The Coward.

SIX HOURS AGO...

<ZOO KEEPERS HIDEOUT>

"We are meeting again, because of M.D, and now, I think Ryder is feeling a lot better than he was that day. The camouflage brothers, Pete and Kenny, get yourselves ready, you are up for this mission," The voice from the screen announced.

"Did I hear my name?" An extremely strong voice said out, looking at the screen.

"Yes, we are the ones capturing M.D now," The one with the Kangaroo mask said, folding his both arms.

"Boss, could I get my usual hostage?"

"Do what you want, all I need is M.D's lifeless body," The voice from the screen clarified to him. "Also, don't forget that guy Grayson, he is also a Beast, exterminate him while you are it. He might be a nuisance later on," The voice added.

"You both should be careful of him and the person he stays with, they are both very strong," Sony said from where he sat, it seemed like he was calmer now that Ryder was on the sickbed.

"Why should we? We are not as weak as you guys," The one wearing the mask of a Kangaroo Kenny said.

"You think so? Your luck then," Sony closed his eyes.

"Boss, should we leave right now?"

"What are you waiting for? And, this meeting is ended,"

"But, we don't know where he stays... I apologise, we would find out where he stays," The one with the mask of a rat's face, Pete said, his voice echoing in the room.

"There is no problem there. M.D lives with his family at Oceandire now," The voice said.

"Okay Boss, thank you for the data, we would go and get him now,"

They all stood and left, leaving Zero all alone in the hall.

"Boss, do you think they would be able to?"

"What do you mean?" The light on the screen came back on.

"M.D seems like he would have lots of luck with him. And that Grayson, is not going to be an easy opponent, we all know that Ryder's raw strength is better than Pete's own. Why did you send them to get them both?" Zero smiled as he talked, his fingers were crossed altogether, his palms facing the other.

"To test them."

"What's the point? I want to drop a suggestion that you should give M.D and Grayson a chance to join us, they seem useful," Zero said.

"I would think about that," The light in the screen went off again.

***

"So how do we go about this? Do we proceed with Grayson before we leave for Oceandire?" Pete stood on the top of a car, talking to Kenny who already balanced himself on his motorcycle.

"No, it would be better for us to split up. You go and deal with M.D. You should be able to take care of him, he is just lucky, nothing else, and that's why you are the best opponent for him." Kenny replied, holding the handlebars of his motorcycle, looking ahead of him.

"And you, what are you going to do?"

"I would stay back at Hilldale and take care of Grayson. Also, I have a hunch that M.D might not be at Oceandire, he might still be here. My intuitions are always wrong, but something tells me I might be right this time. If he isn't here, I would join you as soon as I am done with Grayson."

"You say that all the time, but you are still always wrong," Pete looked down at him, his say sounding as harsh as ever. "Well, if I go to him, I could take one of his family members hostage, and that would be good for me." He added.

Pete came down from the top of the car, entered into it and drove off, Kenny also departed on his bike.

************************

<COUNTRYSIDE AT HILLDALE>

Oliver came out of his house, walked towards Zoey's entrance, knocking at it on arrival to it.

"I'm coming," Emily yelled from inside the house, walking towards the door to open it up. She knew it was him, he was the only one who visited her when Zoey was gone.

She opened the door and smiled as soon as she saw him. Oliver opened his arms wide, instructing her to come.

She went into them, hugging him as tight as she could.

"Did you miss me? I didn't go for long though," He said, looking into the house, "Zoey is still not back, is she?"

"Do you think I would jump into your arms if she was around? Both of us would be done," She took herself away from his body, moving herself to his side, his arm placed on her shoulder.

Suddenly, they began to hear the sound of a bike, and Oliver took a quick look out before he closed the door.

He took his head back in, but looked out once again, to confirm what he saw. Suddenly, he ran out of the house, back to his lodging.

"Oliver, What's wrong?" She looked at him as he ran back into his house. Confused, she turned her head around, to take a look at what he saw. She saw a bike come to a halt at the front of the house, but she couldn't comprehend what was going on.

The person wore the mask of a Kangaroo.

That was when she recalled the picture she saw on Chirper, the one of the Zoo Keepers. Out of fear, she ran into the house, trying to close the door, but Kenny was already at her back, pulling her out of the house.

"Who... who... are you? What do... you... want?" She stuttered, but Kenny didn't care about her, he just dropped her down on the ground, not minding what happened to her.

She looked at her hand and saw the lesion that was on it, tears began to seep from her eyes.

Kenny went in, ransacked the whole house, checking the rooms, but Denzel was nowhere to be found.

"Clear. As usual, I was wrong," Kenny went out, looked at Emily and shut the door behind him. He got on his bike and drove off.

Immediately Kenny was out of sight, Emily managed to get up from the ground, holding the wound that was obvious on her hand. She ran into the house to get treatment for the injury when she saw how completely disorganized the house was. She returned to the exterior of the house, clasping the wound tightly. She began to dab her face, cleaning the tears.

She took a glimpse at Oliver's house, and she thought of going to meet him to help her. That was when she remembered how he rejected her to face that situation alone.

She shook her head, deciding to return to her residence. However, the discomfort she felt made her change her mind and walk over to Oliver's apartment to meet him.

Oliver had already opened the entrance door for her to come in before she even arrived.

"How are you? Are you hurt?" Oliver quickly rushed out to help her in. He looked ahead of him, behind Emily to make sure Kenny was gone. "Is that guy gone?" They both walked in, Emily's gaze was down the whole time.

"You motherfucking coward," Emily whimpered, but she made sure she was loud enough for Oliver to hear her.

"What?"

"What was the meaning of what you did there?"

"Well, it's not my problem, it was never mine, to begin with. It's Zoey's fault for allowing that guy into her life," Oliver blabbed, walking towards Emily slowly.

"I should have known that my sister was dating a Jerk ever since you seduced me. Zoey told you to watch after me, but is this how you do that?" Emily was irritated merely looking at his face filled with pity.

"But... But, all I did was run away, and you didn't get hurt. I felt I didn't need to have a part in something Zoey brought upon herself--"

"Hmph," Emily snickered. "I didn't get hurt, but, yet, I got this blister. It was the same way you rushed into our house at midnight when Denzel arrived. You know what? Enjoy your spineless self and get the hell out of me and my sister's life, or else, I would tell her about our fling."

"Emily--" Oliver called out to her, walking towards her, grabbing her hands forthwith.

Emily gave him a very cold look, showing him how angry she was. She pulled her arm off, hissing in reaction to the pain from her blister.

"I am taking this by the way," She grabbed a little towel that was hung over a seat in his living room. She looked at him shamefully from head to toe, walking out afterwards.

***********************

<MILLER RESIDENCE>

On the roof of the house, Pete stood, listening in on the conversation that was going on between Carrie and her Dad.

He could deduce that Denzel was not home and that her dad was going out to get some things.

As soon as he saw Chris walk out of the house and far away, he jumped down, to the entrance of the house.

After knocking once, he said nothing.

"Dad did you forget some--thing...?" That was what Carrie said as soon as she opened the door. She didn't wait for a second before she slammed the door at his face. She didn't want to hear anything from him.

'How rude,' Pete thought to himself, He walked back twice, and charged at the door, kicking it open.

"You don't have to be scared, I only need you to come with me," Pete said stretching his hands towards her.

"Why would...I... do that?" Her hands kept trembling continuously. He could see how scared she was.

"It's your brother I need, and it seems like he is not around, so, I would be collecting you,"

Not listening to anything she wanted to say, he carried her and placed her on his shoulder. She kept on punching his back, but they all felt like feathers to him.

All he did next was to hit her on her back, and for some moments, she kept shut.

The next time she opened her eyes, she was bound to a chair.

"Seems like you are up, I need your brother's contact," Pete brought out his cell phone from his pocket, taking shots of her. She blinked her eyes in reaction to the flashlight.

"I am giving you nothing," Carrie wanted to be stubborn, but she didn't know that Pete cared less about it.

He took out another cell phone from his pocket. "Well, I knew you would be stubborn, but I took your cell phone too. I waited for you to wake up to unlock it with your eyeball recognition." He took the cell phone close to her face rapidly, it unlocked immediately.

"What are you doing?"

"What you are thinking right now," Pete took pictures of her that way. He sent them straight to Denzel via messenger.

"Looks like you were calling your brother to save you from me, that's nice. But it was not the best option, he would die soon,"

When that message got to Denzel, Denzel's mind got clouded.

-Let's meet at your compartment.-

The message said.

"Zoey, I would be back,"

"What's wrong?" Zoey asked him, but he didn't spit out a reply. She could see the expressionless look on his face.

"Mical, seems you are up today," Denzel said as he took the elevator to the rooftop. He got out of the elevator, walking towards the door leading out.

He tried opening it, but it was locked. He didn't think twice when he kicked the door open.

Immediately, he switched with Mical, taking off afterwards, drifting as fast as it could.