A Crooked City

XIA INDUSTRIES

The moonlight brightens the corridor as the group walks towards the exhibition room bypassing several layers of security. There were many exquisite designs on the wall, some of ancient beasts and others of various gadgets developed by the industry.

Looking over at Melanie who is still gloomy, Zarx approaches her leaving the others to go ahead into the exhibition room.

"Hey, are you okay?"

"No, I'm not okay" she cries out. "Are we just going to pretend nothing happened and just move on? You know, from all that?"

"We are not pretending Mel, you know how that shook the team. I'm just trying to help cool this down a notch okay?"

"Cool it down? Is that what you think you are doing? You know back there, you made it sound like whoever that was, was just trying to help us and get us to help him... but he literally threatened to kill us. If he is wary of the greater forces or whatever that is then what can we possibly do? It's like him saying 'No matter what, I am going to kill you so just wait for me'. I can't even begin to imagine what we did to attract such a force that could wipe us out like child's play" she says as her eyes begin to well up.

"Mel, calm down" Zarx comforts

"How..." before she could finish, he pulls her in and buries her face in his chest. Her arms squeeze around him so tightly he could barely breath.

"It's... okay"

Her grip on him looses a bit allowing him to breath freely again. "I'm just so scared. This crooked city is already scary enough..."

"Shhhhhhh, it's okay Mel, it's okay" he says looking over her shoulder and noticing the others halfway through the door looking his way, he smiles and signals them to go ahead.

[Yeah indeed, a crooked city this is] Zarx thinks. [Putting aside the illegal activities we are tackling, this city in itself is pretty messed up. This city wasn't like this a few years ago. When I first heard of this city, I wanted to visit it so badly because it was full of tech geniuses. I thought I could learn from the best among them in the future. Akira 'Flame' Ashikaga was his name but strangely, I learned he disappeared about 10 years ago and no one knows his whereabouts even as of today.]

[Along with him, several other geniuses disappeared. It's what cause my dad to lay low and only emerged when things seemed to have settled down. Whiles most cities are raided by corruption, this city is raided by something worse. How did this prided city become so rotten?] he sighs and moves her away from there into a lounge.

HARRISON'S OFFICE

9:00 PM

A large ballistic door with the XIA character engraved on the middle slides open, splitting the character into two perfect halves revealing a large desk with a man having spiky hair sitting behind. He lifts his head to face a teenager with the same hairstyle as the person approaches.

"Are they all in bed?" he enquires rather concerned.

"Yeah" the teenager pauses then continues "Uhm...thanks for letting them stay"

"It's okay. How are they holding up?"

"Apart from Shiro, the others...not so well. They are scared and I don't know what to do" he explains with a bleak expression.

"And you? Are you alright?"

He proceeds to lean on the desk as he reaches it. "I am..."

"You look awfully composed. Are you sure you are okay?"

"Yeah.... I think"

Harrison sighs and putting away what he was working on, walks to face Zarx. Putting his hand on his shoulder, he continues "I know that look on your face Zarx, you are obviously not okay but you are trying to hold it all in so your companions can confide in you but Zarx, the best way to solve a problem isn't always by keeping it to yourself and trying to work it out alone. Sometimes you have to work it out together. The way I see it, you are trying to avoid discussing the issue with them..."

"Dad..."

"Zarx! I used to do that too but then I realized it wasn't always the best cause. It just makes you bitter at the end of the day if you are unable to do anything about the situation."

"Sometimes, talking about it with others is the best way to resolve it. When your friends wake up, you guys need to talk about it. At the moment, that's the only way to resolve it. Okay?"

"Okay... Uhm...thanks dad"

"Don't sweat it. By the way, when's your exams?"

"In about two weeks"

"You got a lot of work to do kid. Come on, let's take a walk"

Zarx nods and the two proceed out of the office.

The following few days were hard on them. They couldn't focus in class and with the exams fast approaching Zarx was tormented even more. Finally, he calls them together and they had a long meeting. It was time to take a break from everything until after the exams. They needed some time off to prepare very well for their exams and also to clear their mind from all that happened days ago. The week was not easy to get through. They only ever meet in the cafeteria to discuss school stuff or nothing at all.

Mr. Kemper took this time to recruit for himself a trustworthy army, choosing the uncorrupted from the S.S headquarters. At an undisclosed location, he trained with them almost every day and that too around the clock. They met Mr. Kemper whenever they are not on any official duty at the S.S. headquarters.

The imposter general is still on the lookout for Mr. Kemper. He utilized all resources at his disposal to finding him, but is still not making any head way. Every where he passed, he left a trail of dead bodies. People he claims to be uncooperative in his investigations. By the time two weeks has ended, there was not an alley where you won't find a dead body.

The break the Black Sword Order has taken seems to be the worst thing that happened to the city. The darkness seems to be enveloping the light they brought.

THREE WEEKS LATER

TUESDAY DECEMBER 31

IN A DARK ALLEY

8:09 PM

"Hey, psss" a shabbily dressed man with messy hair calls out to a fellow. "You hear the news mate. The BSO is dead."

"No they are not. Where'd you hear that?"

"It's been going around in the hood mate. I heard the army general eliminated them"

"Oh is that so. Psss" he gesture the man to draw closer. He whispers "They ain't dead mate. They still around. I saw them last night."

"Where did ya see them? I heard wherever they leave, there's some good toys to pick up"

"Down at Halsey. I can send you there. Just don't tell anyone okay? I don't wanna get killed over this but you gotta pay up."

"Did you get that?" the shabbily dressed man shouts.

"I certainly did" a man in black walks to his side.

"You set me up?"

"Sorry mate I gotta survive" he says and runs off with a brown paper bag handed to him.

The man drops to the floor shivering as he looks up at the man in black. His face suddenly becomes sweaty.

"Now" the man in black addresses him "Take me to where you saw them quietly or I'm going to pull you apart limb by limb until you do so. Your choice kiddo."

"Right" a voice calls from behind "And you my friend, sadly don't have one but to come with me".

Alarmed, he turns towards the source of the noise but before he could react, a fierce punch sends him flying into a group of garbage cans scattering them into different directions.

"Ughh!" The man groans and drops unconscious in the trash.