick around in the pool for long. But things didn’t go exactly as planned, did it?

No, the original scheme was to get everything destroyed at the waterpark. Activate things then. It was compromised when the officers showed up much earlier than expected and barged in. He was delayed for much longer. Perhaps he had overdone it a bit with the drug dosage; they were in the hospital for an extended duration of time. That hindered his progress much more.

But what was worse was that he had to figure out which airport they were going on and having to get there before them. One of his affiliates, posing as a nurse downstairs, had said that they were heading to the International Airport and the message had to be passed along so they could mess with the security cameras. As much as he did not care about their safety then, he felt compelled to make sure they did not have to deal with human experimentation. That was, until Lamia went against his advice and put a target on her back.

Very foolish of her. She needed help getting past the security guards at the airports that one time as well, all because she had been idiotic and had not thought ahead of time on what she should do. For the greater good or not, she had to be more aware of everything and not blindly waltz into situations for the sake of helping.

Too good for the world. That was an adage that didn’t seem to fall off the surface of the earth. The good die young. The world was very cruel in that aspect. Those who had potential ahead of them seemed to disappear much more quickly. Life wasn’t very fair, but that was how it was.

Warren’s eyes moved back towards the much younger blonde boy, emerald green into olive green. His silence seemed to have been slightly off-putting. ”Should I… Sh-sh-should I have not asked that?” At least he didn’t stumble over every word like a certain sixteen year old girl he knew.

He kept moving on his way, face turning from side to side to monitor the people moving around them. ”It’s fine. I’m simply tired of being questioned about it, Keith.”

The boy called Keith pursed his lips together, mimicking a wounded puppy in appearance. ”Oh, I d-didn’t know…”

He allowed himself a slight, patronizing smile. ”You couldn’t have known. We just met.”

As though the air was suffocating him, his fingers pulled at his collar. ”Oh, r-right. My bad, ehehe...”

”Do you still want to know?”

”Pl-please…! I mean, if it’s n-not a problem with you and all.”

Warren stopped in his tracks at an intersection, looking around as he took a few spare glances here and there. Not a sign of the one he was searching for. Good gods, this was taking much more time than he had anticipated. The sun would be setting soon. ”I received it in battle,” he started. ”My guard was dropped and I wasn’t paying as much attention as I should’ve.”

”Received what…?”

”A bomb went off nearby and I was lucky to get away from it with charred skin.”

There was a hooded figure, arms tucked into his pockets, face partially concealed. But the glint of lilac-red was there.

Warren didn’t wait for Keith and broke off into a sprint, pushing through the crowds. His eyes focused on one boy. He couldn’t deny it this time. There was no way he was mistakened.

”A-ah, Warren, wait…!”

Keith was trying to trail behind him, and surprisingly, he was rather agile and managed to catch up much quicker than Warren would’ve expected. His hand had grabbed his shoulder and stopped him from moving forward. He found himself glaring at the boy again. ”I don’t have time to waste--”

”Don’t r-run or anything, pl-please. Y-you’re going t-to trip.”

The boy was stalling him. This was irritating. ”I’m not going to. Now leave me be.”

For some reason, he found himself walking at a brisk pace instead of running again. There was no need to heed Keith’s warnings in the slightest. His sense of balance was near-perfect and well-disciplined. As if he would do something as stupid as---

He didn’t finish his thought process.

”W-Warren…! A-are you okay?” As if it were karma or something, Warren found himself on the ground, his mask falling off and skidding off the concrete surface. If it were a much more crowded place, it would’ve broken by now. He was at least lucky enough that this was a secluded section of the city. Keith was pacing himself quickly towards him, and Warren found his hand shooting up to cover half of his own face. Fuck.

The younger boy had his hand out to support Warren, who only flinched away. His free hand reached for his mask. Whether it was out of curiosity or not, Keith had tried to peer over and get a good luck at his face, reaching his fingers out to try and touch it.

”Don’t touch me!” Warren forced his hand away, turning away from the others and anyone that could possibly be looking in their direction. He placed the mask back onto its rightful place before heaving a sigh. ”I’m fine.”

”I-I’m s-s-sorry. I w-was just…” Perhaps he was too harsh. The boy wasn’t that mature and his self-esteem was awful. ”I was j-just trying t-to… pr-protect a friend.”

That changed everything. ”You know Elliot?” Perhaps it was Warren’s own fault for not asking around for traces of the boy in the first place. ”I need to find him. I won’t turn him in.”

”I-I-I…”

”I apologize, you have no reason to trust me as I have no reason to trust you.” His eyes closed for a few moments before he got up from his place on the ground, feeling a slight daze. ”We can part ways now. I’m going to keep looking for Elliot.”

Keith threw his hand back on Warren’s shoulder once again, forcing him to turn around. Something about his touch made his blood turn cold. Was he…? Warren suddenly felt himself freeze, unable to move against his own will. He opened his mouth to say something, but it didn’t work. A blood manipulator. ”L-leave my fr-friend a-alone…!”

The boy was staring at him eye to eye, olive green to emerald green. If he had to think to himself, he personally didn’t want to do this, but he didn’t want to waste anymore time. Once it grew dark, it would be more difficult to get through and his wife was expecting him to get back much earlier than usual. He was too late as is. She would do something stupid and try to find him and the way she trusted Aster was too much - he was not leaving Judith with that bumbling idiot. Just once, just once, just once. He could use this just once and it would be fine. It wouldn’t be too much of a strain. It would only take a brief second.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, one iris bled crimson red after being stuck in this position for so long, and something pulsed a throbbing pain. Keith’s eyes widened in astonishment, taking a step back as his hand was forced away from Warren’s shoulder, lingering in the air awkwardly before being thrown to his sides. Once the deed was done, he deactivated his gift, grimacing slightly. ”Don’t control my blood again. I’d prefer not to do this more than once.”

Keith was staring into his palms, shocked. One of his eyes closed, his face contorted and betrayed by his failure. ”H-how…? I-I d-didn’t… Wh-what did you do?”

He seemed more devastated by this than Warren would’ve originally anticipated.  Somehow, he couldn’t bring himself to leave the guy feeling more crushed by all of this. ”Hey, I’m sor---”

”G-got you…!” It was a complete juxtaposition to how he had looked before. Warren found himself grimacing again as he was being forced to walk in the other direction. He let his guard down too easily. ”Pl-please leave Elliot b-be. He needs t-time alone.”

Warren sniffed, closing his eyes. Some of the few motor skills he still access to it seemed. ”I’m looking for him for Evie.”

Keith abruptly removed his hand, biting his lip. Suddenly, he looked much more lost on what to do. The moment he mentioned that Elliot was his friend, it was clear that he knew his sister too. The lilac-red eyes those two had, the platinum blonde hair - there was no mistaking it.

”H-how do you know h-her…?”

”Passed by her on the street earlier today.”

Silence.

”. . .” Keith opened his mouth, as though to start saying something before closing it. He was struggling for words, trying to think of what to say. ”Don’t l-lie to me…!”

He had lunged forward, grabbing Warren by the collar and holding him up. For such a timid boy, he certainly had quite a bit of strength to him. Keith had to be a Sofia Academy student - there was no doubt about it. He must be on leave currently. But the boy had made the same mistake twice. His eye was throbbing, partially red as the crimson ate away at the green.

”Move.” The loyalty he had to his friend was certainly admirable, he wouldn’t lie.

”I w-won’t--- ack! St-stop!”

Warren drew in a sharp breath, turning his head away and moving quickly. He had forced the boy to move in the opposite direction and back into the crowd. Keith would have a difficult time getting out. There were more people now. Quickly, he ran again. Elliot would’ve had time to escape now that Keith had prolonged him. If he didn’t go fast enough, he would have to spend even more time looking for him again.

He didn’t know why he cared so much. It wasn’t that he was doing this for Evie in the slightest. He didn’t even know why he was bothering with this situation. Elliot just happened to be in his unit… Warren flirted with the idea that that was why. Losing one member, especially someone like Elliot, would’ve been very detrimental to their coordination. At least, that’s what he was telling himself.

Nowhere in sight. Maybe that back alley… Possibly the leading to the slums of the city, but that didn’t matter too much. There were conditions far worse than this. He could bear with it for now.

It was pure luck that the sun still extended so far into the aisle. There was no one else around, but his eyes registered a figure crumpled on the ground. Platinum blonde hair. Fuck. Too long to be a guy’s, and the clothes looked very familiar. Warren’s face twisted itself painfully, his mouth turning wryly downward. She looked worse for wear, but even then, there was no way she should be on the ground.

”Are you enjoying the meal, Warren?”

”Yes, thank you.”

”I’m glad! I thought I made a big misteak with the order.”

”. . .”

He stepped forward a few paces until he was right at her body. She seemed to be very still and unmoving, breathing faint and light. Barely alive, it seemed. ”Hey!” Perhaps she was still conscious a bit. This could’ve happened just now and keeping her awake would be the best thing to do. Slowly, he reached his hand and shook her slightly. ”Hey, are you okay?”

Come on, come on, answer. Answer. Nothing, not so much as a mutter or anything. The first thing to pop in his mind was that someone most likely mugged her. No wallet, no bag. What a pain… What should he do? He couldn’t waste anymore time, but he couldn’t just leave her here. Fucking, he shouldn’t have pushed Keith away. It seemed logical at the time, only because he didn’t know how long it would take to convince the younger boy that he wasn’t going to do anything to Elliot. Seeing Evie again wasn’t in the plans at all.

She stirred. ”Hnn…” No reaction afterwards.

He picked her up carefully, cradling her body with his arms and clutching her close.

There had to be an infirmary close by. If memory served properly, there was one only a few blocks from their current location, so…

Shit. The sun was already setting. The street lights weren’t that efficient for traveling in the dark. Move quickly, move quickly.

Swiftly, he started walking out of the alleyway, going through the marketplace once again, winding down in a few places. Using his gift had drained him more than he thought. He had overused it too much lately. This would do very poorly if he tried to keep this up. Evie wasn’t very heavy - she was as light as a feather -, but even light things start to get heavy if you hold onto them for too long. When did his health deteriorate so much…?

How long was she lying there? That question was stuck in his head. She could’ve been there ever since they parted that one time and her wounds would’ve been infected by then. It could’ve been a few hours or even a few minutes. None of it was adding up. If she was there for a few hours, he wouldn’t have been the first to stumble upon her. If she was there for a few minutes, he would’ve seen her in the crowd or around. This section was much more secluded than the rest, so it would’ve been much easier to spot her.

Warren found himself stumbling, stumbling more than usual. His breathing was becoming more and more ragged by the minute. Can’t stop now. He had to get her to a clinic. That was a must.

Keith was standing in front of him, blocking his path. He had a faint smile, sheepish even. ”I-I’m… sorry, about b-before, I mean. I g-got carried away and… y-yeah. L-let me help you.”

Warren sighed, beckoning him to come over. Keith slung one of her arms over his shoulder and Warren took the other. The younger blonde didn’t seem like he was going to do anything suspicious or try and backstab him… for now. Evie was a priority.

They approached the entrance of the clinic and Warren found himself collapsing, only held up by the nearby railing that he used to support his body as though it were a lifeline.

”A-ah, are you alright?”

No, no he wasn’t.

”I-I’m sorry, that must’ve b-been since you u-used your powers earlier b-because of m-me…”

Warren found his mouth twisting into a rather wry smirk that faded almost immediately. ”You caught on.”

Keith stayed silent for a few moments, pursing his lips as he overshadowed his eyes. ”Y-yeah… I d-did.” He turned the other way, refusing to look anywhere close to the masked man that stood beside him as he assisted his unconscious friend. ”A-and the mask…? Th-that was a lie, right?”

Smart boy. ”Partial lie.”

”C-can I h-h-hear the whole truth? Pl-please?”

”No.”

”B-but why?”

He wanted to snap, just a bit. Keith was a friendly and polite boy - he didn’t have to get himself involved any further with him. Knowing why he wore this mask was asking for an invitation towards death. Argona would’ve found him a potential recruit, he should’ve reported that, but Warren didn’t want to do that. Laziness, he told himself, but that was a lie. That was a very big lie.

So he stayed quiet, refusing to answer.

”I-I…”

”Don’t start. Do they know you have powers?”

”No… They d-don’t.”

”Keep it that way.” The reaction that the ungifted had to the gifted was despicable. He hated it. He hated it. He hated everything that people did to those who were “different”. They called it “differently abled” as a label to make it sound better. All they really ever thought was that there was something very wrong with these people because they were not normal. Being normal was everything. They got what they deserved with the monsters that these different people became. It was what they subjected them to. ”It’s better that they don’t know.”

”I-I know…”

Finally, after what felt like twenty minutes or so, Warren unlatched Evie’s arm from his shoulders. ”Keith,” he started, trying to find the right words to get his point across. ”I’m going to put her down here. Hopefully there’s someone inside who can help her.” He took off his coat, which had been hanging loosely from his shoulders, revealing a pure white ivory shirt underneath with a black collar and brown shoulder pads.

Keith stared at him for a few moments incredulously, shocked that he would just leave all of a sudden. Why would he do that, after all? There had to be some sort of reason behind it.

Warren closed one eye, glancing away and starting to walk off. He paused in his steps, uttering a few words: ”I’m… a bad guy. Sorry. I’ll keep trying to look for Elliot.” He placed the coat over Evie's shoulders, which drooped limply with the crumpled, unconscious body.

”W-wait…!” Keith called out, tossing something in his direction, the object whizzing close to his back. ”Th-that’s my tracker. Y-you should be a-able to locate him in n-n-no time.”

He caught it with ease, taking a look. The screen was a map of the city. A red dot was there, constantly on the move but never reaching the boundaries. Elliot was keen on staying in town. ”I’ll return this as soon as I can.”

”Mmhm! Pl-please get t-to him.”

He sprinted. One yellow dot told him where he currently was. Just a few more steps here and there. It was obvious Elliot was holding onto one of these as well, as he seemed to be walking closer and closer in his direction. He must be expecting Keith to be at the end of the line here, not anyone else. Keith was the one he entrusted this device with, after all. There had to be no doubt about it; he wasn’t going to think anyone else was there.

After such a long search, Warren was finding this more anticlimatic than it should be. Perhaps the whole day had hyped up a big reveal or ending, but it wasn’t anything like that at all. It was relatively normal, minus the fact that this would’ve been a rather secret meeting in the first place. Major and soldier. Not uncommon for him to see his unit around the streets whenever he actually went into the city.

Before long, they were face to face with one another.

The surprised look on the lilac-red-eyed boy’s face told him enough.

Platinum blonde hair, reaching a little beneath the ears. Was rather pale, typical for a European. Had the same eyes as his sister. He was wearing a large black hoodie, the edges of the hood encrusted with artificial diamond-like gems, unzipped with a teal shirt. A silver cross necklace hung around his neck. Two piercings on his left ear. The boy of the wanted poster circulating all around town lately.

His mouth opened. ”What do you want, major? I don’t have time to dilly-dally.” He held up his device carelessly. ”I have to meet with someone.”

Warren suppressed a sigh before holding up the matching counterpart. ”If you weren’t careful and someone else had this, you would’ve been arrested now.” Before Elliot could start speaking again or try and protest, he continued hastily. ”Keith gave this to me.”

”Why the hell would he?” A soft growl rumbled up the younger boy’s throat. ”You stole that from him, didn’t you?”

They were very loyal to one another. Blind friendship even. It was rather admirable in this time and age. Bonds like this were hard to come by, after all. ”No, I didn’t know him prior to this and you should be aware of that, soldier.”

Elliot was frustrated for a few moments before shoving his device back into his pockets and tugging at the edge of his hoodie. ”Then why?” His fingers crinkled up to fists. ”How?!”

”Evie was looking for you. She’s at the clinic right now.”

The boy had brought a hand to his chest, shocked. His legs were trembling, trying to decipher the words that Warren had said, trying to process it as though it were an alien language that had just been spoken to him. He must’ve felt sick hearing that. For all he knew, Evie had passed out trying to find her older brother.

”She was attacked in the back alley. Keith is with her.”

Elliot glanced up at him, his knees on the ground. Rain had started to fall. ”I… I’m an idiot.” Abruptly, he stood up, pounding his fists on the nearest wall over and over again. His skin tore apart, leaving blisters and blood running all over. Warren grabbed his arms, holding him back. ”Why the fuck did I leave without saying anything?!”

”Get a grip, Elliot.” The boy was still struggling to break free. ”It’s not your fault.”

”Shut up! I just wanted to leave and find her medicine from the stupid research facility nearby since all of the pharmacies denied me access. I didn’t say anything. She never goes this far into the city! If I had just left her in the care of someone---”

The research facility nearby. The only one he could think of was the one that Argona had built within the vicinity. That was too desperate for Elliot to take such a risk; it was lucky that he managed to make it out in the first place, being an ordinary person. Those in Black must've contacted the police to try and get the boy killed once he was turned in. No, he would think about that later. Right now, he had to deal with this boy. ”Stop blaming yourself. Doing that won’t take back what happened. What you can do is go see her now.”  

He was silent for the longest time, the only sound being the pitter-patter of the rain that continued to shower in the overcast skies.

”You’re… You’re right. I’ll head there now.” He had calmed down a bit, at least. Elliot was taking deep breaths. He knew how to regain his composure and had learned to; he knew better than to let these things get to him so soon. ”Thanks major. I’ll catch up with you later.”

”Wait.”

Elliot turned around, facing Warren once again. ”What?”

”Don’t get involved with the research facility.” It was enough as is that Elliot had put himself in danger. But the boy was very perceptive, much like his sister and friend. They were rather keen and knew how to figure out the hidden meanings behind his words. Much better than some people these days.

”You know something.” he said. Warren didn’t answer. He repeated: ”You know something, don’t you?”

”Yes, I do. Now stop questioning.”

Elliot only eyed him curiously for a few moments. He spoke much more quietly this time, relenting for a few moments. He knew better. His sister was priority now. ”Fine… I’ll see you around.”

And the boy finally walked away. They were done. He was done. It was so late at night. He had to get back already. He’d spent all of this time trying to find one kid for his sister and got more associated with more people that he didn’t actually want to know. It felt like hell. This was more than past his limits.

He had to walk home now. Thank gods that this side was close to the shortcut. That should cut the time down by enough that he would get back without too much problem.

No way in hell he was getting involved with those three again. They were more trouble than they made themselves out to be. Dealing with one of them was enough.

He gritted his teeth.

Warren knew fully well that was impossible. ”Those kids won’t leave me alone after today…”

This was what he asked for the moment he got involved with them.

”Wait a little longer for me, Anna… Judith. I’ll be home soon.”