The car pulled up to Duke's new address. Duke had started to address the Man as Mr Buff, in his head. Mr Buff got out, his gun still trained on Duke. He walked around to the other side to open Duke's door with a fluid and deliberate movement.
Duke slowly exited the vehicle, his eyes fixed on the gun, refraining from any attempt that might take him out. He had thought of using his System to get away from the situation, but the Gem icon at the side of his vision had disappeared again. He tried accessing it, but he just couldn't. Duke knew in this situation, there was a slight chance of him winning if he used his own strength and wit to get out. But that was only if Mr Buff had been distracted by something.
However, Mr Buff remained vigilant all through the ride, leaving Duke no opportunity to escape. He was a professional, and his attention didn't waver. He held the gun pointed at Duke all through the ride, his eyes never leaving his target.
Duke had hoped for a slip-up, a moment of distraction, but it never came. Now that they had arrived at his address, Duke tried to think fast. He had lied about the Pill being in his home, hoping to shake Mr. Buff off his trail. But Mr. Buff was still right behind him, gun in hand.
As they approached his doorstep, beads of sweat began to form on Duke's forehead. Mr. Buff's constant threats were taking their toll on his nerves.
"Open the fucking door, and don't even think about trying anything funny," Mr. Buff growled, his gun still trained on Duke. "I'm just one click away from blowing your brains out."
Duke hastily complied, his hands shaking slightly as he entered the password on the lock. He had installed this high-tech security system in hopes of deterring intruders and protecting his home. But now, it seemed like a cruel irony that he was being forced to open his own door to a dangerous criminal.
"Move, goddamnit! Let's fucking get what I came for!" Mr. Buff barked, shoving Duke forward. Due to the cuffs, Duke fell face-flat onto the ground. He groaned at the impact, his cheek throbbing in pain. But he was relieved to hear Mr. Buff's rant come to an abrupt end.
As Duke struggled to get up, he noticed a pair of shoes in front of him.
'Huh?'
He wondered who they belonged to. His eyes trailed up, and he was met with the sight of a woman, flanked by suited men. She cocked her head to the side, gazing at Duke's prone form with a mixture of curiosity and disdain.
"Get him up," she ordered, her voice firm and authoritative. Two men immediately stepped forward and hauled Duke to his feet, their grip firm but not ungentle.
'So much for purchasing a high-tech security system,' Duke fumed to himself, feeling a mix of frustration and vulnerability.
His gaze landed on Mr. Buff, who didn't seem as intimidating as he had earlier. Instead, his expression was hollow, and fear was etched on his features.
Duke mustered the courage to speak up, his voice gruff. "Usually, I'd get a drop-off; I had no idea my deliveries were in person now."
Mr. Buff's expression darted towards Duke, his eyes flashing a warning, or perhaps surprise that Duke had dared to speak so casually to his uninvited guests. If Mr. Buff was afraid of these people, Duke knew he wasn't safe himself.
The lady in red, elegantly dressed, rose from her seat and strolled over to Duke's reading table. She picked up a pen and examined it as if it were the most fascinating thing she had ever seen. "Do forgive the impromptu visit, Mr. Hamaton," she said, confidence radiating her smooth voice. "But I need to discuss something with you. I'm an agent sent by the government."
Duke snorted, earning a stern glance from Mr. Buff and the suited men.
He thought to himself, 'Now I'm interesting? Now they want to talk to me? No one came to have a chat with me when I was wandering the streets, lost and alone, after losing my parents. No one cared when I was mistreated and abused by my foster parent. And now, suddenly, everyone's interested in me? How funny.'
The lady seemed unfazed by Duke's attitude and continued her exploration of his belongings, dropping the pen on the table to examine another item. "But I see you've got yourself some company," she said, her eyes flicking towards Mr. Buff.
Duke darted a glance at Mr. Buff and noticed he was trying to sneak away.
"Attacking a Non-Tieran, nonetheless," she said, her voice firm and authoritative.
Mr. Buff realized the attention had shifted to him, and he abandoned his attempt to sneak away. He turned to the lady, tears brimming in his eyes. "I didn't do anything! I didn't touch him, I just brought him here so we could talk. He's a friend of mine," he said, trying to gaslight the lady.
"You lie!" Duke exclaimed, his voice rising in indignation. He pointed an accusing finger at Mr. Buff. "This man stopped me on the road while I was doing my delivery, handcuffed me," Duke turned to show the lady the cuffs, even though he was certain she had already seen them, "and took me down to my house to..." He paused, his eyes locked on the lady, whose gaze was now fixed intently on him. He wasn't sure he wanted to reveal the side of the pill to her, especially because she worked for the government.
And nothing ends well when the government is involved.
The Lady strolled forward, her eyes fixed on Mr. Buff.
"Why did you exercise your powers on a Non-Tieran?" She asked him cautiously, a small smile etched on her lips. "Now you have to face the consequences."
Mr Buff's eyes widened in terror. "No! No, I didn't. You know I didn't." He turned to Duke, Pleading. "Please, please tell them I didn't use any abilities on you."
"That's not what I saw." She mused, examining her nails. " I saw you use your powers on him."
Mr Buff shook his head frantically, sweat dripping from his brow. "No, No I didn't."
He positioned the gun to his head, mimicking the way she had pointed the gun at Duke. "I only heard it like this to keep him moving, I didn't use any powers on him…."
As he explained, The lady's eyes narrowed at Mr Buff and immediately, the gunshot rang out, splattering semen of his brain on the wall.
"And now you committed suicide." She mused, watching the body lump to the floor. But Duke knew that He didn't pull the trigger on himself.
The lady turned to Duke.
"Now, let's discuss you. Where should we start? Shall we start with what you were doing at our warehouse? Or maybe... your abrupt move after thirteen men visited your previous address and vanished into thin air? Or perhaps..." She leaned in close, whispering in Duke's ear,
"Why you were really handcuffed?"