Leave The Monster Alone

"It happened all of a sudden. I was surprised when the trigger finally went off. Was this a part of your plan too, Zeno?" Mark had taken to visit the rebellion office for additional information. Now that the first part of the plan had gone without a hitch, people had become looser in their view of Mark.

But the biggest change had been seen with Alan and the members. Previously shunned, now different fractions among the rebellion approached the teen to recruit him to their side.

As a lump of fresh meat, most people thought that they could sweet-talk him to their side and discard him when they did not need him. A rather foolish thought since Mark was sure that Alan could run laps around them with his words alone.

"The trigger? Or the special bombs? Everything had been planned a long time ago and you would have known if you had stayed behind to discuss these things. Don't worry, the gas we released would not hurt you at all. In fact, your body does not even hold a trace of it right now. The same could not be said for the others though" the last part was muffled and it also made Mark curious.

Shiro, as always, was standing behind the elder teen and had her eyes marked in his person. There was caution once again and this time Mark got the reason for the alarm.

Mark had come off as aggressive at first but he had to control himself. He was not here to make enemies but he was here to learn more. Fighting with Zeno would not provide him with any favours.

Still, he could try and wiggle out more information from the other.

"So, what kind of gas was it? It smelled sweet but it also seemed harmful at first. There was a lot of pain in my mind and my body felt like it was on fire" Mark's voice reflected his pain and he saw Zeno flinch.

Ah, he really was a kid and unable to hide his reactions for the most part. But Mark did not even feel bad manipulating him at all. It felt good to him to finally have retribution from the other in a harmless way.

"The gas was harmless to you so do not blow it out of proportion so much. It was just a warning shot anyway and things are bound to get difficult from here. Don't tell me you are having second thoughts about all this" Shiro was a pain in Mark's ass.

Every time he tried to corner Zeno she seemed to be there as a shadow to bail him out. Sometimes Mark really felt like she had it out for him but that cannot be true at all. 

So he observed her as she observed him but he was sure he had never seen her at all. Why was she so obsessed with him at all?

"I am not. I was just curious. Anyway, I want to tell you that I am going to take tomorrow off. Any message you send would no likely reach me at all" Mark saw the other two's expressions change at that very second.

They went from cautious to surprised. At the side, even Alan looked at Mark with curious and questioning eyes. Ah, Mark had forgotten to inform Mark as well, did he not?

"What, can I not take a day off for myself?" Mark asked, hoping that they would turn their head away from his person. He did not like their eyes on him since it felt like they were judging him hard.

"I don't usually see you as the one who needs to take a day off. It must be a big deal if you are willing to take one now. Care to share with us the reason for this? Don't tell me, you are going out with someone? Did someone finally confess to you?" Zeno teased, trying to get arise out of Mark.

Mark allowed him to make the joke at his own expense. He did not really care that much but he did find it funny that Zeno was right in a way.

"As a matter of fact, I am. En invited me out and I decided to take Kuro and Alan with me as well. So we will be busy tomorrow" the excitement in the teen's face plumped at those words.

"So that's what this is about? You got me existed for nothing. Guess I need to pay more attention huh" Alan tried to catch Mark's eyes but Mark diverted them to not see the other. He would tell the other but not at this very second.

Shiro also gave him a searching look but she refused to comment. Unlike Zeno, she knew when she had to stay quiet and when she could press her luck.

And this was not something that would benefit her to push forward with.

"If there is nothing else then I will take my leave. And please, next time you decide to bomb me with unknown substances, inform me beforehand so that I can get out" with those parting words and the muffled 'what's the fun in that?', Mark left the place.

"Excuse me. I need to leave as well" with those words, Alan somehow made his way behind Mark. it was a masterful manipulation of the other people which Alan was not good at yet so it was nice to see.

But the searching look of the other was not fun to see at all.

"So, when were you going to tell me that I and Kuro will be crashing your date with En? I'm sure we deserved to know, don't we Kuro?" Those words registered a little late in Mark's mind and he felt himself redden just a little bit.

He did not like what those words were suggested and how they were spoken. He was not going on a date at all.

"Alan please. This is not a date but a business transaction in a way. En was hoping to reconcile most likely. I think I can humour him by hearing him out this time" and maybe, just maybe he would be able to redeem himself.

Mark himself was not sure what he was looking for in the other's apology. After all, he already understood the situation and knew that En's decision had been right in his own way.

They even had a small talk to put everything behind once already and as awkward it had been, it had worked to get them closer. 

And yet it was not on the same level as before. It was nowhere close to the relationship they had held and it ate away at Mark. No matter how much he tried, he could not get pats this huddle.

And he could not help but be concerned for the voice En had used in his last talk. He had sounded desperate and helpless all at the same time which got on Mark's nerves and also made him nervous too. 

There was something unsettling about that voice and that tone of asking so Mark had agreed. At the same time, he felt like he would need a buffer in-between things so when En had suggested to bring others, he had taken up that offer.

Even if he was not sure of his decision, he felt like this was his only chance right now to get things right. This world was heading in a new direction Mark could no longer predict even with all his cheats.

"Hey, it's your date. Why are we being forced to tag along?" Alan complained but he did not put much effort into his complaint. His eyes said that he would follow Mark's orders, whatever they may be and it scared Mark.

What if he made a wrong decision and it harmed someone? What if it hurt Alan in a way Mark could no longer reverse or heal back up? He wondered if he was doing it all right - to drag a kid after him into danger.

After all, he had already caused irreversible harm once so what was stopping it all to escalate into an even bigger claustrophobic situation?

"Sorry, I should not joke about this topic. I know you and En were close once. My brother told me that En used to talk about you a lot in the starting but it had toned down considerably now" of course the other did, they had been best friends.

"Just let it go. Either we will reconcile tomorrow or we never will. Anyway, it should not affect you or your relationships with anyone" The kid was his own person with his own charms. He deserved better than Mark and his fuck-ups.

But as long as the kid was willing to settle down and stay with him and Kuro, Mark would take him.

"Still, the second you both get into emotional territory, I am out of there" but the kid was also a pain in the ass and Mark really wanted to teach him a lesson as well.