บท 14: A Scruffle In The Dark
Class and club activities ended in the speed of light. When I reached the school entrance, I found Leo and Rebecca waiting for me.
"Didn't I tell you guys to leave first?" I asked.
"We're all going to your house anyways, so we decided to wait for you." Leo replied.
I nodded, taking the lead as we walked back home. As we leave, my sensitive ears detected a few gunshot sounds coming from a block away on the opposite side of where we were heading.
"It's probably nothing." I thought to myself, walking forwards.
***************
[This section is in the POV of a certain Ares International employee]
"Hey, why are we lounging around here every day just to watch over a random kid?"
There were two men sitting on the front seats of an inconspicuous car. The windows of the car were bullet-proofed, while the license plates on the car were specially numbered. The occupant of the shotgun seat of the car ranted while he was eating a snack.
"Don't complain! It comes with the job. At least it's better than heading to the battlefield, right?" The person seated on the driver's seat was obviously older, his voice much deeper than the other.
"I know, Grant! But still, sitting here and doing nothing all day sucks! I'm not even allowed to play on my phone!" The man continued to rant.
"Just be grateful that you get a $10,000 per month income for just sitting in a car, Seth!" Grant replied.
The two guys continued chatting, it was then that Seth noticed something odd.
"Hey Grant, do you see those five goons with the tiger tattoo on their biceps?" Seth was holding a pair of binoculars, watching them from afar.
"Yeah? What about it?" Grant asked.
"One of them have a photo of our target with an 'X' marked on his head."
Grant's face immediately turned ugly. He grabbed his phone and immediately dialed a number.
***************
[This section is in the POV of the gangsters]
"Yo! Boss Joe! This is the kid we have to kill?" One of the goons asked. "He looks so puny that just one of us can squash him to death!"
The goons started laughing.
"Enough!" Joe yelled. "Our client is paying big bucks for us to kill this guy! With five of us, we can make sure he doesn't run away!"
"Whatever you say boss." The others shrugged.
**************
[This section is in the POV of a certain Ares International employee]
"Boss, it's me." Grant said urgently. "We saw a few suspicious individuals that are targeting our target."
"Who are they?" A voice came from the other side. If Hunter or his father were here, he would find the voice very familiar.
"They seem to be members of a local gang, sir." Grant deliberated. "It seems like someone put out a hit on the target."
There was silence on the other side. Grant was starting to wonder if there was a problem with his phone, when a voice came from the other side. "Eliminate them."
"Roger that, sir." Grant's face immediately turned solemn.
"So, what's the verdict?" Seth asked cheerfully by his side.
"Elimination." Grant replied.
Seth and Grant got out of the car. "Finally, I get to stretch my legs a little." Seth said, pretending to do some stretching exercises.
"Be serious."
As they headed towards the gangsters, "Kill all of them except for the man holding the photo, he should be the leader."
Seth nodded.
Before the goons could realize what was happening, Seth and Grant already killed the four goons with two headshots from both of them respectively. Joe, realizing what was happening, immediately started running. However, Grant shot both of his legs, making him fall.
Seth ran up to Joe and placed his hands behind his back, handcuffing his wrists.
"Who are y-" Joe wanted to say something but he was stuffed with a large towel.
Grant and Seth carried Joe back to the car and shoved him inside the rear compartment (trunk).
Then, they drove off.
******************
Leo, Rebecca and I reached my house safe and sound. When we entered, we found James sitting on the sofa playing Portable Station 4. "James." Rebecca cried. "Are you alright?"
Rebecca ran towards the living room and sat beside James, staring at him with concern.
"I feel much better now after resting for a day." James blushed.
"Good." Rebecca said loudly. "Next time you are bullied, just tell me who did it! I'll punch him right in the face and send him to the hospital!" Rebecca raised his arm and showed off her biceps.
"O-Okay." James stuttered. He now looked like a volcano that is about to explode.
After I got a change of clothes, I came down and find all three of my friends playing video games. I headed to the kitchen to cook, since I need to make dishes for 4 people today.
When I finished cooking, I told the three friends to stop playing.
"Wait a minute! We're almost done!" Leo yelled. I headed to the living room to find out what was going on. They seemed to be fighting the last BOSS of a dungeon. Leo was the mage, Rebecca was the tank and James was the priest.
"James! Heal!" Rebecca yelled.
"Y-Yes!" James replied.
"I'm gonna prepare a long spell, you guys hold him off!"
I sat on the sofa and waited for them to finish fighting the boss.
After 15 minutes, they were finally done. We all headed towards the dining room.
The dinner for today is carbonara with garlic bread on the side. I also steamed some broccoli and carrots as vegetables.
As we started eating, Rebecca exclaimed, "Mhm! Hunter, your food is always so good!"
The other three people nodded in agreement.
"Thank you." I replied in an indifferent manner.
***************
After finishing dinner, I asked James, "Hey, when are you going to go back home? Aren't your parents worried?"
James looked slightly worried. He asked in a very soft voice, "I-Is it possible for me to stay one more night? The scratches on my arms are not fully healed, and I don't wanna let my parents see this."
"That's fine." I nodded.
Rebecca wanted to stay here, but her parents called, forcing her to go home. Rebecca reluctantly said goodbye to Leo and James while I walked her to the nearest bus station. As we waited for the bus, Rebecca asked, "So, do you like Leo?"
"Why are you suddenly asking this?" I answered a question with another question to avoid the topic.
"Hmmm?" Rebecca stared upwards at me. I stared back, undaunted.
"You know, Leo have been trying to seduce you since we became friends right?"
"Yeah, you obviously taught him a lot of useless and annoying information that completely ruined his mind." I retorted.
Rebecca ignored my retort. "I was wondering what is the exact status between you and James now, since you don't seem to be disgusted or repelled by Leo's antics, but you don't seem to be enticed by him either?" Rebecca gossiped, hoping for an answer.
"We're just friends." I replied.
Rebecca rolled her eyes, "C'mon, if saying you guys are just friends is like saying the Earth is flat. Be more honest."
"Let's just say that... he's special." I reluctantly answered.
Rebecca almost screamed. She was starting to get more and more curious with my relationship with Leo. "So, did you guys have s*x yet?"
"No." I shook my head.
"Not even once?"
"No."
"What about helping each other fa-"
"No."
"Tch! Do you have erectile dysfunction? If I were a boy, I would have completely ravaged that little-"
"No."
Rebecca wanted to ramble on, but the bus arrived. She reluctantly headed onto the bus. As the bus left, she waved at me.
*************
I returned to my house to find both James and Leo scouring my room trying to find something. "What are you guys doing in my room?" I asked.
"Hey Hunter, where is your p*rn stash? We wanna see!" Leo said giddily.
I rolled my eyes. "I do not have a p*rn stash."
"You're lying. Every teenager have a p*rn stash. Mine is pictures filled with you and-"
"Do I look like a person who would have a p*rn stash in my room?" I asked in an annoyed tone.
Leo stared at me from top to bottom, completely scanning my entire body. Then, he said to me, "Yes. Now gimme your p*rn stash."
"GET OUT!" I yelled.
"Tch!" Leo headed out of my room, while James just stood there awkwardly.
"Um... I'm gonna go to sleep." James said lightly.
When I headed back down to the living room, I found Leo laying down on the sofa, playing with a box of tissues. "Hey, you should really decorate your room. You don't have any posters, accessories, you don't even have a p*rn stash!"
"Stop talking about my non-existent p*rn stash." I said. "I'm fine with the room the way it is."
"Hmph! You are so bland!"
"Thanks for the compliment."
Leo headed back home at 10pm. I took a shower and slept in the master bedroom again.
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