Edd's POV
"The European Rabbit lives to be 8 years of age before dying," Matt said as he got out of the bathroom, after taking his shower.
"Why did you tell me that?" I asked.
"I thought you'd like to know," Matt said.
"The only thing I'd liked to know is where you've been," I said.
"..."
"I just went on a walk, Edd..." Matt claimed.
"Then why didn't you just say so? Unless you didn't actually go walking?" I asked.
"..."
"I just felt like I didn't need to..."
"..."
"Matt?" I asked.
"Mhm?"
"I am going to be leaving... Again..." I said hesitantly.
"What do you mean?" Matt asked tilting his head a bit.
"I-I've been talking to the Purple Leader... He wants me to do a mission..." I explained.
"..."
"You've been with the Purple Army?" Matt asked.
"N-no!" I exclaimed. "I'm just tying loose ends."
"..."
"You know that being around Purple Leader isn't safe? Right?" Matt asked.
"Do you even know his history?" Matt asked.
"No..." I answered. "Do you?"
"Well... I know a bit," Matt said. "Just bits and pieces of the story."
"Story? What story?"
"..."
"Sit down for this one, Edd," Matt said.
I sat on the bed and waited for him to tell me the story, I felt like a child.
"Have you ever seen the Chinese symbol for rabbit, Edd?" Matt asked.
"Nope," I said simply.
"Okay," Matt said simply.
"So, back when you, Tord, Tom, and I were in high school, a student there who kept his identity a secret started a small and secret business," Matt explained. "The business was run by who we know today as Purple Leader, the idea was that other students from the school would pay Purple Leader to kill people for money and make it look like a suicide."
"The 'business' was a success, Purple Leader was making hundreds of dollars per week. But one day he messed up, he killed the wrong person, he killed the son of an agent... an agent of an underground organization of people called The Children Of The Harvest."
"The agent went all the way from Scotland to London just to try and kill Purple Leader," Matt said.
"The agent from Scotland tortured Purple Leader before he planned to kill him, and the agent from Scotland burnt his own zodiac into Purple Leader's stomach: rabbit," Matt explained.
"But Purple Leader managed to escape, and he killed the agent from Scotland, and he returned to his killing as if nothing happened. And by the time he truly stopped his business of killings, around 600 people had lost their lives to a student who we know today as Purple Leader... And not a single person knew his identity. That is who Purple Leader is."
"So I'll ask you again, have you ever seen the Chinese symbol for rabbit, Edd?"
I shook my head.
My eyes widened as my heart was pumping.
That was...
A very unique story.
"..."
"Do you want me to sleep with you, Edd?" Matt asked innocently. "You seem scared."
"U-uh... Yeah..." I said, still concerned about the story he told me.
"Okay, let me use the bathroom first," Matt said as he got up.
I stared at nothing as I thought of the story Matt told me.
He burnt his own zodiac into Purple Leader's stomach: rabbit
Rabbit.
Ever seen the Chinese symbol for Rabbit?
Once Matt walked back into the room my thoughts stopped.
"Are you okay, Edd?" Matt asked.
I nodded my head, "Yeah, I'm fine."
"Okay then, let's get some sleep, Edd," Matt said as he laid in bed.
I laid down also, Matts back towards me,
"C-can I hug you? I-it helps me sleep, nothing weird," I said.
"Um..." Matt was flustered by my question, "Sure, go ahead."
A week passes by...
The day of Edd's flight to the US.
As I saw Purple Leader's car pull up, I sighed.
I really didn't want to have to leave Matt again.
I stood outside my apartment as I waited for Purple Leader to pick me up.
But after the story that Matt told me about him, he kinda freaked me out a bit.
I already had said my goodbyes to Matt around an hour ago, and I wish I didn't have to say goodbye.
I got in the car, I saw Purple Leader in the driver's seat and Jessika in the passenger seat.
I sat in the back.
Once at the Purple Base
We finally arrived at the Purple Base where a private plane would take me and Jessika to the US, where we would meet Eduardo.
Ugh.
We went through the base's security and finally got inside.
Jessika boarded the plane and Purple Leader waited impatiently for me to go in.
"We don't have all day!" Purple Leader exclaimed, clearly irritated.
"..."
"How do I know this isn't a trap?" I asked.
"What?"
"Why would it be a trap?"
"I mean how do I know you're not trying to kill me?" I asked.
"A friend of mine told me a story, about you," I said.
"Me?" Purple Leader asked.
"Yep, he said that you were a student who started an assassination business when you were a high school student, he said that an agent from a secret organization burnt his Chinese zodiac into your stomach: Rabbit," I explained.
"I just wanted to know if that is true.
Purple Leader stared at me and thought for a second.
He picked up his shirt and jacket.
On his stomach, large burns in the shape of a Chinese symbol were implanted into his stomach.
The burns which formed the Chinese symbol were clearly the symbol for Rabbit.
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Just looking at it made me gag.
The burns were old and nasty.
I looked away.
Purple Leader put his shirt back down.
"I've learned to live with it," Purple Leader claimed.
"It looks painful," I said.
"Sometimes, but I got used to it," Purple Leader said.
"But that doesn't matter now. What matters is that you leave and complete your mission," Purple Leader reminded me.
"Right..."
I boarded the plane and waited for the plane to leave.
Tom's POV
It's been a week since I found out about the Red Army's germ warfare.
Tord's been more and more mean.
And bad habits came back...
It was around 1:00 AM but I wasn't sleeping.
Usually, around this time, Tord and I would sleep together, but I needed some alone time.
I needed a minute to reflect.
In the new Red Base, there was a small garden outside which was beautiful and relaxing.
I looked at the stars as I drank.
Mhm.
Bad habits.
From a distance, I heard Tord yelling my name.
He found me.
I recognize that Norwegian accent anywhere.
"Tom!" Tord exclaimed. "There you are!"
I took another drink from the alcohol, "What do you want commie?"
"Well I've been-" Tord cut himself off, "Wait, did you call me commie?" Tord asked.
"Are you mad at me or something?"
"I don't know, are you mad at me?" I asked Tord.
"No, why would you..."
"Is that alcohol?" Tord asked.
"Mhm"
"Where'd you get alcohol?!" Tord exclaimed.
"And why are you drinking?!"
"To cope," I said simply.
"WITH WHAT?!"
"You."
"..."
"..."
...
"O-oh..." Tord said, holding in tears.
"I'll be in the room..." Tord said, on the verge of tears.
Tord turned away and ran inside.
I was curious why he had run so fast back inside.
I followed him and watched him as he burst into tears.
As soon as he got inside and thought nobody was listening or looking, he sobbed.
He crouched to the floor and covered his face with his arms.
He talked to himself while he sobbed.
"What is wrong with you!?" Tord wept as he continued to sob.
My heart ached.
I didn't mean to do that...
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