บท 110: My Mate Is Back In The Slums
Lanor sighed in frustration as she looked at the X-Class relic. After placing Hao down on a mat, she said to Symphy and Euphy who were standing over him looking worried:
"No need for you two to look so glum. He only passed out." Lanor used a cloth to dry Hao's face clean of sweat and rain.
Symphy and Euphy still appeared to be worried about his well-being. They stared at him anxiously for a few more seconds before Lanor clapped her hands and ordered them to go away. Which they did. They returned to playing with the children outside in the rain.
As for Hao, he slept like a baby until he woke up around dinnertime. By then, he was alone in the warehouse. "Huh... what happened?" He held his head, which had a splitting migraine. 'Aww man.' He remembered what happened to him and the sword sparring session. 'How could I be so stupid? Lanor almost died because of me.' He berated himself for losing self-control.
"Even though she started it, I should go and apologize." He searched for Judgment Day and found it beside him. In the process of rising to his feet, his ears picked up on something heavy being lifted by a group of strong men. "Huh?" He further listened to hear Scar's voice:
"Careful when you're loading it in the truck. I don't want to spend the night fixing another dent to it like last time."
"What are they up to?" Hao wondered as he wobbled slightly towards the warehouse exit to get a better listen. On his way there, he ran into Vicky.
"Good, you're up. I thought you were going to sleep for another day. Come with me." Vicky began pushing her wheelchair towards the warehouse entrance, motioning Hao to follow her.
'I wonder where we're going.' Hao decided not to pry and obediently followed after her. The rain in the Wranglers District had calmed down, so when they were moving about outside, the sound of Wheelz squeaking and clanking was more prominent than before. When the two reached the warehouse's exit, they came across a long truck parked outside.
Scar noticed Vicky's presence and said, "Boss, the cargo is loaded." He glared at Hao for being a dirty stain in his vision. To him, Hao was like an overstayed guest he needed to kick out.
"I know. How much are you taking with you today?" Vicky inquired.
"We're taking the whole thing this time. Hopefully, we don't run into any more Slum Rats." Scar spat on the ground, feeling disgusted when he thought back to that ambush in the narrow street area that left his Scissor Cleaver bloody.
"Alright, prepare to head on out. I have a few more things to attend to before I join you."
"You got it, boss." Scar responded elatedly then shouted at the others, "Oi, you heard the lady, prepare to roll out!"
All the underlings nodded and jumped into the truck. They put on the headlights and cranked the engine a few times to get it to start.
"What is that about?" Hao was curious to know why there was a truck at the compound. He turned his head at Vicky while he waited for her response.
Vicky glanced at him with a confident look that made Hao slightly nervous although he couldn't see her face. The air that escaped her lungs coupled with her intense aura made her seem like a wild beast. Her response was brief and to the point:
"It's none of your business. Keep your ears to the ground."
"None of my business?" Hao wanted to reply to her harsh dismissal but the roaring sound of the truck engine suddenly came to life, jolting him away from his train of thought. He changed the topic to something more concerning him. "When are you going to disable that blocker that you placed on my sword?" As he asked this, he gestured to Judgment Day.
"In due time. You're not ready yet." Said Vicky, sounding unbothered. She spun her wheelchair around.
"Not ready? What's that supposed to mean?" Hao didn't understand what she was implying. "Does this have something to do with the S-Catalogue you have me and Lanor nab from that gallery?" Based on Vicky's silence, he surmised correctly and issued the following question, "What is it for anyway?"
"Hmm..." Vicky considered whether or not to let Hao in on her secret. But before she could answer, she heard something out of the ordinary approaching the compound. It came from the east direction. She squinted to make out the details of an approaching Beast Carriage pulled by a lone Libdo Ranger.
"Huh? What's that?" Vicky was alarmed by this unknown occurrence. Her first reaction was to sound the alarm for a raid. However, before she could give the order for Scar and the others to go on the offensive, the Beast Carriage entered her view. It came to a stop at the compound entrance, releasing its riders.
"Who the hell is so brave to roll up in our crib?" Scar, angry and perturbed hopped down from the truck to confront whoever dared to enter his territory. He wasn't the only one on alert, Raven, Boulder and the others were also dismounting the truck to get a better look at the guests, even Lanor and the kids came from around the back where they were having fun playing with the Sword Fishes.
"Are you sure this is the place? It seems like the slums from a fairy tale world. How quaint. I don't know whether to be disgusted or impressed."
"Huh, that voice?" Hao recognized the feminine voice that was speaking. "It can't be." His heart skipped a beat as he stared at the entrance where the Beast Carriage was parked.
A beautiful female emerged followed by a rugged fellow carrying a large case. Both these individuals were familiar with Hao. The rugged character was Mentos, his best mate and the beautiful dame was Ciara, his closest female companion from the Blade Engineering Guild.
"Mentos and Ciara?" Hao was expecting them to arrive more than a couple of days ago. He thought that Mentos had forgotten about the agreement they made before he left the Wranglers District. Turned out he didn't
"Hmm, it's just him." Scar and the others became more relaxed when they realized Mentos's presence. However, they still had a bit of suspicion creeping into their bones, for they had no clue about the extra.
Lanor came shoulder to shoulder with Hao as she stared at the pretty lady beside Mentos. "Who is she?"
"She is..." Before he could finish giving her his answer he felt an added human embracing him. Ciara's embrace was compassionate and heart-warming as if it was a warm blanket on a cold night. Lanor, watching from the side was secretly peeved at Ciara's intimacy with Hao.
"Vee, I thought I would never see you again." Ciara continued to hug Hao until Mentos came along and break them apart.
"Alright you two love birds, save some room for me. I'm coming in." Mentos was happy to reunite with his friend after so long. He slapped Hao on the back and asked if he was alright. Hao returned the same amount of enthusiasm as they exchanged hearty laughs. "Sorry that it took me so long to get back. But I have great news." He gestured to the case on his back.
"Is it in there?" Hao queried.
"That's what mama bear said. We haven't opened it yet."
Hao's anticipation was evident as he thought about what his new Vibe Edge would look like. He urged Mentos to set the case down and open it, however, they were startled by a sudden outburst.
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