Arc 2 - Chapter 2: A Small Drink Wouldn't Hurt

(Quintiles 22, 59 / 4:09PM)

“Oh man I’m tired…”

“It was just an omelet. Couldn’t they just blame Loraine? It was her doing.”

Luke and Jack, along with everyone else in back of them, slugged their arms as they walked through the hallway. Their legs shaking, their breathing heavied with every step they took, while having sweat stains drench their white shirts.

“Boris has a weird sense of punishment. When someone does something wrong, he punishes everyone except the one who did it.” Said Miles.

“But we all know Loraine … she doesn’t give a damn of what people think of her …” Said Stan.

The Dark Angels, combined with Stan’s group, saw the door drawing near. All The Dark Angels wore their uniforms, which was a black leather jacket, black pants, and black leather boots.

“Here it is.” Said Luke.

Opening the door handle, they all walked into the adult lounge. Entering in, glancing around, they all were astonished with the fancy rugs and couches in the center of the room.

Four couches circled around a coffee table. Two small couches stationed on both the North and South ends, while two large couches nestled on both the east and west ends. David, Jerry, and Boris sat on the North couch, in front of everyone.

“I guess we sit wherever we like?” Questioned Stan.

“Yes, please.” Said Boris.

Stan, Gary, Fred, and Diego sat on the east couch, and Jack, Miles, Benn, and Gwen sat on the west couch. Then there’s the south couch, with Luke sitting in between Luna and Hope.

‘Lucky bastard…’ thought Jack.

Luna clenched her fists as she stared at Hope. In return, Hope folded her arms beneath her chests, and huffed a chunk of air from her throat.

“I gathered you all here for a small meeting. The papers in front of me contain some important info regarding a certain someone.”

Everyone’s ears perked, leaving them to lean to Boris’s words. Awaiting his words, Boris slowly stood up and limped his way to the coffee table. With a huge stack of papers nestled in front of him, he took a single sheet of paper.

Reviewing the paper in his hands, he softly nodded up and down, his fingertips staining the sheet with his clammed skin. Lifting his head up, he had his eyes allured to Gwen, his eyes dropped as he walked back to the couch. Crashing onto the cushioned furniture, he raised his left hand to take off his fedora, placing it on his lap.

“Gwen, would you mind explaining to them?”

“sighs … Why me?”

“When you raided the Blood Eagles, I ordered you to use a bit more roughness, yet you didn’t. Consider this as punishment for not listening to that order.”

Looking down at the rug, Gwen hunched her back with her elbows on her knees. Seeing circles upon circles engraved on the rug, she remembered a recollection of past memories … memories before she was commander …

‘I guess everyone has something they want to keep in the dark.’

She stood up, and straightened her arms and legs along with her back. Gathering everyone’s attention, she inhaled deeply before exhaling out slowly.

“I have a confession to make. About Maverick, do you guys know any similarities between me and him?”

Everyone, except for Boris, Jerry, and David, placed their hands below their chins. Looking up toward Gwen, Luna cleared her throat as she slouched her back amongst the couch.

“You guys both have freckles, and you're both infuriating.”

“Wait, Gwen? Don’t tell me…” Said Luke, trailing his words.

“... he’s my younger brother.”

A collective grasp reigned in unison for the two groups, looking at her with widened eyes. Luke slumped on the couch, and enacted something similar to a prisoner in a cage, as he looked up at the ceiling.

Miles darkened his face, his hands quivering relentlessly as he looked down at the floor.

“So that’s why you go easy on him … Does this mean you could’ve—no … you’ve had the choice to turn him in?” Questioned Miles.

“It’s … complicated …”

“And his actions are hurting people, hurting innocents. How can we stand for this?”

As Gwen looked down, she placed her right hand on her left forearm. With everyone staring at her, Gwen gulped as she shook, like she was trying to escape from it all.

“So it all makes sense…”

Luna stood up rapidly from the couch, her glare sharpened at her. Her hands balled into fists, she walked toward her, her eyes twitching with red straining her scleras. Standing in front of her, both women were the same height, but Gwen had her eyes downcasted.

And with a sudden thrust, she put her hands onto Gwen’s collar, having her face inches from hers. Consumed in anger, she took note of Gwen’s hands, which were motionless against her thighs.

“Is your family full of weirdos?! Why do you and your brother always touch people without their consent?!”

“Sorry to say this Gwen, but Miles’ is right. Maverick isn’t innocent, nor is he a good person to be around.” Said Jack.

Putting his hand on his collar, he shook it loose as he had his attention on Gwen. With everyone nodding in agreement, there was sympathy drawing to some people…

“Because of you, I have to deal with your perverted psycho brother and his shit! So you better not—”

“Stop this. Just sit down.”

Hope placed herself in the middle between Gwen and Luna, her eyes slightly tearing up. Still having her grip on Gwen’s collar, she glared at Hope with her continued sharpened eyes.

“Like hell I’m listening to you—”

“You heard her. Sit down.” Said David.

“What did you just say?!”

“Now.”

Luna bit her lower lip with her upper front teeth, leaving a slight kick of blood to be drawn. Instead of riveting it down her chin, it pushed backward, leaving it to intertwine with her tongue, as she let go of Gwen.

“huff … Fine!”

Sitting back down, Luna heaved her chest irregularly, along with her eyes averted to the ground.

“... You’re right. You’re all right to blame me. I…I should have stopped him …”

Placing her hands over her face, Luke looked at her solemnly. Standing up from his seat, he softened his eyes and remembered the scars along her wrists.

She always valued herself less than others; that was one thing he could relate to.

“But you shouldn’t feel guilty…”

She looked up at him, her eyes widening tenfold. His body, being encapsulated by eyes that sparkled with water, tried its best to capture his silhouette.

“You still loved him as an older sister, and you knew you couldn't just turn him in. He did unpleasant things, yet you still loved him. So… ”

Walking slowly toward her, his hands were low to his waist. He couldn’t hug her, but he wanted to, as his fingers twitched while warmly smiling at her.

“Don’t blame yourself for protecting your family.”

She immediately hugged him, wrapping her arms around his waist in a gridlock. Nestling her head into his shoulder, she began to sniffle, but she couldn’t waste tears even if she could.

Rubbing her face on his jacket, Luna glared at the two of them, while Hope folded her arms and pouted. Sneezing off snot onto the leather, Benn watched with a furrowed brow.

“H-Hey? Are you o-okay?”

She nodded unhurriedly, her sniffling already drying up which left red marks beneath her eyes. Unwrapping her arms around Luke, she breathed in and out, and straightened her back again.

Her nose bright red, she wiped a bit of mucus with her right sleeve.

“Sorry … I should’ve told you all of this since the beginning …”

Her eyes still reddened in a pinkish tint, and red marks continuing to stain her skin, Gwen eyed her soldiers. Benn, who sat next to Miles, had his forearms laid on his thighs as he looked up at Gwen.

“I always knew Maverick was your brother.” Said Benn.

“Wait what? How?”

“It was when we first met.”

“Oh…”

“There’s also one last piece of info I want to share with you all. It’s regarding Maverick’s whereabouts”

Boris, now the main lead again, spoke with his back slouched on the couch. Sighing, he slowly stood up from the help of both Jerry and David next to him, his legs barely keeping him straight.

“He’s gone missing. His last sighting was when we tried to capture him.”

Everyone either slouched on their seats, or raised their hands up to their face. For the people who raised their hands, it was either the back of their heads or their chins. And Luke was one of the few who gripped his chin.

—Doesn’t Maverick typically get heat or attraction after a couple of days after our raids?

‘Maverick always wants to be in some sort of spotlight, so why would he go silent?’ thought Fred.

‘If Maverick somehow ended up dying, then they would’ve found him already. So what if there’s a possibility that he might have turned zompire?’ thought Jack, before his thought got interrupted.

“But it doesn’t make sense. Holding up and building a little army isn’t Maverick’s style.”

Stan was the only one who spoke out his thoughts. Getting looks from everybody, Stan stood up from his seat and kept his hands and arms flat along his body; as he had the floor.

Turning to Gwen, his eyes squinted at the freckled woman, but his squint was … pushed up.

“But overall, Maverick is most likely alive. Maybe what you said to him dawned on him. He’s probably just taking a different approach to getting himself back up.”

He had his hands clasped together while he talked, leaving Gwen to cease her shivering that coated her body. Hearing his reason for Maverick's disappearance, Gwen loosened her muscles, and her breathing returned to normal.

“Thanks, Stan … I needed that.”

The sounds of a phone can be heard. Ringing along everyone’s brittled ears, they all directed their eyes to the phone in the back.

“Why out of all times?”

Already standing, Boris walked to the special hotline, as he gently dragged his right leg. David and Jerry had their eyes focused on him, in case Boris succumbs to the fatigue of his own strength.

But to no avail, he reached the phone, and placed the cold metal against his right ear. Just as he did this, he heard a familiar voice coming from the other end…

“Are you still in Lagefor?”

“Yes.”

“Has President Reed said anything to you?”

“No. The last time I spoke with him was before The Array.”

“Are you alone?”

He lowered the phone to his cheek, as he glanced at his soldiers. Scanning their faces, he shook the phone for a second with his right hand, but he ceased, as he raised it up to his ear again.

Pulling air in, he pushed it back out softly.

“Speak away.”

“Reed wants all politicians and billionaires alike to conduct a meeting for the next couple days. He’s holding it in El Niabea, and he’s invited me as well.”

“Why are you telling me this? Is this classified information?”

“Highly.”

Boris looked around the room, checking the windows and closets for any tiny openings. Pinning his attention onto David, he signaled him to look around the room, the same went for Jerry.

Starting to sweat gently, his grip on the phone started to loosen. Glancing at the last object, the closed wooden cabinet from behind, he swayed his head softly.

“You know what happens to politicians who reveal highly classified material?”

“I’m aware of the risks, yet I haven’t been caught. Be prepared, because I don’t think Reed is just leaving for a meeting.”

Boris felt like he wanted to crouch down, wanting to slam his knees to the floor. His legs shaking from the mountain weight of his upper body, he clenched his teeth, and tightened the grip on the phone. Noticing him holding back his frustration, David and Jerry took a step forward, their hands stationed to their waists.

“What do you think he’s doing?”

“I’m not sure. But you must make sure your Dark Angels are well informed.”

“Dark Angels? I never told you—”

A sudden abrupt of static molested his right ear. With the phone call ending, Boris resumed his stare at everyone that sat on the couches. From the young to the old, they felt like they were left in the dark, amidst a pitch black tunnel.

Except for Jack.

‘Please try to keep the information within ourselves Jack.’

Boris pinned his eyes on the red-haired man, with gray lining smudged beneath his eyelids. With his body already spent, Boris slowly dragged his right foot across the wood, as he made his way back toward the northern couch.

‘Hey man, no problem.’

Jack in exchange gave him a small nod, as he kept his body slumped to the couch. Extending his arm, he stuck out his thumb, giving the old man a thumbs up.

“You all are dismissed. I need some time to think…”

Jerry and David got up to give Boris room to sleep, which allowed the old man to slump on the couch. Seeing him slowly drifting to sleep, the two men nudged their heads to the door.

Which was the universal signal to get out of the room.

Giving them a nod, Gwen motioned the others to follow her out. Exiting through the wooden door, a sinister smirk crept up onto her face.

‘This entire Maverick thing has started to stress me out…’

By just using the tips of her toes, she spun like a ballerina toward her soldiers. Moving her hands to clutch her lower back, she leaned her face with a smug expression.

“You guys all wanna hit a bar? Boris told me about this special place a while back. I mean, a small drink wouldn’t hurt?”