ZEEEEE!
A strange noise entered Ray's ears, making him raise his eyebrows in response. He then stared at the video file to which the audio was synced to, and realised that the strange noise was actually being produced long before the Black bug mutants exited the sinkhole, only stopping after the Dragontooth Lion made its appearance.
Ray rubbed his chin and stared at the footage with his eyes squinted. "Is this noise the reason for the Dragontooth Lion to be behaving in such a strange manner?"
'It doesn't seem like it could cause any behavioural problems on humans…' Ray came to the conclusion after listening to the audio file a few times, but he still felt the need to be careful. There was a possibility that it could have a different effect when hearing it for real.
Ray then sneaked a glance at his phone, and a sinister smile appeared on his face. "Well, I guess it's time to head back to Deranzo Street." He couldn't help but feel enthusiastic to meet with his old 'colleague', Franklin, once again.
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Deranzo Street.
The tight and slim marketplace alleyway was packed to the brim with people who were walking past the simple tent-shops, and the shopkeepers who were standing in front of their respective shops were repeatedly calling the people who were passing by.
"Sir! Sir! Come here!" One of the shopkeepers screamed loudly at Ray, who was walking through the alleyway. Ray shook his head with a smile before walking away, and the disappointed shopkeeper turned away and started looking for his next prey.
"He should be here, shouldn't he?" Ray said to himself as he searched for Franklin's tiny makeshift tent. Although he was mostly certain that Franklin would agree to Ray's request, given that he had no other choice, as well as the fact that he had done the exact same thing before he was reincarnated. But still, there was an inkling of doubt in his mind, as he had now diverted too much from the route he took in his previous lives. Perhaps his actions might've changed how the world works? Like the butterfly effect?
But his worries were soon put to rest, as he saw Franklin, without wearing the fake mask on his face, stepping out from another makeshift tent, and he walked over to him with an expression of relief on his face.
"There you are. I almost thought that you had actually decided to take the risk and run away." Ray said as he reached the spot where Franklin was standing, waving his hand at the clearly annoyed (ex) scammer.
"I'm not an idiot." Franklin snorted in response as he crossed his arms and stared at Ray before continuing, "Can you really keep me safe from Reese?"
"Don't tell me that you don't believe me?" Ray pressed his hand on his chest and acted as though he was deeply hurt. "I'm incredibly disappointed that you think so low of me, Franklin!"
"Save the fucking theatrics, would you? I don't even know you, dude!" Franklin rolled his eyes and clicked his tongue as he spoke in a frustrated tone. "Look, just tell me whether you can keep me safe or not, alright?"
Cling!
Ray took out a key from his pocket and dangled it in front of Franklin, which caught his attention.
"An apartment in Caseria. Just a few miles north of Deranzo." Ray said as he continued dangling the key up in the air, right above Franklin's head. "You can use that place to lay low."
He threw the key up into the air as soon as he finished speaking, and Franklin stretched out his hand reflexively. But before Franklin could catch the key, Ray stretched out his palm and caught it right before him, forcing Franklin to helplessly stare at the key once again before saying, "So, what do you say?"
"What's the catch?" Franklin asked with a suspicious expression on his face as he stared at the still smiling Ray. He knew that for someone to offer him help, even when they were fully aware of who they're actually protecting and from whom they were protecting him from, it meant that there was something that they could gain from the situation.
There was no way someone would actually go through the trouble of keeping him safe just because they were kind hearted. They had to have some hidden motive. 'Especially this person..' Franklin thought to himself as he stared at Ray, who continued smiling like a madman.
Ray looked around instead of answering his question, and stated, "Let's not talk here. This place is too crowded." He then pointed his finger at a small shop that seemed to be an old warehouse that was just at the end of the alleyway, before continuing, "How about we continue our talk over there?"
Franklin turned his gaze in the direction that Ray was pointing, and after thinking for a few seconds, nodded his head. The two men then made their way towards the old warehouse and entered the shop, which was now completely covered in dust and cobwebs.
"You got your change in scenery." Franklin turned to look at Ray, whose face was now partially enveloped in darkness, making him look extremely sinister. "So I'm asking you again.." Franklin, however, wasn't about to be intimidated by Ray's presence. "What's the fucking catch?"
"The catch is that in exchange for keeping your ass safe, you'll provide me with Concentrated Albistum." Ray leaned forward and whispered softly under his breath to Franklin, whose eyes widened with shock and surprise.
"What the- are you fucking serious?" Franklin took a step back and spoke nervously, and Ray shrugged his shoulders in red, staring at Franklin's face with a dissatisfied look. "I am. Do I look like I'm not?"
"This- This is not a fucking joke!" Franklin said while sounding frustrated and scared. So much so that he was actually stuttering his words as he spoke. "You want me to get Concentrated Albistum? You know how rare it actually is, right? Like, I'm sure that you have to have either some sort of connection or just dumb luck in order to get hold of it. And you want ME to get that for you?"
"That's exactly what I want you to do." Ray nodded his head and spoke as though what he was asking of Franklin wasn't a big deal, which only infuriated Franklin even more.
Franklin stretched out his hand and spoke angrily, "You! Are you even listening to me-"
"-Hngh!"
But before he could even finish his words, Ray grabbed his hand which he had stretched forward and tightened his grip on it, making Franklin wriggle in pain as he tried to pull his hand out from his grasp, but to no avail.
"Do you have the memory of a fucking goldfish, Franklin? Should I remind you once again what your role in this situation is?" Ray asked with a smile on his face as he watched a nervous and scared Franklin attempt to pull his hand out from his hold.
"Looks like you're still in need of a lesson!" Ray said as he increased his grip strength a bit more, which made Franklin lose his footing and fall down onto his knees, groaning and moaning as he stared at Ray with pleading eyes.
"I think it was you who specifically requested for there to be no theatrics.." Ray clicked his tongue and stared at the pleading Franklin with disdain in his voice. "Especially when I know that you'd delivered Concentrated Albistum to Reese back when you were still working for him."
Franklin's eyes widened with surprise as he stared at Ray. He was looking at him as though he was asking him: How on earth did you get that information?
"I know why you're shocked. It would be almost impossible for that data to be leaked. Especially to a young hunter like me." Ray pressed his hand onto Franklin's shoulder as he spoke. "But you see, it doesn't matter how I know this information. What matters is how I can make use of this information."
"That- It was a different time. Back when I was with Reese, I was someone- I wasn't like the me right now. I had connections. I- I knew people." Franklin continued to speak with a stutter, and Ray shook his head. "All I'm hearing are excuses, Franklin. You did it once before. There was no real excuse as to why you can't do it again."
"I-l...… Please, is there no other way?" Franklin didn't know what to say, and in the end, he looked down onto the ground, his face revealing a defeated expression.
Ray let out a helpless sigh and shook his head. "I get Concentrated Albistum. You get safety and protection from Reese. That's the only deal that I'll make, and that's the only deal that you can agree to."
His grip on Franklin's shoulders increased a bit more as he asked, "So, what do you say, Franklin?"