Blazing Duet

"So... You're engaged." Lesley casually said as they walked through the long and winding emerald path.

Gusion flinched as he slowed his pace matching hers. He knew he'd finally have this conversation with her when Harper got a little too preoccupied on the road ahead.

"Well, technically we're not... Engaged." He uttered the last word like a bitter pill.

Gusion waited for her to answer but was met with an uninterested demeanor from her instead. Lesley maintained a blank face and didn't even made eye contact with him as she continued on walking.

Gusion stopped from his tracks and stood in the middle of the road to block her way. "Look. We're not engage and never will be. Because like she said, she's gonna marry a Paxley..." He paused, hesitating for a moment before telling about the truth. "And after my family disowned me. I don't think I'm considered as a Paxley anymore."

"Tsk. Why are you even explaining it to me?" Lesley raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms in front of her, wary at his sudden revelation. "I'm not interested in your pitiful life."

He sighed and scratched his head for a second. Why is this girl messing up with his mind? He thought. Ugh.

"Because you're on our team now. I think I owe you a bit of honesty if ever we're gonna trust each other with our lives on this mission." Gusion replied.

"Your affairs with your girlfriend are irrelevant on this mission though. So I don't care." Lesley answered dismissively, fanning her hand at him to make him get out of her way.

"She is not my girlfriend." Gusion insisted, still trying to block her path.

"If you say so." Lesley, now clearly amused by the situation, smirked and pushed him aside, leaving an adequately baffled Gusion behind.

"What's up with you two?" Harper whispered innocently when Gusion finally caught up with them on the road.

"I don't know." Gusion sighed.

He knew he had the responsibility to at least explain his side to them right after they left the Baroque mansion but it turned out getting awkward again between Lesley and himself earlier.

No matter how hard he tried, he still couldn't figure out what's going on in her mind. He admitted to himself that dealing with girls have always been a terribly weak aspect for him. Although, Guinevere had always been kind to him, he never considered her as much as even settling down with her yet. Now, Gusion had to deal with another girl, of which he needs to decipher her intentions in order to get along for their quest to be successfully completed.

Frustrated at all the thoughts in his head, Gusion continued sulking, dragging his feet on the pavement until he found a green pebble on their path and kicked it absent-mindedly.

"Hey, where did miss Lesley go?" Harper wondered, when the lady ahead of them suddenly disappeared from their sights.

Gusion halted mid-kick after hearing what Harper said before realizing that their companion was really missing.

Before the two of them could react any further, a monkey carrying a golden revolver while dressed in a blue jumpsuit and wearing an aviator glasses appeared in the middle the road.

"Oo oo aa aa!" The monkey chattered and aimed its double barrel at them.

Harper jumped back and hid behind Gusion's leg.

"What in the seven hells is a monkey with a gun doing in the middle of nowhere?" Gusion crossed his arms, confused at the sudden arrival of the creature.

"Oo oo aa aa!!!" The monkey cocked his weapon, intent on showing it meant business.

"I think it's trying to rob us!" Harper squeaked as he peeked behind Gusion's leg.

Gusion stared it down from head to toe before raising an eyebrow. "Seriously?"

The creature chattered furiously, taking his word as an insult. He fired a warning shot before aiming it back at his targets.

"Okay..." Gusion raised his arms, feigning surrender while slowly reaching for the concealed daggers on his sleeves. "Stay back." He muttered at the frightened Harper clinging on his leg.

"I don't think that's such a good idea, bud." Uttered another man's voice followed by the sound of gun clicking beside him.

Gusion froze in his place when he felt the cold metal of a gun touch his temple.

He used his peripheral vison to eye the stranger coming from thin air. It was unusual since he didn't even noticed how he got there.

The man with a platinum blond hair wore a rugged brown and gold get-up accented with a short leather cape, the golden plated armor around his right shoulder reflected the sun almost competing against his infernally blinding smile.

He aimed one military enhanced firearm as large as his arm at Gusion's head, while subtly concealing a glowing mechanism under his cape.

"This is your lucky day, pal. As of now, you're currently being robbed by the most famous scoundrels in all of the land!" The stranger announced after his partner-in-crime closed in on them still aiming its weapon. "Now give me all your gold." The blond demanded still with a smirk plastered on his face.

"Tss." Gusion spat, facing the enemy. He shook Harper from his jeans, clearing his way.

He mustered his innate magic and dashed forward, momentarily disappearing from their sight.

He executed his shadowblade slaughter - releasing a barrage of daggers at the robbers while dodging the wave of bullets coming from his enemies.

"So... You're engaged." Lesley casually said as they walked through the long and winding emerald path.

Gusion flinched as he slowed his pace matching hers. He knew he'd finally have this conversation with her when Harper got a little too preoccupied on the road ahead.

"Well, technically we're not... Engaged." He uttered the last word like a bitter pill.

Gusion waited for her to answer but was met with an uninterested demeanor from her instead. Lesley maintained a blank face and didn't even made eye contact with him as she continued on walking.

Gusion stopped from his tracks and stood in the middle of the road to block her way. "Look. We're not engaged and never will be. Because like she said, she's gonna marry a Paxley..." He paused, hesitating for a moment before telling about the truth. "And after my family disowned me. I don't think I'm considered as a Paxley anymore."