Chapter 58 - 56

POV: Takamori

I lied about having a bunker under my brothel so Asher would stop breathing down my neck. I know he means well, and I know deep down that he cares, even if he doesn't say it out loud or express it too much, but in the end I always can count on him, just like now when he went head deep into trouble so he could rescue me.

In this kill or be killed world, we have to stay together so we can keep some of our humanity alive.

But it would have been nice to have a bunker indeed, however the amount of trouble and money needed to make something underground is greater than building upwards, especially since I could not let it influence the come and go of costumers, nor affect the illusion created by the dim lights and fluttering eyelashes.

So no, no bucker, barely a safe, but I could not leave my girls alone, and even as tired as I'm after fighting for my life with only my powers to defend myself, I still stay up all night to organize the shivering girls and keep them at eye distance from me.

Thankfully, however, we were not attacked, probably something to do with the proximity of the high guard up above on the golden walls, and their high gun power pointed towards the skies.

Even after the initial despair has passed and the very welcomed sun appears, however, I have to deal with the aftermath and gather information myself about the situation outside.

All in all, I end up sleeping late that day, hitting the pillow like a rock and out in less than a second, a good thing since a few hours later I awake to see the sun go down, and even if nothing may happen tonight everybody is so stressed and with jangled nerves, widen eyes searching for the buggy man, that I cannot simply sleep the night away..

After all most of us here had encountered such creatures at least once in our lives, none being pleasant memories, and having the walls, the high impenetrable walls, breached for the first time ever since these monsters came to be definitely made some of us revive such moments very vividly.

Panic will settle if I don't act to calm the nerves down, so I wake first then all and go to sleep the last, getting information while keeping them occupied with cleaning the place up and painting walls that have waited too long to receive color, saying that this little break has come in handy for us to prepare for when our clients come to visit us again.

I don't need to say how tired I'm the next morning when Asher comes to visit. I had been sleeping for less than an hour, enough to give a boost in my body for the next few hours only for me to feel much shitter later on, but after all that has been going around the city I should be more than grateful for still having a body to feel shitty later.

I wake annoyed by one of the girls saying that there is a special guest waiting, and even f the time is bad work is work, so I start changing and cleaning my face quickly as I rush to the hidden room on the back with a blindfold on, neutralizing my annoyed energy and tiredness so it would influence my work as I slowly open the door sideways, turning with grace to close it behind me, only to smile and say:

"Good sir, what may I help you with today?"

"… I want your help." Says the person, and as Asher voice reaches my ears my act drops as quickly as my blindfolds.

"Really Asher? This early in the morning? Thought you soldiers would be very occupied today. Sigh, what is it?" I say, paying attention to the words used since Asher has never being a man of many words, always precise with the way he talks so he doesn't need to repeat himself, and has never used the word 'need' as well, 'want' being his version of asking something politely.

Even more at that is because he is very capable on his own, never needing anyone, that's why any kind of plea like this is rare and in-between, and probably done to very, very few.

"Follow me." At that he stands and walks out through the covered halls that lead outside totally out of view of prying eyes, totally ignoring my needs.

Sigh, I guess I should not have expected that it would be a simple matter that could be resolved with a few words and allowed me to sleep 8 hours for the first time in the last 48 hours, I think as I resign to my fate and follow him out without complains said out loud.

I frown when we pass through the black military gates, but they are wide open and with no guards around, probably very occupied with other much important matters than to guard these gates, especially since no one would be dumb enough to cause trouble here where the military lives, or at least I hoped so.

However, as I follow him, watching our surroundings with a fearful premonition, I do not predict what waits for me inside his home and, as he opens the door and the inside comes to view, with a silhouette sitting on the couch, I simply rush to his side and be damned the blood staining my body as I hug him.

"You are alive! I'm so glad to see you well! How the heck did you survive?! I was so worried! I was sure that died there!" I say, flashes of him back then passing through my eyes, pushing me out of the way only to be dragged out in my place by one of the flying ghouls, terror growing in tune with my racing heart.

I was dead sure that he was a goner! What a pleasant surprise!

"But look at you, you are doing just… fine?" Part of my excitement is gone when I look at his state, all bloody and with the hair messy once more.

I brush his bangs to the side so I can see his eyes, and as the previous times that I have meet him the confused look is still there, only that this time he would glance at Asher from time to time, as if questioning what the hell was he up too by bringing me here.

I was curious about that as well. He wanted my help and brought me here, so I suppose it must have something to do with this boy, maybe is to take care of him? Maybe… to introduce him to our line of work? Surely not… right?

I open my mouth to ask, already in action and cleaning the boy up with a wet towel from the kitchen, managing to clean some skin and look somewhat presentable; cannot say the same about the cough though; when someone interrupts us, a set of strong fierce knocks on the door. 

And the bad promotion I was having until this moment proves to be right, but even I could not guess just how bad thighs turned out to be.

And how all would be… revolutionary.