C505 Revelations
Khan kept a cold face while inspecting the symphony. That was a good chance to see how influential descendants reacted to his actions. He might be able to divide between potential allies and enemies in the next few minutes.
Everyone remained glued to their phones, even Monica, and Khan peeked at her screen to see what had actually hit the network. As he had expected, the underground hall's footage wasn't perfect due to its damage, but a few interesting details still existed.
The conversation with Mister Chares was absent, and a reoccurring flickering affected the video's clarity. Wayne was also always turned or unclear. No one could take a good look at his face in the footage, which felt fishy.
Khan left those thoughts in the back of his mind while his attention remained on his guests. The goriest parts were strangely clear, too clear for some descendants. Marcia directly closed her phone when a worker's insides filled the screen, and Lucy covered her mouth for fear of how her stomach might react.
Anita and Zoe were no better, and Mark also wore a suffering expression. He didn't like what he saw, but diverting his gaze wasn't an option due to his status.
Only a few managed to handle the video well. George's mindset had switched at the sight of blood, allowing him to focus on Khan's performance. Lucian was also calm and reviewed every detail he could notice. As for John, he appeared strangely excited, and low cheers escaped his mouth.
"Damn, Khan," John exclaimed. "You are hardcore."
Khan ignored the comment but paid attention to the reactions it caused. The room featured a lot of disgust, which wasn't surprising due to how little battle experience those descendants had. Still, some awe appeared, and the same went for respect.
Monica was the only exception. She had gotten used to blood after Milia 222's events, but seeing Khan getting hurt still affected her. Tremors ran through her back whenever an attack threatened to reach Khan, but he placed a hand on her leg to reassure her.
Silence reigned even after the video ended. Lucian, John, and Monica opted for a second watch to review more details. Instead, the others avoided each other's gazes, and only George stretched forward to slide a bottle toward Khan.
"You improved again," George praised. "Am I even suitable for watching your back anymore?"
"The whole point of sending you to your family was to end your time on the battlefield," Khan reminded, taking the bottle to refill his glass.
"Was it?" George wondered. "I don't seem to remember anymore."
"George, we talked about this," Khan sighed.
"Maybe we need to have that talk again," George stated, gesturing toward the bottle, which Khan didn't hesitate to throw.
Only Khan and George understood the context of their conversation. The shared experience of Istrone and Nitis created an unbreakable bond that put them on the same wavelength. In a way, they could understand each other better than anyone else.
"Did the Global Army release an official statement?" Lucian asked, finally lifting his eyes from his phone.
"I'm checking now," Mark revealed.
"This is disgusting," Lucy commented, struggling to return her phone to her pocket. "Why is the Global Army allowing such things to enter the network?"
"Would you prefer censorship?" John laughed. "I think we should have more things like this on the network."
"It was a criminal organization," Khan explained. "I stumbled on it by chance and took care of the threat."
"Couldn't," Marcia cleared her throat in an attempt to sound as polite as possible. "Was this necessary?"
"You have seen the equipment in the video," John pointed out. "Those guns blew Erika's leg off and helped kidnap Princess Edna. Khan dealing with them was mercy."
"Yes, Headmistress Holwen released a speech," Mark declared. "It was a branch of the criminal organization involved with Princess Edna's kidnapping attempt."
"On Induna?" Anita gasped. "How did the Global Army miss it?"
"They could plan a kidnapping attempt on a noble," Zoe pointed out. "Hiding a warehouse doesn't seem much in comparison."
"What does this mean?" Marcia asked. "Is the Harbor even safe anymore?"
"It wasn't safe to begin with," Lucy commented while a strange idea formed in her mind. "Khan, how did you say you found this place?"
"Lucy, I don't like what you are insinuating," Monica snapped.
"I'm just curious," Lucy responded. "I think I speak for everyone when I say I want an explanation."
"Are you implying that I misunderstood what you meant?" Monica questioned as her voice lost any trace of emotion. "Am I that dumb?"
Lucy had only feigned ignorance, but Monica was forcing her to take a stand. Lucy couldn't possibly insult Monica due to her status, so she looked at the rest of her companions, hoping that someone would support her.
"What's with this tension?" John wondered. "Khan met some bad guys and dealt with them. What's wrong with that?"
"I'm simply pointing out inconsistencies," Lucy justified her stance. "I never meant to doubt Khan's loyalty."
"I'm not dumb then," Monica uttered. "I was worried my social skills had gotten rusty."
"You must admit it's quite the coincidence," Mark stated. "Saving Princess Edna only to find a criminal organization connected to her kidnapping is truly odd."
"Maybe this isn't the right place to talk about it," Lucian stated. "These political incidents are above Khan's pay grade. No offense."
"Lucian, we all know why you are saying this," Zoe declared. "I respect and admire Khan's performance, but wanting answers has nothing to do with that."
"I'm with Zoe," Marcia added, lowering her gaze for fear of looking in Khan and Monica's direction. "It's scary to think that criminals live so close to us."
"These guys don't know what true fear is," George chuckled, heaving a helpless sigh when he saw Anita's worried expression.
"It's because of Wayne," Khan revealed. "He appeared as soon as I finished my mission, and following him led me to the warehouse."
"Wayne?" John questioned.
"Is the Headmistress aware of his involvement?" Mark asked. "Why didn't she make it public?"
"Khan, these are serious accusations," Lucian pointed out.
"It's true," Khan declared. "He was there. He's the man who broke my ankle."
Khan lifted his right leg to place the braced foot on the table. The sudden gesture made everyone take out their phones to study the video. The footage had the part when Wayne broke Khan's ankle. The former was simply turned.
"It might be him," John exclaimed.
"I wish I could see his face," Lucy complained.
"It's him," Khan confirmed.
"Khan, are you sure this isn't personal revenge?" Zoe asked. "Accusing someone without proof is dangerous, even for you."
"Is my man a liar now?" Monica pointed her smile at Zoe, but her expression carried no happiness.
"Monica, please," Mark called. "No one is attacking Khan. We are just trying to understand."
"The Headmistress opted to keep Wayne's involvement a secret," Khan explained. "These are classified topics that need your parents' clearance to unlock. I simply decided to tell you in confidence."
The Headmistress would probably get quite mad at Khan for that decision. His actions could potentially hurt her position in the Harbor and push for her firing. Yet, that was the political game, and Khan sometimes needed to play both sides.
"You must understand that this revelation must remain among us," Monica deepened the topic. "Headmistress Holwen wouldn't dare to endanger us, but making Wayne's involvement public might put his connections on the run. Keeping it a secret increases the chances of finding more criminals."
"That's understandable," Lucian nodded.
"Our families would have learnt about this anyway," Mark continued. "Still, learning about it earlier surely helps. Thank you for trusting us, Khan."
"Just doing my job," Khan rejected that gratitude. "It's mostly a warning in case Wayne tries to contact any of you."
"Is he alive?" John asked. "I thought you made a mountain fall on him."
"He was strong," Khan admitted. "I survived, so there is a chance he did too."
"That strong?" George wondered.
"That strong," Khan confirmed. "I think he wasn't serious about it either."
"You should stop leaving your knife here," George stated.
"Consider it done," Khan nodded.
"What are you two saying?" Anita asked. "This is a matter of public safety, and Khan is injured. You should spend the rest of the semester here and leave the job to specialists."
"We are specialists," George scoffed. "We just don't carry that name."
"So, what?" Anita wondered. "Do you plan to ignore your classes to chase after these criminals?"
"That would be more interesting than studying," George laughed.
"No one is going anywhere," Khan stepped in. "I shared this information with you, but I'd prefer if you kept it to yourselves. General panic won't help anyone."
"Are you asking us to lie to our parents?" Zoe wondered.
"Mark said it himself," Khan pointed out. "Your family will learn about it, eventually."
"He is quite good at this," John exclaimed. "You wouldn't believe he came from the Slums."
"I don't mind having a source of intel faster than my parents'," Lucian chuckled.
"I'm with Lucian here," Mark stated. "I can't miss the opportunity to build something independently."
"I'll stay," Marcia declared. "Just don't show me that video anymore."
"I won't tell anyone," Lucy declared, "But I don't like these methods. I'll take my leave early tonight."
"Lucy," Zoe called, but Lucy shook her head while heading for the flat's exit.
"I," Anita voiced among her hesitation. "I think I'll leave too. I'm not feeling too well."
"Anita?" George called. "Do you need help?"
"No," Anita reassured. "I just need to rest. I'll see you tomorrow."
Anita also left the flat, and a new tension descended into the hall. The atmosphere had changed into something that Khan understood very well. He could almost smell the arrival of ploys and secrets, but some sadness remained. George and Monica had made their decision, but they didn't expect to see a friend turn her back on them.
To be continued