X
present
Scythe gave us our instructions. Though we're playing this mostly by ear, we don't have the luxury of telecommunications like the heroes do. Those kinds of things, ear pieces, comms, etc– they're expensive and they're too easy to tap into. The heroes think they have good security by stopping us from using such things, but for all the measures they take to be safe, they seriously don't know how to look right under their noses. They're too proud, too full of themselves to realize that's where an enemy usually lies.
Hidari and I did what we had to do. The maintenance rooms underneath the stadium are also for emergencies and they can hold hundreds of people. Ironically, pretty poor security down there and not a soul to see us infiltrate. Although the last thing I would've expected to see while waiting for Scythe's signal, peeking out of an escape hatch, is my dear lady with smoke dust on her face and my brother at her back.
"X," Sora says through his teeth, clenching his fists.
Hidari is careful behind me, his hands thinned like blades, ready. I give him a look to not do anything without my or Scythe's say so.
"We're not here to cause trouble, my darling," I say, putting my hands up, a white flag. "Just the opposite."
"You knew," Sora bites, anger forming his face with that anxiety that always drives his actions practically shaking through him. "You knew the masked men would be here today and you said nothing."
"Last time I checked, neither did the Slums or Scythe owe heroes anything," I say, but I'm just buying time. Sora's too emotional. He won't let logic do the dictating even when the stakes are this high. And even if he was trustworthy with everything I know– "Telling you our enemies would be here today would've made you panic and when heroes panic someone always gets hurt."
Sora tsks, frustrated he doesn't even have a sword to chuck haphazardly at my head.
"You liar–"
"Sora." Yuki, to my surprise, grabs his arm to stop him going further. Sora looks down at her in surprise, but Yuki keeps her eyes on me, that gray, almost pale nature behind them strict, but calm, like a frozen over river that's gone still. "Go find Copper and Suru."
"What?" Sora frowns. "But your dad said–"
"Do as I say."
Sora gives me another look, the kind that's threatening without any words behind it. I may have been a little reckless during our last meeting when I pushed my dear maiden, but it was a necessity of the moment. Scythe assured me no harm would come to her, but she had to be detained, disoriented. If she knew too much, if she said too much, it could've been the end for our take over. And in the end, both Yuki and Scythe got what they wantde. An ally on the other side of the border.
"You trust me, so much, my darling?" I ask as Sora disappears back into the tunnels, running after our dear siblings.
Yuki takes a step forward and to my surprise, Hidari is dead silent. Even around the most popular heroes in the world, he's a bit of prick, throwing jokes, getting comfortable around even people whose throats he's mentally slashing. But right now, he's collected, waiting for an order. Hah. I quite like this side of him that doesn't infuriate me.
"The masked men don't give a shit about the Slums anymore, right?" Yuki says. "Tell me what you or Scythe gain from stopping the masked men today?"
I scoff. I really do think my love is intelligent, stunning, a fighter of sheer will power and skill, but she is just like her lineage implies. Something happens right in front of her face, an answer waves like a colored flag, but she looks too far into the details to grasp the bigger picture.
