As Zenith was about to tell me what was her second ability was, The Fox Gang decided that it was the best time to arrive to Fitz's shack. They aren't looking very happy from the way they march into the place. We told Fitz about their arrival and Fitz told us to hide because they might still be looking after me and for some reason, Zenith as well.
"Why do I have to hide as well, White?" Zenith asked me.
I told her, "Because a 'friend' of ours is disguising as you. She got into trouble using that disguise. And now you end up picking up her problems."
"You mean this...Yumiko, right? She sounds very difficult."
"She is..." White angrily sighed.
As we hid somewhere inside the shack, we overheard the conversation between Fitz's and one of the members from The Fox Gang.
"Are you sure you haven't seen those two at all?" A fox member asked her.
Fitz replied, "I don't have a single idea where they would hide right about now. What do you guys want?"
"You better remember that we gave you that request because you were known to be good at tracking someone. You should be able to find who is the person in that picture."
"I know. It's the same person as the most wanted person in this city, correct?"
I was surprised to hear what Fitz had said. So apparently, the other mission that she had to do was to capture Yumiko. I continued to listen in hopes of more clues.
"Do you know why we specifically requested you and not the other bounty hunters?" The Fox Gang member asked her.
Fitz then told him, "I think it is so that you guys won't have to pay the sum of the reward to the bounty hunters that captures her."
"Yes. And since you already know that, then perhaps you might know by now that one bounty hunter has been eyeing on you."
"Silverbite...I know...I'll get Yumiko as soon as possible." Fitz clenched her fist as she said that.
"Very well...we'll see you around."
And so, The Fox Gang left the shack. Once they were out of the way, Zenith, Recordia and I got out off our hiding place. I decided to ask Fitz something that got me concerned about.
"I'm sorry but I've heard your conversations just now..."
Fitz tirelessly said, "So you've heard...Clearly, I'm not good enough of a friend to tell you directly about it..."
"Clearly...But it seems like you have a tough decision concerning it. What did they promise you?"
Fitz then told me, "They were bribing me with the lives of my family back at Dragonstal. They have all of the information about my family. They could do anything with that kind of information. And I don't want that. So I have to accept their offer to find and capture Yumiko before someone else does."
Then I said, "So The Fox Gang aren't even going to give out a single coin to anyone in this mess, huh? But why do they even made her the most wanted person, then?"
"It's because that would make things easier for them to find her."
"But apparently it hasn't worked yet." I said.
"White...I'm sorry about this but I have to find Yumiko. She's troubling you as well, right? So why not we capture her together?"
I'm not quite sure what to say until Zenith interrupted us.
"Perhaps there could be another way out of this for both of us."
Fitz then asked her, "What do you mean?"
"I think you guys told me that Yumiko was disguising as me, correct? So why not use me to save your family, Fitz?"
White then stopped her, "What are you talking about, Zenith? Are you seriously sacrificing yourself again?"
Again. Yes. This happened before.It looks like that was the only thing that still remains the same for both the old and the new Zenith. The old Zenith sacrificed herself too often thanks to the curse of The Snow Phoenix which enables her to keep being alive after being killed. But that curse was already long gone. She won't make it out alive if we go through Zenith's plan.
During the confusion, someone finally makes her arrival, "Look what we have here..." It was Yumiko.
"Yumiko? You've returned." I was just as surprised as the others.
Recordia then flew past us and greeted Yumiko, "Yumiko! Recordia and the others have been looking for you. Where have you been?"
Yumiko then told her, "Not now, little fairy. You go play with Violet somewhere else. The 'grownups' want to have a talk over here."
Violet was then brought out and dragged Recordia away from us.
"What's the big idea, here?" Fitz was a bit furious.
Yumiko then gently sat on one of the chairs and said, "Hello, Zenith. I see that I have brought even more trouble than I needed to."
"Why did you impersonate as me?"
"Because I figured that you won't be here at all. But now look what you've done."
I barged in and said, "It's your fault to begin with, Yumiko. You made things harder for everyone involved. Why did you even disguise as her?"
"Hold that thought, White." Fitz stopped me and told Yumiko, "You dare to come back here after causing such a mess at this city. No wonder the stingy Fox Gang really wanted you."
Yumiko calmly replied, "Settle down, everyone. Settle down. I've did my thing for a reason and it's no longer just for my own benefits anymore..."
"What exactly are you talking about?" Fitz was definitely not happy.
"This" Yumiko brought out a bunch of documented files from her Dimensional Inventory. "I snuck inside their building and got a bunch of related files. I've overheard what you and White were talking last night and just now and it just so happen that I also got the document with your name on it, Fitz Triangulum..."
"Wait, I thought you were knock out last night. Impossible..."
"Your family is safe, Fitz Triangulum. Now, I have a proposal and I hope everyone agrees to it because it will be the only way everyone will get out of this mess."
Fitz looked at me as she wondered about what Yumiko had in mind. Then I looked at Zenith who seemed to be worried about something. I'm not quite sure what's going on but I had to take my chances.
I turned my head to Yumiko and said to her, "What's your proposal then?"
Yumiko chuckled as soon as I agreed to whatever she has. I wonder what she's hatching inside that wicked brain of hers. As much as a problem Yumiko has been to me. She can still be reliant on something. But what is that something? Who knows. Maybe I will finally find out. She's always have something else up her sleeve...
TO BE CONTINUED