Chapter 11: The Bunny and The Smith

Once he introduced himself as Crowe, now he allowed his peers to call him Alex. With the second mission successful, they'll have to lay low again. Taking Sara's advice to heart, Alex decided to take this time to interact with his peers, which surprised the heck out of his said peers because it was out of his character.

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(Daphne's side)

In the resident hacker bunny's room, digitalize noises can be heard. Daphne and Alex are actually playing video games all day, shooting games, fighting games, even storyline campaigns. He was a little frustrated because he was losing.

"Come on!..Come on!..."

"KO!!!...GirlBunny wins!" the game referee said.

"Dammit." Alex groaned.

"Ooh so close, you did good though." Daphne said, obviously holding back her triumph.

"Another!" Alex challenges.

"You're on!"

The game starts and they continued playing, the look on his face says he enjoys it, but his mind wonders about something.

"You know, this is quite a life you live, life of entertainment, steady income, and online admirers. Why does someone like that want to fight for the resistance?" he asked.

"Why do you ask?" She asked, faking her innocence, then she gasped

"Could it be....you're fawning over me?" she said seductively with a blush in her face.

"No I'm just curious, that's all."

Daphne sat quietly while playing for a moment until she finally sighed.

"At school, I had two friends and we were misfits, but we were inseparable, three peas in a pod. But then when I heard they became streamers online I felt like I was left out, so I tried out what they do, I even learned hacking skills. Countless downs and uplifts from my friends, I wanted to achieve the same greatness as them, to be their equals. By the time I made it, they left. I can't talk to them or see them anymore, but I didn't stop streaming games and hacking into places undetected, steady income and having admirers, but deep down I was lonely, I had no friends."

Alex listened to her story and he felt her because he himself knew loneliness.

"Until boss caught what I was doing, he could've had me arrested but he needed my help. A little time in the resistance, and I started to consider them as friends."

The two continued to play the game until she broke the silence.

"You know, Sara isn't the only one who's watching you, I watched how you tend to distance yourself from us, you space out a lot. I always thought you were an introvert, but you don't really talk to people do you?"

"What do you mean? I talk to people just fine."

"But not very often, huh? You can't fool me Alex, because deep down you're as lonely as I am."

The realization hit him where it hurts, because before he met them, he truly did felt alone because he lost everything and betrayed by the one close to him. He survived for so long it was impossible to trust anyone, afraid to care for anyone only to lose or be betrayed. And looking at now, has his heart truly gone soft?

"KO!!!....BlackBird wins!" the game broke her out of her thoughts.

"Hey! No fair! You cheated!" she barked.

"You were distracted!" he remarked.

"But then again, you win for once."

This cause the two to laugh until they stopped to catch her breath.

"I was given friends, and I was given kindness. I wanted to do the same with you, so if you ever need it, I'll be your friend." Daphne comforted Alex before he gave a small smile.

After a moment of silence, Alex broke the silence.

"I do like music, do you know any good ones?"

Daphne's eyes lit up then she dragged her newfound friend like a ragdoll to her seat. She gave him her headphones, and tuned in to a song that was a J pop song from a video game she loved this was a bit meaningful to her, because the girl who sung this song wanted to be an idol and prayed for peace only for her to be dragged in a war and threw away her humanity.

Then Alex and Daphne listened to more songs. Rock, Happy, Sad, Love, Emo, Heavy rock, and even songs with deep meanings. Daphne helped Alex listing the songs he likes and two spent all evening on entertainment.

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(Akindele's side)

In the school gym, Alex decided to help Akindele test his weapons, he was currently maintaining gun with Akindele teaching him.

"Nah uh!!! You being too aggressive there! You got to be a gentle!!!" Akindele lectured

"Hey! I'm as gentle as I can get!" Alex rebuked.

"Nah!! You call that being gentle, You're a-- Oh! That actually works! Carry on!!!"

Alex finished some final touches to the gun before putting on the side table, he noticed a picture frame. He picked it up and saw Akindele with a black beautiful woman next to him along with two kids, and a nice house behind them.

"Is this your family?" Alex asked solemnly.

Akindele turned and saw he was holding the picture frame.

"Well uh...yeah, and reason I fight." Akindele said in a soft tone while scratching his neck.

"My wife was headstrong and always worked hard for me and the kids and I wanted to do the same. During my days in the military, I work hard than my usual, and with my talents, I was assigned as a weapons specialist and then I was transferred to be the government's militia. But when I found out their deepest darkest secret, I bailed. I knew me and my family would be hunted down so we moved away."

Alex picked another gun to fix as he listened in to his story as Akindele continued on.

"For days, we were in hiding and then that got me thinking. As long as they're out there, they'll never stop looking for us, so I returned and helped the boss fight the order I turned my back on and he helped my family move to a secret location, that's how I'm here."

Akindele finished his story as Alex was in deep thought as was fixing the gun, then he turned to the smith.

"Do you really think you can fight this war and protect your family at same time?" he asked.

Akindele looked down in sadness for moment until he spoke.

"Well...me and my wife, made a promise that we must learn to let go, doesn't mean we wouldn't mourn each other."

He sighed before he turned to him.

"Look I respect your need of revenge, Just wanna let you know I got ya back brotha!!! Would ya have ours?"

"Sure." Alex responded before he accidentally broke off a piece of gun.

"COME ON MAN!!! I TOLD YOU TO BE GENTLE!!!"

"..."

"Man you sadistic! Alright let me fix er up!"

It's been a few days, and Alex took some comfort in the bonds of his newfound friends. Not that he would forget his revenge, just found new solitude. The rest of the days went off without a hitch.

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In the city streets, a certain dark suited man with a fedora is seen walking amongst the crowd, Cypher was just done with his errands the Governor-General sent him so he decided to unwind.

Then he heard a loud voice.

"THERE ARE DEMONS EVERYWHERE!!!"

This peaked an interest to Cypher so he went to see the commotion is about and Lo and behold, a street preacher screaming demons everywhere and holding out pictures.

"YOU MAY NOT KNOW IT!!! BUT THERE ARE DEVILS HIDING AMONG US!!! THOSE SHARP CLAWS AND TEETH AND THE EYES OF EVIL!!! AND I SAW THEM!!! I HAVE PROOF RIGHT HERE!!!"

This man just yell and holding out pictures off demon sightings to everyone, Cypher just stood there listening with his hands in his pockets, sporting a grin knowing this man had no idea how right he is.

"IF YOU CONSIDER YOURSELF A BELIEVER, THEN DONATE 5 BUCKS AND HELP ME REVEAL THIS DARK TRUTH TO THE WORLD!!! COME ON 5 BUCKS EVERYONE!!! 5 BUCKS IF YOU'RE INTERESTED!!!"

The street preacher held out his hand, waiting for someone to give him what he wants.

"Oh I'm interested."

The street preacher turned to the suited-man in a hat.

"Ah!!! You do my good sir! Then you seek to be enlightened and I am honored that you have embraced this truth." the street preacher said while putting an act.

"How would you like an interview with yours truly, somewhere private perhaps?." Cypher suggested

"Gladly!" the street preacher reply, looking very pleased with himself while Cypher grinned again.

Few minutes later, he led the preacher into a secluded area. He handed him the photos so he can view them.

"Let me tell you, it wasn't very easy taking pictures like these, you know risking my life and all. So if you're thinking if buying these photos you'll have to pay 20 bucks."

Cypher payed the preacher and he took it and thanked him before he excused himself starts to walk away.

"Before you go..." Cypher called out to him which he stopped to turn.

"...did you know there was a restaurant who had their animatronics missing then a few days later they found it destroyed and painted in a different color, almost similar to the ones in these photos. You wouldn't know anything about that, would you?" Cypher looked serious when he said those.

The preacher doesn't look happy about then tries to shrug it off.

"I should be getting back now." he said nervously as he tried to walk away then Cypher appeared in front of him.

"There he is!!! You're not just a thief but also a liar, you don't really believe what you say, it's just all about money and attention, now that's just sad which makes this story all the more delicious." He got him there guilty.

The preacher seemed very nervous that he was getting called out, afraid he was gonna rat him out, he pulled out a knife from his pocket and stabbed Cypher in the gut. Cypher looked limp for a moment before falling to the ground.

The preacher now-revealed charlatan looked at his body and thought him dead then letting relief flowing in him. But he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his stomach as he clutched it, then he saw his hands are filled with blood. He turned around and saw Cypher with his hat off, revealing his whitish-blonde hair and orange eyes with snake slits.

The charlatan looked in horror, he thought he just killed this man, he looked at the body behind only to see it fade, it was an illusion.

"Fitting how a fraud let's his guard after he thinks he won." Cypher mocked.

He continues to clutch the pain and the dollar he took fell to the ground. It turned out to be another illusion, revealing a card with a star inside a circle.

The card disappears and the same star-like glyph form understand his feet, and then hands grabbed the charlatan's legs and pulled his soul down to the earth. He struggles all he can and the last thing he saw was man with a snakelike grin.

The charlatan's body remains as a husk and Cypher puts his hat back on. He walks away before sensing another presence.

"I could've handle this a different way." a woman's voice is heard.

"Welcome back Crimson Warrior, and knowing you, it would end in a mess and we wouldn't want that now would we?."

Cypher turned to the source of her voice and saw a silhouette since she stands in the shadows, he can still see the burning golden eyes despite of the darkness.

"I have another job for you, you can say this one is a....special reunion." Cypher said

The Crimson Warrior eyes narrowed

"I'm listening."