Chapter 59 - 57

Yup, now I'm sure of it, this Takamori guy has a loose screw in the head, there is no other explanation as to why he would simply rush at me, a complete stranger, for a hug and, not only that, go beyond as to fix and clean me up all of the sudden, totally ignoring my tense not-reciprocal being and doing what he wants at this point.

Not only that's weird enough, but the raises the question as to why would the captain bring him here? Perhaps Asher did not want to do the dirty job of carrying for me…I chuckle internally, that sounds somewhat like him, though I still believe there must be more to it too, knowing him.

However I don't have the time nor the opportunity to ponder what he has in store for me because, in the end, things go south very, very quickly, and we lose control of the situation.

The cause of this being of the ones behind the strong knocks at the door.

"Captain Murray, open up! We know you are there! Open up this moment by the direct orders of Colonel Bittencourt!"

Asher doesn't seem affected by their outburst at his door, but I can tell that last name makes Takamori's heart race as he clenches his jaw.

Well seems like someone is in big trouble… wouldn't expect it any other way by now.

Asher turns around and opens the door without hesitation, but he barely has enough time to sidestep when the soldiers rush inside, quickly filling the rooms in a brute manner.

Takamori goes to stand behind me, a hand on my shoulder, probably thinking that I needed some sort of safety assurance in this kind of situation.

As if.

What he ends up doing actually is holding me in place when I hear a familiar yet unwelcomed voice coming from the group as his face appears among the frown of soldiers.

"Ah, Ashy, been a while, how are you doing?"

"Sean." Asher simply says.

"So cold Ashy, I came specially to see you and this is how you receive me? How sad…" Sean says in a sad voice, but his face carries a winning smile that tells me otherwise.

"Ah, Ashy Ashy, of all the people I know you were the last one I would expect to slip up and make a mistake, even more enough for me to return the favor and lock you up, Ashy Ashy… It has been fun the last years, but this cat and mouse game ends tonight… I'll miss it though, after I celebrate the win, of course."

After Sean says that he starts chewing on something, his mad driven eyes glancing at a soldier on the side who steps up towards Asher and takes out a paper, extending it in front of him while he reads.

"Asher Murray, entitled captain, has been put under investigation for omitting information on his report regarding the attacks inside the city walls, and as such will be taken under custody to avoid interfering with the investigation and-"

"You got to be kidding me, he has done nothing wrong!" Out of nowhere Taka talks, cutting the other's speech as Asher himself does not react.

However, even if the soldiers eyes turn towards Taka right now, I still maintain a very high guard as I question what the hell is this group doing here, especially that crazy dude who went as far as destroying those buildings full of people for a remote chance to get to me.

Then it downs me… Asher has to have called them, did he not? To give me out, to get me, to study me, for whatever reason he thought having me alive weighed more than the risk of keeping me around. 

What is he up to? Takamori is here to make me more presentable for these 'gentlemen'? They are here for me, aren't they? There is no other reason for their presence, and yet Asher expects me to behave and act cool while they drag me out to unknown destiny?

Hell no, rather go out with a fight than became their guinea pig!

I openly stare at them, in one of them in particular, and if that wasn't enough Takamori had spoken and brought the attention to our side, making Sean turn with a scoff on his face.

"Really Ashy, didn't fancy you to enjoy male whores like this, and two at the same time even, what a given! People dying on the streets from the attack and you lazing around with two whores! Ha! At least you got to enjoy your freedom to the fullest while it lasted did you not?"

Takamori's hand grips at my shoulder strongly, but one look at the calm Asher makes him stop talking, emotions pilling up to almost spark to life on his yellow eyes.

But then Sean narrows his eyes a little, focusing his gaze at Takamori's face and mine next as he says: "Wait, hold on a second, I know you two don't I? Oh… I see, I remember now, right, the whore duo, the sparky boy and the fucker who attacked me. You are still alive hey? So inconsiderable of you after all the trouble I went through to change that… at least we still have time amend that mistake don't I?"

Out of nowhere he takes his gun out and aims at me, his soldiers following his lead and raising their weapons too, making Asher clench his hands into fists on the side, ready to react but unarmed, his gaze drifting to the side where something smelling of gunpowder is hidden.

"…What are you doing Sean? Killing civilians now?" Asher says in his known monotone.

"Ah, you know, just teaching some Shinzaki whores their place, that's all." He says, dragging the Shinzaki word as if that would be enough to excuse his actions completely.

I feel a tingle on my shoulder as electricity starts pouring slowly from Taka's hand as he tries to contain an outburst of power.

Tension grows in that small room, deadly weapons ready to fire, gazes steady at their targets, and I know what I have to do, even if it may cost me another friendly encounter with the floor: I must act before they can take me, I can still work things out, find loopholes in this mess, and I was about to test the limits of this contract when Sean, as if sensing my intentions, spit the mint leaf he was chewing at, only to smile and curve his eyes into a half-moon.

"Bye bye cock sucker."

Then he simply stops arguing, pretending, thinking, and just tenses his finger down and unexpectedly pulls the trigger, a bullet coming straight at my head and pushing my forehead back with the force of the impact, bending my neck backward, blood slowly coming out from the wound as I hear Takamori scream in the background:

"NOOOO!!"