Frides and Elle walked through the streets. They hadn't said a word to each other for most of the walk. Every now and then Elle would stop in a shop and come out more and more resolute the next one would have what she wanted.
"What'd they say?" The same thing he asked after she came out of the other shops.
"They didn't know anything." The same thing she always said.
"Elle?" His words hung in the air incomplete.
"What?" Frides wasn't one to express himself, in spite of this characteristic he did let a bit of his thoughts leak into his expression from time to time. Upon looking at him, she could see the pain he felt.
"Imani is your friend right?"
"Yes, she is the person who helped me and fought for me. We've gone through so much together." She unconsciously responded more defensively than she intended.
"Do you trust her, still?"
"Yes, she would never betray me."
The next question was harder for him to ask but needed to be asked. He liked Elle but if he was going to come with them he had to know what she was thinking. She didn't talk much so he had to ask outright. "But she left without you."
"She's safe that's all that matters."
"I don't know what her letter said, but no matter what it said, she didn't even leave it for you."
"You don't have to worry about it. Imani is going to be glad to join us."
"That's if we find her." He pointed out. "If she wants to be found."
"She's here."
"What if she's not?"
"She is." She said more forcefully as if that made it true.
"You're too smart for that kind of mindset."
"I don't want to talk about it with you. Aren't you an assassin or something. Are you even allowed to have real friends."
"That's not fair. Nero can't be the only person who has to communicate."
"What about you? Are you going to stay with us?"
"I said I would and Its dishonest to talk that way."
"Talk what way?"
"Answering a question with a question." He glanced to the side at her. "Nero said we're friends. I don't know how that works. We have spent a lot of time together, but I've spent a lot of time with a lot of people and I didn't think we were friends."
"Its not just that."
"Exactly. When you said all that matters was that she was okay, I thought about the times I felt that way. I used to feel that way with my brother. I've felt that way with Nero, even though it's annoying when it happens. I felt that way with you when I saw you were safe at Horseshoe. I even want Ouran to be safe and not do anything dangerous."
"Even Urs?"
"Yeah her too, I guess. How can Imani feel that way and still leave."
Imani looked ahead of them. "There's Oceans Bank." She pointed to a large marble building in the distance.
"Oh, okay. Do you want to go in with me?"
"No, I'll check another shop nearby. I'll meet you in the front. The Cages are behind the Bank."
"Thanks. How long do you think its going to take you?"
"I don't know, lets just meet back in half an hour?"
"Okay, we can check more stores then." Frides smiled at her.
"Okay." Elle shamefully agreed and they parted ways.
Ouran walked behind Nero watching Urs vigilantly. "Do you think someone will try to steal her?"
"Domaku are actually illegal to own."
"Then why are we walking around with her?"
"One she wanted out of the bag. Two Urs is here because she wants to be here. She's a friend. You can't own a friend."
Ouran looked up at Nero. "I don't know why Quitum hated you. You're not a bad person."
"I didn't think I was."
"Why don't you get angry when other people get mad."
"Huh, you're going to have to explain that one."
"Well, when Baethan got angry you cried but you weren't angry like he was."
"Pft, who cried."
"And even when Quitum was mad at you, you didn't get mad at him. If someone was mad at me, I would be mad at them for being mad at me."
"It wasn't a big deal that he was angry. Criselda told me once, anger is the emotion you can trust the least and depend on even less."
"What does that mean?"
"It means what it means. Oh look at that!" There was a woman soaring high above the roof of the building in front of them.
"How did she get up there?"
"Come on lets go see!" Nero reached down and picked up Urs and slipped forward. "Can you keep up?"
Nero slipped in and around people almost running into one when he looked back for Ouran and didn't see him.
"Over here." Ouran called out from in front. Ouran looked back at Nero, then he lost him after a group passed.
"No, Over here." Nero tapped Ourans' shoulder and shoved Urs in his face. "The key to it's usefulness is using your opponents blind spots, and their your surroundings, always doing what they least expect." He slipped backwards creating at least twelve feet of distance between them in an instant. Catch me if you can before we get to the lady and we'll tell Frides you passed."
"Really!" Ouran said excited.
"Ye…" Ouran dashed at him making him have to dodge in the most awkward way. "Oh sneak attack!"
Another moment later and Nero was no longer there and Ouran was leaping where Nero used to be. Then after realizing he wasn't fast enough to surprise him, he chased after him slipping between the pedestrians on the street.
"You have to think." Nero called out. "You have to out smart your opponent. Watch their movements and try to find an opening or a weakness. Try to figure out where they're going to go and what they're going to do before they do."
"Like this?" Nero turned to his side and saw a familiar figure reach out and grab his arm.
Nero stopped. "Icarus."
Ouran grabbed onto Nero. "Gotcha!"
Nero looked down at Ouran. "AHHH! You did!" He looked down the street, the other way and still doesn't see the middle districts performers. "That's cheating. Look what you did, Icarus?"
"Serves you right for stealing this kids bear. You never change do you?"
"I was teaching him. This is a Domaku. Her name is Urs." Nero held Urs out.
"You were always that kind of person. How old are you to be taking on a disciple?"
"Its not like that, he asked us to train him." Nero shrugged.
"And you volunteered didn't you." Icarus frowned.
"Oh I remember you're the type to jump to conclusions. Still so righteous?"
"Yeah and full of justice if you'd like some. I don't remember seeing you at the academy."
"You joined the Peace Corps.? Even what happened." It was Nero's turn to frown.
"Yeah he's wearing the Senior uniform." Ouran pointed to Icarus' uniform.
"This kid has an eye for the right stuff. Yeah this is my Senior Uniform. I'm actually graduating today. You should stop playing with him. He'll be a bad influence on you. Do you want to join the Peace Corps.?"
"No way! They suck." Ouran replied puffing out his lips.
Nero sneered. "You know what? You passed."
"Really?" Ouran jumped up.
"Yup, you did catch me, alright. That is what I agreed to? Lets go and find you a new mold."
Icarus grabbed Nero's collar. "What are you doing? What does this kid need a mold for?"
"Whoa! Let go, Icarus." Nero shouted and people looked over at them.
"What are you looking to them for? This uniform is a symbol for justice and safety. What I do in this uniform is official and not a joke." Icarus looked down at Ouran. "Join the Peace Corps or follow behind him having your life shortened by years each and every second you spend with him. Then he'll just move on like nothing ever happened. Because all he cares about is himself, seeing others worlds as inconsequential."
Nero grabbed Icarus' wrist. "There you go again jumping to conclusions. You never asked me did you? Go ahead. Ask what happened that day and what it meant to me."
"Again, back to you. What about what it meant to us." Icarus removed his hand from Nero's collar.
"Nero's not like that. He helps people." Ouran defended Nero, not knowing what Icarus was talking about.
"The Peace Corps. helps people. When things get dire and his life is on the line, he'll just run away." Icarus bumped shoulders with Nero and walked down the street.
"Who is he?" Ouran watched him walk down the street with his chest puffed and hot air shooting out.
Nero recognized his feelings. "An old friend, I guess."
"If he's a friend then why is he so mad at you?"
"He was too weak to save someone, we both were. He's not really mad at me, not entirely at least." He looked at Icarus storming away.
To Be Continued...
Thanks for reading!