Leave The Monster Alone

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Why are you both everywhere I go? Are you keeping tabs on me with your creepy and weird senses?

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Fidi made an offended expression at his words but did not reply. It looked like Mark would have to take initiative to kidnap the other to get an answer out of him.

It was a tense moment after that where the awkwardness spread like a disease into the whole mass. Even the normal people who could not sense the mood were affected and made excuses to step out.

"Let's take a short break, 15 minutes and then come back on topic. Till now we have only highlighted the possible spots for the next base establishment. Be back soon everyone" Liam took charge and advised as if he already did not have the location for the next base set out.

The other was good at fooling unsuspecting base captains and some of them left to relieve themselves. Amongst them were Vodi and Fidi as well which meant that Mark had to follow them.

They left for the washroom a little further away which was as good as abandoned. Since Mark did not have Kuro with him, it was easy to creep away after the two to have a talk.

"Yo Mark, I heard you met my sister. I'm glad you got a chance to before her time was up" the anger and disappointment inside Mark just faded away at those starting words. The other still looked cheerful but it also held a gloominess.

The forced smile could be spotted miles apart by Mark and he hated to be the jerk to ask this of the other but he had to be the one to do so.

"What are you doing here? This is a human base mission so how come you appear? What are you planning?" the other's face looked as if he felt betrayed but Mark knew it all to be an act anyway. The other was in no way, shape or form not expecting this grilling when he entered like that.

"Well, you know the last base we met at? Their captain thought it a good idea to hire us bodyguards and then he kinda became indisposable and we had to take his place. To be honest, it was not our fault" yeah right, Mark was willing to bet it was their own fault.

But that was not the big question he wanted to ask.

"That doesn't matter. I was asking how you are connected to all this. In fact, how did you come in contact with the rebellion? And how much do you actually know about it?" did they know about Zeno? 

If so, then did they know about the human experiments and the new knowledge? What about the new species that was about to be birthed? Did it not pose a threat to them?

"Hey, calm down now. We know about the resistance even before you did" which Mark doubted since he knew it even before it was formed, "and we wanted to help them out? The initial plan had been to get the vial sample but we could tell that the resistance was not that helpful in that regard -" 

So Mark had been forced to help them out. How funny that he acquired samples for both sides while doing that.

"- But it is as far away from the core project as it could be so it was useless to us and even to you humans. Did you know it forced human's into the same state as Oractius but much more stable? They gain powers like us and now can actually survive -" Mark opened his mouth to protest but was drowned out, "- but the lash back is much more powerful" 

And now it seemed important. Mark had a love-hate relationship with Fidi. 

On one hand, he was annoying and a bad sign but he was also a pit of knowledge and spoilers so it was also very helpful in the longer run.

"So they need something like a core to stabilise them fully as well? Are you really okay with that?" Mark asked to test the waters. He would know by response what the other party wished to do with this knowledge. 

"Well, alright is not the right term but it was bound to happen. Even our 'master' said it was only a matter of time and the human race is dooming itself anyway. The cores are rare and numbered and there is no way they are getting one that easily. They will die before they laid a hand on a core" which was not wrong.

Even Alan had almost died before he got his core so it was not that out of the realm of reality. But it would be a big problem in the future if this trend continued.

"Your 'master' seems knowledgable. Mind telling me more about him?" This was not the first time it had come up and it might not even be last but it had intrigued Mark every time. He wanted to know more about this creature who stood far above everyone.

"Nah, I don't think I want to think about him right now. You see, he and I had a big fight the last time we met and I almost died. It was about S-Suz never mind what it was about. Just that I don't want to remember him right now" and what could Mark say to that but agree? 

After all, he himself had played a role in that trauma which he was regretful about. He was not looking for forgiveness but he did not want to make it worse either.

The only alternative left was to drop the subject at this point.

"I think we are side-tracking a lot. We need to make this rebellion a success and for that, we need to stage a kidnap. Any ideas on how to proceed? Mark, you are the expert here so you decide?" the main problem was, it would not be that difficult to make believable.

When more than half of the population inside the room knew what was going to happen, it was hard to butcher it up. But there was also the fact that not everyone knew about this attempt so they could not be overly obvious about it.

They also had to make it believable for the people of the base and normal citizens who had no idea about it all happening.

But most importantly, Mark had not hidden the fact that a lot more people knew from these two as well as the rebellion.

"It would not be believable if only I hold two people hostage. We will need more manpower and I have an idea who could help" it was time to call Alan for help. Alan and Kuro both would make the perfect reason.

Especially Kuro if she releases her form could be terrifying. Many people speculated her being a monster but no one openly said anything. Well, time to put their doubts to rest.

Alan hurried to their position and somehow made it in the 10 minutes time frame Mark gave him. Somehow Mark felt like the other had just been waiting for him to call and somehow he had ended up doing exactly that.

"Mark, you called? What are we doing? And what are they doing here?" the kid was not freaking out this time at least and he could look straight at the other two clearly. Since there was no shaking this time Mark felt like the kid was going to be alright

The same could not be said for the snake who looked far too shook and it was only visible in his eyes this time. The haunted look of the other along with the vacant smile told Mark that this might turn out to be a mistake but he could not see how.

"So you are the one? Why you, I wonder?" there were hands closing on to Alan's throat but the other did not look worried at all. He looked at Fidi with a confused and glazed overlook before he snapped into attention.

"Right, Suzy's brother? Her core recognises you as a family but I cannot place the feeling it gives me. It tells me to be cautious of you well so I'm a little confused but let's get this over with and never meet again" the fingers stop short of that neck and whatever Fidi had been about to say got stuck in his throat.

At least Vodi had been alert enough to tell them that their alone time was up and now it was back to action time. Which meant they needed to escort these people back to the room and then make a scene.

Mark was looking forward to it for now. It would be fun to freak everyone out for no reason. And if you could not catch the sarcasm in his thoughts then it was your own fault.

He wanted for the signal to go off and then he had the other at the gun point, ready to pull the trigger.

"Do not move an inch" and everyone froze.