To protect a smile

--------Back at Sunrua and his mother in Aengus's bar---------

After thanking her ex-father-in-law once more with a bow, Nina threw her black handbag over her shoulder and left through the front door.

Sunrua followed behind Aengus but almost collided with his back once Aengus had abruptly halted his steps.

"You were really close this time huh Sunrua?" Aengus harshly questioned.

"Yeah."

"Just cause you can see the goal doesn't mean that your any close to scoring, you know each and every one of those men sent after you were Titans right?"

Sunrua remained silent clenching his fists

"I'll take that as a no, regardless of that fact, these men were armed and what did you have to your artillery, the little exercise and training you do every day? They're all faster, stronger, more athletic, and more enduring than you. They had the intention and the ability to kill on sight if not initially wanting you alive, we'd already be planning your funeral if they even let us that is.

Sunrua continued to remain silent but his eyes widen and he unclenched his fists slightly, as his mind circled with the question how the hell did he know about that part?

"And even if you did manage to get out of that building which I highly doubt, it's the first of many, and the outside is scattered with an uncountable and hidden number of mines with the ability to burst you to pieces with one wrong step, although they were dormant they can all be turned on with a click of a button."

"You're being extremely stubborn and selfish, even though you may consider it selfless, every time you go out there. He told us we're living better than out there can't you just accept that, either way you don't want to tear away your mother's smile do you?" Aengus questioned attempting to show some emotion but his deep voice mostly repressing it.

"Okay, I'm sorry but I just can't shake the feeling in my mind that we have to get out there, that there's something more, more freedom but I'll stop. I'm sorry."

"Okay good that's all I needed to hear."

"So my clothes?" Sunrua questioned, then following Aengus's pointed finger towards an old chair in the corner of the room, walking towards it his clothes were covered in dust and dirt with a sequence of tears dotted around the black shirt and orange cloak.

His sports leggings and shorts were treated no differently. Sunrua's face fell in confusion.

"What happened to washing my clothes huh? I didn't think amnesia was kicking in that quick!" Sunrua scorned.

"Oh that, that was just to get your mother out of the room, she was already extremely worried, I think her heart may have leapt out of her chest if she stayed for this lecture, that lady cares for you way too much can't fathom why. But couldn't stand to imagine her face if you were to die."

Why couldn't he just keep his word and wash them can't be that inconvenient right? Sunrua pondered "You could have just washed them anyway couldn't you?"

"They don't pay me enough to wash your clothes aswell be grateful dammit," Aengus replied with a wet frown.

"Would've paid you back, somehow, you know what goes around comes around." Remarked Sunrua with a smile on his face.

"Yeah, you, and what money?" Aengus responded, resulting in sunrua's proud face stiffing up.

"How'd you manage to save me anyway, I didn't see you around anywhere?" Sunrua asked more seriously. Aengus looked at him for a moment then back at the ceiling "Don't concern yourself with such trivial matters," he concluded as he turned and walked into another room adjacent to the one they had entered from.

"Put your clothes on and get out I can't stand you anymore." He continued returning to his cold dark voice using his right thumb to point in the direction of the exit door, to the right of him.

Without giving a second glance, he began walking up some stairs that released a sharp creak with every step, not taking a second thought to it Sunrua picked up his cloak.

Abruptly the creaking stopped.

"Sunrua, I don't know what that thing is you brought with you gripping so tightly in your hand, but if you've learnt anything from my words, I won't expect you to do anything stupid."

Sunrua had completely forgotten about the heart shield crest he had found, he looked down at the chair from which he picked up his orange cloak and in an instant all his memories came crashing back.

I was going to find a way to make money on this thing, recalled Sunrua without uttering a word, understanding what Aengus's view would be already. But how could he sit back when people are suffering in this country whilst the government orders fancy artifacts even indented with gold?

"It's nothing don't worry about it," Sunrua replied calmly. "I've understood what you've said so don't worry anymore," He continued.

Sunrua stuffed the shield in his bag, and put on a red cloak although evidently too small for him, so much so that it barely reached halfway down his back but he persisted as he wore his blazer over it.

Once Sunrua had put on his uniform he stepped out of the bar, his uniform consisted of a blue blazer with a logo of a heart with a red ribbon across it on the breast pocket, Sunrua didn't care to read what it said, alongside suit pants, and a red and black striped tie.

Sunrua repeatedly adjusted the clothes and his bag expressly demonstrating his discomfort. Into the street, he immediately considered denying his instructions and skipping school anyway, but his mother's look rang in his head prompting him to continue forwards.

The entire road was infested with abandoned: waste, food, bin bags, furniture, and other household items. It was evident no one took it upon themselves to take care of this area. Although watching them with sad eyes Sunrua seemed akin to this kind of environment. It was impossible to walk a mere five seconds before running into some type of rubbish or disgust.

Although still being day, the street lamps flickered weakly on and off, and one quite impressively had been snapped in half and resting on the ground between the others straining the wires to the point they looked as if they could snap at any moment.

It had been there for a couple of months but no one even batted an eye. There was little to no sign of life, the place being dubbed a ghost town would be quite believable, the few people that were out dragged their feet around with dead eyes, most not even casting a glance towards Sunrua. Even any sign of grass in the area either seeping out from under the pavement or in someone's front lawn in a crispy yellow evidently long dead colour despite it nearing the end of July.

No more than 20 minutes after Sunrua entered a new area with a sign labeled Yenmo quatres. Although not something that would be considered a prestine, clear area, it was far better than the last.

Suddenly, a yellow light beamed from Sunrua's backpack resembling the light from a flashlight. However much stronger so much so that the light caressed the clouds in the sky.

Almost instantaneously Sunrua threw off the backpack overwhelmed by its strength, Sunrua was reminded of the shield crest he stored within his bag.

"Agh!" Unzipping his bag Sunrua is thrown backwards onto the ground, feeling as though the light had been close to blinding him. "Ow, ow, ow. What the hell is going on?!" Sunrua squealed in a panic still furiously rubbing his eyes attempting to regain his sight.

Opening his eyes once more, but more although more cautiously he gawked at the beacon of light emanating from his school bag. "Oh no, this must be some kind of defense system they implanted to retrieve the shield back once taken, isn't a GPS enough? this seems kinda over the top if you ask me. Why is it so important anyway isn't it just an expensive piece of craftsmanship?"

Standing to his feet Sunrua uses his left arm to block the light from his eyes as he pulls back his bag, consequently dropping the shield which bounced two times eventually landing face up on the pavement.

Decisively Sunrua lunged at the shield holding his bag in front of him like a fish net, once within his bag he folded it several times before hunching forward and tucking the bag under his body. The light had mostly stopped, "Ok *phew,* that seemed to work," Sunrua claimed with a deep sigh of relief.

Although Sunrua's rest was extremely short-lived, when his mind was interrupted by 4 men wearing similar outfits to the gunmen from the gate, the one in front holding some kind of rectangular device that he often looked down and up from resembling a GPS.

"Dammit, I jinxed it didn't I, why don't I just keep my cursed mouth shut," Sunrua cried furiously. Catching the men's attention they looked in his direction.

Sunrua scrambled his arms and body to get the bag into a comfortable position in a frenzy, and at the nearest possible moment jetted off, his back still hunched over the bag to conceal the light as much as possible, making him look like a demented bull with every step.