Chapter 10: Solace and Trust

In government headquarters, a loud beating was heard, guess it safe to assume the Governor-General was not happy. His office was dark except the lighting was from the window, in the middle of the room was a man in a suit, all bloodied and bruised, and the one towering him was none other than a furious Governor-General.

"WHY COULDN'T EVEN THE WHITE SWORD CAPTURE THEM!!!" Caine roared as he continues to beat up the man.

And a minute after, Cypher enters the room and takes off his hat.

"Ah Cypher! Good to see you've been well," Strahm changed his demeanor before looking at the bruised man on the floor.

"Go on then! Get out of my sight!"

The man picked himself up and hurried to the door and left.

"Pardon my curiosity, but wasn't that guy from our records department? As I recall he had nothing to do with the failure of the resistance's capture." Cypher asked, not sounding concerned about it though.

"He was just in the way when I'm not in the good mood, I can't lash out on that Wolfe boy for his failure because I respect his father too much." Caine shrugged as he sits down and lighting his cigarette.

"We've lost two demons and they'll come after the third, I want that fortress to double their security."

"As you wished sir, but wouldn't you like the White Sword to guard that place also instead of sending them in a wild good chase? it is likely where the rebels will strike next." Cypher said.

"No! last thing I need is them finding out what we are doing and lose their support. What of the serum we managed to produce?" Caine asked.

"Intact sir, kept in a secret and secure place as is the fourth. I can assure of that" Cypher responded.

"I want you to tell them to push the experiments with haste, we're going to need those magic-powered army as soon as possible."

"If that is your wish, though I cannot promise the process will go smoothly since you rush this."

Right after Cypher said that, the secretary entered the room to hand some to the Governor-General. This woman was attractive and mature like, have black short hair and brown eyes and glasses, wearing a business suit. After giving him the files, the older Strahm put those files on the desk and pulled the woman by the arm to make her sit on his lap and proceeded to grope her chest, making her face flushed.

"Just get it done!" Caine said to Cypher before he complies.

"Very well sir"

He bows, puts on his hat then walks out the office, leaving the older Strahm to....indulge himself and moans are heard.

As the sinister man walks the hall, a grin was ever-present on his face.

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Back in the hideout, after the elimination of the second demon and their encounter with the ice magic-powered prince, half of the team have been quiet while the other half looked on the bright side.

The ones who were celebrating the mission was successful was Daphne and Akindele, Shinonome was fixing some files while Alden is in the phone call and Sara is currently cooking their dinner.

Crowe is currently in the shower in the boys bathroom, thinking about his fight with the Wolf Prince. True he was able to hold off his own, but even he couldn't overpower him. He was so used to killing many people and sometimes monsters in the past, he doesn't even know if he is really dead or alive, but he had to remember he's not that powerful.

After he finished his shower, he grabbed the towel to dry himself, he covered himself then exited the bathroom. When he enters his room, he puts on his underwear and red and black plaid pants. Just when he goes to grab his shirt, his mind went to the flashback of the Crimson Warrior's betrayal.

Fire surrounds them, he lies on the ground holding the wound on his abdomen and a female silhouette with glowing amber eyes holding a katana. He remembered her words.

"I need power."

Crowe banished the memory before he could let his rage flow to him any further. A minute passed and someone knocked on his door. Sara opened the door and realized the reaper is only half naked, thank goodness he has his pants on.

"Sorry, I didn't to intrude while you're..." Sara said looking away out of respect, not because she's embarrassed.

"What you do want?" Crowe interrupted her after turning to face her.

Sara looked at him for a sec. For someone a little scrawny, he's not half bad. His skin is apparently ghostly white for sure, but there are multiple cuts with stitches around his torso and all of them appear to have been there for a long time, one notable scar however was a big stitched cut on his chest where his heart is. Guess it's safe to assume he did not have a happy life.

After Sara regained her composure, she told him.

"I was gonna tell you that dinner's ready."

Crowe nodded and silence befell on the two as he puts the shirt on. Sara noticed his behavior after the mission, some part of her felt like it's better to keep quiet but she really felt she need to say what she needs to say.

"Did you know I had a pretty rough past?..." she said looking to the floor.

Crowe looked at her with curiosity. When she noticed she had his attention, she sighed and continued.

"When I was a kid, I was really happy with my mom taught me how to cook, we lived by a house near the docks. But then that night, me and my mom were kidnapped. When I woke up, I was kept in a room filled with other kids I don't recognize so I assumed they were in the same boat as me. For months they pick up one child everyday and never came back, however I met a girl who was so calm and collected. We became friends, she taught me how to survive and I promised to teach her cooking once we're out of that hell. When it was my time to get picked, she killed him and saved me. She was so amazing at surviving and followed her lead, we found out that the place we were kept in was a meat factory in a desert, and guess who are the meat. We destroyed the place and escaped, but she didn't make it out, she sacrificed herself so I could escape."

Crowe can see her story was dark and wanted to show pity, but he said nothing in case she kept telling her story; which she did.

"I didn't know how long wandered the desert without food or water. I was about to die, until the nomads found me. They took me to their camp, gave me food and bed, they were good people. I cooked delicious meals for them, in return they taught me how to fight, they gave me guns, freedom and I helped them help other people and sabotage terrorists supplies. As time passed, Boss came and needed someone help him fight back for his city's freedom and here I am."

She finished her story. The reaper was in deep thought after listening to Sara.

"What of your mother?" he asked

"By time I found her, she was dead. Raped and barely fed." she said in a sad tone.

Crowe looked to the ground again before looking up to her

"Why are you telling this, Sara." he asked

"Because I have been watching you ever since you joined us. Clearly you don't trust us, you just comply, and you barely had it with the Wolf Prince even if you put a good fight. You are skilled and cunning, but there's only so much you can do by yourself. So I asking you to trust us because we trust you, to show you that we are here to help each other." she said firmly.

Crowe looked at the girl, for any hint of lie, but he only found determination. Determination in helping someone.

In helping him.

It seemed like minutes and just when she started to leave he called for her attention.

"Sara!"

She stopped at the door and turned to him.

"Please...call me Alex."

Sara pondered at this for a moment then nodded with smile, she guessed it wasn't like him to allow other people by his first name, she but she took it as a sign of him taking the first step.

Sara headed for the cafeteria where the others are waiting while Crowe, who is now Alex, followed her, thinking if he made the right choice.

No one has ever called him by that name, but better get used to it from now on.