A week after the two brothers spar, Team Unknown were busy with their missions, and as what Gen. Luis had told Exeo and Ember before, the remaining three will have their solo missions. This is to train them with their skills fully.
And so, Val, Bo, and Riggs, were now on their own solo missions.
The first one to have finished was Riggs, which took one month to finish. He was assigned with assassinating a full gang. No one would have expected that Riggs would be able to pull off the wind bomb he invented while they were training before at an island, it paid off.
Though there were some small hiccups, he was able to make a quick decision right then and there and adjusted some things.
Although it made the news, no one could detect that the cartel was assassinated as the plan Riggs made was made to have those targets die one by one, and not suddenly. They also tracked the police's investigation, and no matter where they look, it's a dead end, and so the police division had concluded it was not murder. Although half of the public didn't buy it, neither the police too. They can't find any other evidence that it was murder and none, stupidly none, had thought that it would possible that someone would have guts to put a hit on a gang.
And so, after Riggs had reported it, another month had passed. Riggs was assigned again to another solo mission when the door to their underground HQ opened, Bo had arrived.
Bo scanned the room, and saw Riggs, they both greeted and gone on their way. They know that these solo missions were to hone their skills, but it might be taxing. But, Bo had to push on, and made directly to the shower.
Riggs called out to Bo, "Hey, how was the mission?", which made Bo turned around to him in the middle of him removing clothes.
He replied, "It's tiring, but it is what it is, but I think I'm getting the hang of it.", with the same passive face and voice.
Riggs just nodded and bid his goodbye. Bo continued what he's doing and went to shower. After showering, he made a change of his clothes to combat clothes during assassination.
After Bo had reported his mission to Gen. Luis, he decided to have some shut-eye. He didn't know what time what it is, but seems like he really was tired that he immediately fell asleep as soon as he closed his eyes.
Then, the door to their underground HQ opened, the room was dark, but the light on the hallway was the only light coming in the room. There stood Val against the hallway lights, which made Bo woke up.
He got up and rubbed his eye for a bit and noticed it was Val. He called out to him, "Val?"
No response.
This time, Bo called out again, a bit louder, but still a sleepy voice, "Val?"
Val, just walked inside the room slowly, step by step, with the thuds of the boots. Bo frowned and noticed that the footsteps left by Val were of mud? Blood?
He squinted and stood up, he walked closer, but couldn't determine, so he looked for the light switch. When he found it, he switched the light in the room, and was wide-eyed shock by what he saw.
Val, who was still wearing the combat clothes for assassination, all black, there were trails of blood on his footsteps.
Bo, shakily, asked, "Val? Are you... Are you okay?" He tried to reach out to him, when Val turned around and looked at him.
He flinched when he saw the look on Val's face. It was devoid of emotions, like the light that was flickering before with life, was no longer there.
Val was looking lifeless, he was staring down, to nowhere, and with the dishevelled look, it would make anyone wonder when seeing him, what exactly happened during his solo mission.
He stepped closer but cautiously to Val, when Val looked at him, and it made Bo flinch. Val opened his mouth, and spoke as deadly as the underworld, he said to Bo, "You are a traitor. How could you do that to me?!"
Bo couldn't comprehend what he was saying and said, "W-what do you mean, Val? What happened to you during your mission?", with worry on his voice.
Seething with anger, Val ignored what Bo said, and continued angrily shouting, "I can't forgive you, traitor!" then Val jumped forward towards Bo and...
Bo suddenly opened his eyes, with his body lying down on the bed. He got up, sitting, and with unfocused eyes, he panicked, gasping for breath.
'What did he mean by that?'
'Did he already know?'
Then, after a few minutes passed, with beads of sweat forming on his forehead, he could feel the stickiness in his whole body.
The room was still dark, and only his fast breathing could be heard, then he realized, it was all a dream. He put both his hands on his face, covering, and slid down his face. He slowly calm his breathing, and when he noticed that he was sweating profusely, he groaned, and just removed his shirt and threw it to the floor.
He remembered what Val said a few months before, or rather the mysterious person inside Val.
"Addiction."
He laid back down, with one of his arm resting on his forehead, he closed his eyes, and tried to sleep it off.
'It is impossible that he knows.'
But, that notion, though he tried to brush it and push it at the very back of his mind, was still slowly, crawling out of the crevices of his mind. Like a worm trying to crawl out of an opening. It's eating him away, but he can't tell him yet, he can't tell Val yet.
One, he is not yet ready of what Val would think of him
Two, he is not ready for anything that would come after Val would know it
---Flashback---
Some years ago at an orphanage
A small boy, with round cheeks, and white hair, was silently playing the ant trail. His knees were on his chest, and chin was resting on his knees, he was silently observing the ants, until suddenly another child, whose eyes and hair were red like fire, greeted him.
The child said, "Hi! What are you doing?" The white-haired boy, who looked towards him, just stared at him, then back down at the ant trail.
The redhead boy was stupefied that he was ignored, and so he decided to come over and was suddenly stopped by the white-haired boy, he said a little loud, "Be careful on your steps, or you'll step on the ants!"
With one leg up, the redhead boy slowly looked down, and indeed, he saw an ant trail, then followed the trail with his eyes, and it seems going towards where the white-haired boy was crouching.
He lowered his leg that was up, and walked carefully on his step, and crouched down in the same position as the white-haired boy in front of him. He was not looking at the white-haired boy, but was also fascinated at the ant trail.
Both were silent for a while, then the redhead boy, looked straight at the white-haired boy, he asked, "Why are you here?"
The white-haired boy, who has the icy blue eyes, stared at those fiery red eyes, then he looked down again, and replied, "I don't know."
"Hmm"
The redhead boy stared down again, then back at the white-haired boy. He stared at the melancholic face, then the white-haired boy looked at him again.
"You know it's rude to stare at someone."
Embarrassed by this, the redhead boy scratched the back of his head, and smiled awkwardly, "Maybe I was just staring because of your eyes. It is so pretty, like the colour of the sky.", the redhead looking up at the sky.
The white-haired boy widened his eyes, with mouth agape, and just kept staring at the boy in front of him.
The redhead boy noticed this and looked at him straight in the eyes, and smiled widely from ear to ear, he said, "See? Your eyes look like the blue sky", he looked up again, and said with a sad tone, "So clear, yet so far to reach", then he stretched out his little hand to towards the sky, then clenched it.
Then he looked back at the white-haired boy who was stupefied and couldn't find the words to say to make a comeback, he said, "Hey, what do you think about running away from this orphanage?"
"What? Where will we go anyway?"
"Anywhere but here."
Then, came shouts from the direction of the orphanage can be heard, the two boys looked to where it is. They saw black smoke coming from the orphanage.
"The children!", the redhead shouted and panicked, he stood up and was about to run towards the fire, but was stopped by a hand on his wrist. He quickly turned around, and saw the white-haired boy held his wrist.
"Let me go! I have to save them! There are still children inside!"
"You will die if you go in there."
"That doesn't mean I will have to leave the other children there! Do you know that there are other children younger than us in there!", he shouted, and continued,
"Your eyes..."
The white-haired boy flinched when he saw the redhead boy's expression. It was so fiery, and serious, he didn't know the boy in front of him, but with this expression being shown to him, he was drawn to him suddenly.
Like a moth to a flame, he thinks he will be burned just by being by his side, but his mind kept chanting it doesn't matter. As long as those red, fiery eyes are looking at him. He feels like he was burning... burning alive, but never was going to die.
"Your eyes are like the blue sky, but at the same time, it can be as cold as ice." the redhead ended with that statement, and turned around, ran towards the burning orphanage building.
The white-haired boy stood up, but couldn't move. He just stood there while the burning red flames swallow the building, brighter and brighter.
He could see the people trying to save the kids, but he couldn't see the redhead boy who went inside. It has been awhile. He was worried, he wanted to go in to save him, and him alone. He doesn't know why, but he wants to save the boy, and see him again, but still he couldn't move.
Then suddenly, on the other side of the building, where he was standing, the bushes were ruffling, and moving. He flinched, but then his eyes widened. The redhead boys popped out of the bushes, and coughing.
He was slightly happy, but his smile was soon replaced by shock, and fear. His steps halted quickly, when the redhead boy turned around to face him, dark veins from beside his eyes were shown, and his eyes, were black, much darker than the night.
Both were shocked when they saw each other, but the redhead boy sighed and just stood up from the branches, and ignoring the whitehead's presence.
He walked out of the bush, and carefully put down the little boy, who was covered in black soot all over. Both were covered in black soot, but the redhead just patted or wiped them down.
He looked at the whitehead boy who was starting to tremble, he said, "What? Is this the first time you've seen an ability?"
The whitehead boy stopped trembling, and said, "What? Ability?"
The redhead just nodded, and said, "Yeah, but no one knows about it.", then looked at the boy in front of him. The whitehead boy was about to say something but was cut off by the redhead, he continued, "But, you're an exception. This will be our little secret, okay?"
He motioned for his finger on this mouth to hush and winked at him.
"What's your name?" asked the redhead, looking at him.
The whitehead wasn't still answering, the redhead was confused, but then he realised, it might be the eyes, He said a low "Oh! Sorry" then closed his eyes, the dark veins surrounding his eyes disappeared. Then he opened his eyes, red eyes were now visible.
He repeated what we asked, "So, what's your name?
"Bo"
"Bo"
He mimicked, and looked at Bo, he raised his hand, offering a handshake he said and smiled, "Nice to meet you, Bo. I am Rein."
---Flashback End---