𝐒𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐆𝐈𝐑𝐋//𝐆𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐘𝐗𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐄𝐑

ᴛᴇᴀ ᴛɪᴍᴇ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴠᴏʟᴅᴇᴍᴏʀᴛ ☕️

Gally's Point Of View:

"Leo...nice to meet you." The noseless guy in front of me stuck out a flat hand, lips curling up into an acrid smile. I shook his hand as briefly as I could. "I'm Lawrence, the guy who runs everything around here." Lawrence's eyes burned into me, never leaving my face as he sized me up. "You've been unconscious for a few days my friend. You see that means I've been housing a stranger for a while and I've never cared much for strangers, do you?"

He carried a bonsai plant in his free hand, pulling out a pair of gardening shears. Lawrence leered at me, like a lion in a cage with its prey as he clipped away at his bonsai.

"No."

"No sir." He corrected sharply, pointing the shears at me. The blades glinted, its razor edges aimed at my chest. I swallowed my pride, not wanting to do something stupid, especially after the guy took me in.

This dude saved me. Although I knew and he knew that the life he'd saved was valuable, it came with a price. I was indebted.

"No, sir." I adapted to his order, saying each word deliberately to gauge his reaction. Lawrence had a lot of power, I had none. It was important to be likable but not to come across as a kiss ass. I had to figure out what he liked. Y/n could do that. She could do that with almost every single person. They could flatter the pants off of someone. So I tried to think of what y/n would say. "Strangers and I have never really gotten along."

"Glad we're on the same page." He turned to examine the IV bag he was attached to. The liquid that once was there dwindled, dripping down its tube. "So why don't we rid ourselves of this strangeness, come sit." Carting his IV along with him, he led me to a couple of armchairs. I followed his order, keeping quiet and taking a seat beside him.

Marshall had told me about the sun flares, about cranks, immunes, everything. He made sure to tell me about Lawrence's condition, how his brain was being ravaged by the flare.

Lawrence was a man hell-bent on taking out Wicked. He was a viper. He was a businessman. He didn't like strangers.

"These are nice chairs," I murmured, patting the leather as I tried to make myself comfortable.

"Yes, we stole these a couple of months ago. They make nice additions to the atmosphere." Lawrence flicked his hand lazily at the ragged open room. The chairs were the only decent items in the place. "But enough about the chairs, let's get something to drink. Marshall!" He called for the boy who had been leaning against the far wall, observing our exchange. "Stop standing there like a little bitch and go make us some tea. Make sure to bring the sugar along this time."

"Yes, sir." Marshall quipped, scrambling off to fill the demand.

Countless silent minutes passed before Lawrence initiated the conversation. He waited till the tea came, pouring me a cup and sliding over the cream and sugar.

"Leo, let's get straight to the point shall we."

"What point, sir?" I stared back at him steely, hands clasped together at attention. I didn't touch the tea. Its steam curled and danced in the cold air.

"We saved your lucky ass. You were nothing but a shish kebab at a middle-aged woman's mixer party until we found you." Lawrence sipped from his teacup, setting it back on the small table between us. "Do you know why we saved you?"

"I think I have a good idea, sir."

"Why did we save you? Tell me."

"I'm valuable. I'm immune, I'm tall, and I'm strong. You need that."

"Ah, so there's some brain behind all that muscle." Lawrence chuckled dryly, eyes half-lidded. "You're right. I'd like to make you an offer Leo. I'm going to offer you a place to live, three hot meals a day, and you can keep half of whatever I tell you to steal."

"You want me to steal for you?"

"Not just steal. I want you to be one of my soldiers, a member of the resistance. I'd send you to go on missions and tasks for me, all in the name of improving our lives and destroying Wicked. You'd be a regular Robin Hood."

His offer was good. He was right about that. But what about y/n. I couldn't just give up on her. Not when there was a chance she was alive, even if there was a sliver of a chance. I had to look for them. I had to find them, wherever they were.

"What if I don't take your offer? Will you kill me?"

"No. I'd let you roam free off in the wild. Whatever's out there will kill you." He cleared his throat, narrowing his eyes. "Why are you hesitant? Is it y/n?" My blood froze, pupils dilating. How did he know about y/n?

"How...?"

"You babble in your sleep. Y/n's the star of your dreams. You never shut up about her."

"She was a girl I knew...I can't give up on her. I just can't. I'm sorry but I'm gonna have to-"

"Leo, if this girl is alive, we're your best bet in finding her," Lawrence argued, waving his finger at me as he went on. "Our goal is to infiltrate Wicked, break out other immunes, add to the resistance, get revenge on Wicked. Don't you want to get those sons of bitches back for what they did to your girl?!"

What they did? More like what I did. But he was right. I wanted revenge. I wanted forgiveness. I wanted y/n. I wanted them so badly. I'd mourn her forever if I couldn't find some clue of what happened to her. I needed to know. No, I had to know.

"Lawrence?"

"What is it?"

"You got yourself a deal."