Chapter 135 - Battle Of Ownership : Part 1

"A witness said that they spotted them in this area earlier, sir." A police officer hurriedly reported to chief Edelweiss that had just gotten out of the car.

The said officer welcomed the two married chiefs as they both scanned the area. The chief woman in her forties followed the chief man that looked like an old copy of Valerian.

The woman's short dirty blonde hair waved a little at the sudden gust of wind from the forest near them. She inspected the area while her husband came up to the police officer.

"This area is where their previous house was, correct?" He asked. Forest eyes statically calculated the situation. The wrinkles down his eyes were showing from his old age.

"Yes, sir. The house had burned down right after the late mute murderer's identity reveal." The officer confirmed his question, and the chief man nodded in understanding.

"Honey," The dirty blonde-haired woman tugged her husband's sleeve as her stoic expression caught something. "-we should probably split into groups."

The man moved his eyes toward his woman and considered her idea for a moment. He quickly looked around to count the heads of the guards and hardened his gaze.

"Split into three groups." He commanded as he pointed to the officer in front of him. "You search around the neighbourhoods."

He turned to the policewoman and commanded, "You searched the house ruins and around it. Also, make sure if there are any secret passages. We never knew what the mercenary's plan was."

"Yes, sir!" All of them said it in unions and quickly scattered around the area.

The head of the Edelweiss family nodded to his wife and stared at the officers behind him. "The rest of you follow me."

They took off right after, running inside the heavy forest as they kept trying to see any tracks around.

The chief woman caught up with her husband and ran side by side with him. "Have you contacted our son yet?"

"Yes. But it appears that he hasn't answered any of our calls." He tried to stay focused and followed the trails in the forest. He gave his best to not worry about Valerian at this moment.

The teen had been disappearing a lot lately. Something obviously happened with the blond.

The chief man gritted his teeth. It seemed like he was never a good father. Aster had been avoiding him and went to therapy. He failed to play a good role for the youngest because he was too focused on Valerian.

He knew that Valerian would handle all the burden, so he had thought that Aster would be happy the way he was. The youngest did not have to try to be like his older brother. He could just do anything he wanted.

But it seemed like he was wrong about that. And now, Valerian had disappeared, and Aster would not tell where he went.

"This is regarding the mercenary's matter. Has he given up in this case? He was so determined before." The woman chimed in. A sign of worry was in her voice as she kept keeping her fast pace down the path.

The man's gaze sharpened at her words. Behind his murderous gaze, a sign of worry was planted in his eyes.

"Where are you, son?"

✵✵✵✵✵✵

Valerian was questioning his decision as he watched the mirror. All his false determinations that people painted for him to be the protector of the city had led him to this.

The first time he actually chose his own path was by betraying the whole city that he should have been protecting. He did it by bailing the mercenary out of jail and helping him with whatever his plan was.

Cain suddenly stiffened and snapped his head toward the door so fast that Valerian believed it cracked. "Someone's here."

Adreanna slowly turned toward the door too, while Kiaran rolled his eyes and leaned on the table.

Zack quickly rechecked his laptop, hacking the cameras around and the intruders' communication devices. "Oh, um. About ten people and a helicopter that's ready to fly if we get caught."

"They also scattered outside the forest. Thirty, no, fifty with those in cars and hiding on top of buildings." The brunette continued rapidly scanning the screen like some kind of a walking machine.

"Another trap from that man, huh? He probably sold us out to spice things up." Kiaran's face morphed into an annoyed look. He really disliked this 'play' so much.

It was predictable and boring.

Valerian who had been staying silent for a while quickly took out his gun and gripped it tight. Kiaran raised his eyebrow and tilted his head to the blond who stared back with a determined look.

"I'll hold them down with this guy. You three get your youngest back." The blond stated and pointed to the brunette who just looked at the situation with a confused face.

"Your name is Zack, right?" Valerian stared right into his grey eyes, and Zack slowly nodded.

"Uh, yes."

"Hack the cameras in this place and track them all. We'll get them one by one." Valerian suddenly took the lead, and Zack followed him instantly. Cain and Adreanna just watched from the back while eyeing the blond.

"Mercenary, you go with your family and take the mute murderer back." He quickly ran to the door with Zack tailing on his back.

Kiaran grinned in glee at the command. "Thanks, police boy! If you get in jail, I'll bail you out too!"

"He's the one who bailed you out?" Adreanna's blue eyes had turned into a darker shade as she watched Valerian.

"Yep. Wholesome, right?" Kiaran chuckled while slowly walking toward the mirror.

"Shut the fuck up and go." Valerian snapped his head angrily that a vein popped out on the side of his forehead. Kiaran stuck his tongue out and let his back fall into the mirror.

Cain walked into the mirror, following afterwards. Adreanna stayed for a while, looking at Zack with her usual dull eyes.

Zack caught her stare and waved at her. She blinked before trying to wave back awkwardly. Adreanna then turned into the mirror, disappearing into the world inside it.

"They are still in the lobby," Zack muttered as Valerian slowly opened the lab's door.

"We'll take them one by one slowly." The lieutenant led the way as they walked carefully in the hallway. They went inside a random room and hid behind the door.

While they were waiting for the people to pass by, Zack tried to start a conversation. "You know, I can relate to you. I also like Adreanna, Lieutenant. So I guess we're like in-laws?"

Zack innocently formed a friendly smile toward the short-circuited Valerian. There was dead silence between them when the lieutenant's face slowly morphed into irritation.

"I am straight," Valerian stated.

Zack froze. Valerian could see the question marks around the brunette's head, dancing around as he tried to take what he had just said to him.

"Oh," Zack uttered, dumbfoundedly blinking his eyes. "Sorry for assuming."

There were footsteps approaching, and Zack quickly nodded at Valerian. The latter tightened his hold on his gun and cautiously opened the door.

When the double footsteps got nearer, Valerian quickly jumped from the doorway and aimed his weapon at the intruders.

Though, before he managed to pull the trigger, he stopped himself abruptly at the familiar faces in front of him. He stiffened and realized that he wasn't wearing any mask too late.

The said intruders that were about to shoot also stopped when they saw Valerian. The family met in the worst way possible.

"...son?" His father began. Disbelief was adorning his voice.

"Father? Mother?" Valerian tried to gulp down the dread in his throat. He lowered his weapon down and inhaled sharply.

"I-"

"Chief? Did you find them?" A voice was ringing from the other side of the hallway, causing the three of them to be put on alert.

The chief woman swiftly dragged Valerian to the room he was in and closed the door on him. The two chiefs faced the officer that had just arrived, acting out as if nothing had happened with their neutral facade.

"This building is empty. Go back to the neighbourhoods and join the other team." The chief man commanded sternly.

The officer's face looked like he was about to hesitate, but he chose to brush it off. "Yes, sir." Then the officer went away, leaving the two chiefs alone in the hallway.

"I'm assuming the mercenary is here?" The head of the Edelweiss family started when he made sure that no one was around anymore.

Valerian slowly opened the door. Guilt etched on his face as he bit his tongue.

"...he already left."

His parents stared at him for a moment. Valerian felt like he was being judged, as if his parents would swallow him alive.

His father walked over to him. The uncanny familiarity within them could be mistaken as a counterpart rather than a father and son.

"Do what you have to do." The chief man put his hand on Valerian's shoulder. "If this is what you believe, we also believe in you."

Valerian could not hold back the surprise on his face as he widened his eyes at the man. His father's lips tugged upward a little.

"You can make your own choices now." He gave a last pat on his shoulder and turned around. "We'll help from the shadow."

His mother reloaded her gun and smiled at him. "Valerian, stay safe, okay?" Her eyes morphed into a smiling ones as she walked away from him.

"Your father and I will cover you." She waved one last time and chased her husband down.

"Don't be late for dinner!"

Valerian was still frozen in his place, trying to take what had just happened. he thought that he probably would go to jail and that they would be disappointed in him. But it was the exact opposite.

"You have lovely parents." Zack, who had been hiding, said. The brunette finally emerged from the shadow with his laptop and stood beside Valerian.

"Yeah." He huffed in agreement.

"Guess I can't relate with this one," Zack mumbled and took the lead. Valerian's face bloomed into a realization at the brunette's mumbled words. He probably did not have parents or a good relationship with them.

"Let's head back to the mirror, lieutenant." The sadness that was displayed for a moment on Zack's face was gone as quickly as it had come. He flashed Valerian a smile as he walked first.

"Valerian is fine." Said him as he walked slightly behind the hacker.

"Valerian then." Zack nodded.

They went inside the lab again and found a completely normal mirror with black roots all over them. Zack was the one who went to touch it, and he actually touched it instead of crossing over.

"Uh." He wiped his hand all over the mirror and cocked his head toward Valerian. "I think we have to wait?"

Valerian went to touch the mirror too and pushed it slightly. "I think so."

"Should we just head back?" Zack offered as he took a look at his laptop again. "It'll be suspicious for you to suddenly vanish, right?"

Valerian considered it for a moment before nodding in agreement. "Yeah. They can handle it on their own, I think. They are strong anyway. We'll probably be a burden to them."

After thinking it through, Valerian finally relaxed his shoulders and went to get the box of dark arrows. He closed it and gave it to Zack. "You should probably hold onto this. It'll be suspicious if I do it."

The brunette nodded and closed his laptop so he could hold two things at the same time.

Valerian made his way to the door, looking around once more before leaving. "You're a nice guy, Zack." He uttered from the doorway one last time and vanished from the hacker's sight.

Zack watched the lieutenant away and stayed in the room. He saw his reflection in the mirror, staring right into his grey eyes. A smile sorrowfully on his mouth, intended for his own shadow.

"I wouldn't say that if I were you, Valerian."