An overview of the evening's events:
Nevel advanced from Youngling to Werecat.
Following a brawl with Matthews, Nero is currently hospitalized.
Cain and Matthews waited alongside him.
Mormont is secretly hatching a scheme.
Finally, Nevel's boys will keep an eye out for Brandon.
Brandon awoke with a dizzy spell and walked to the adjutant washroom, splashing his face in cold water and looking in the mirror to see a familiar face. It was a man with black shot-cut hair in the shape of waves, dressed in a delta specialist suit with desert camouflage, holding a Glock, and his face was covered in blood that slowly poured.
Lesley Dorn, a South African who served as the leader of the Delta Squad in the past, grinned and inquired to Brandon Wilson:
"You sure you are okay?"
After being somewhat perplexed, Brandon answered:
"I am okay"
Lesley grinned and continued,
"If you need me, I will be in this corner"
The mirror distorted as the image was engulfed in a hole torn in the reflection as it rippled, replaced by Brandon Wilson's surprised and perplexed expression.
Smack!!, Brandon slapped himself. 'Mhh, guess I'm awake. What was that?
He pondered inwardly as he grabbed his toothbrush and proceeded to clean his teeth before taking a rapid shower. He found himself in the kitchen, cooking oats for himself and the bedridden father of the original Brandon Wilson.
After he placed it into a dish and went to get his father up, "Wake up time for breakfast and medicine"
Gradually opening his eyes, Richard said,
"You forgot to say good morning"
"Oh sorry, good morning Father"
Richard grinned and said, sitting up, that Brandon placed a big cushion on his back so he could unwind while eating. Taking the bowl of oatmeal from his son's hand, Richard picked it up slowly, spooned in a mouthful, and ate softly.
"So how did your talk with Alice, and Ashley go?"
With a sigh, Brandon continued,
"It went great, Ashley will be coming by and taking care of you"
After taking another scoop, Richard said:
"That's great, she is a blessing." Heh, how are your morning exercise sessions going?
Brandon added, seeming a little taken aback, after learning that
"How did you figure it out?"
"Did you forget I was a hunter; I can notice even the slight change in my son's routine?"
Although Brandon was afraid that his secret would be revealed, he ignored the fear as he awkwardly grinned and continued, saying:
"I am just burning the oil since the academy is beginning soon"
Richard took a bite of his oatmeal dish and said,
"Since when?"
"Are you a hunter, shouldn't you have figured it out?"
I see now where you've got me. I noticed a bit when you took a shower and cooked and left with small, fit clothes for sports or exercising."
"How can you hear clothes in my backpack?"
"No, I caught a whiff of your sweat on your clothes when you passed by"
"What if I was using my wear as a strategy to pick up women?"
Hey, let's be practical, please. You going after girls makes me wonder if you've been taken over by a Wraith race member," Richard joked, causing Brandon to become afraid of the old hunter again.
This old man is so smart; I bet it wouldn't take him long to figure things out. I'll tell him about his son when he's stable, and even if it breaks him, I'll aid him until all of the pieces are stuck together. Even though I'm almost nineteen, for the time being, I'll put it down to puberty. Oh well, guess I'll go with the flow for now.
"Maybe I have grown"
"Maybe, nonetheless, continue. I won't bother you with your morning tasks; I'll call Ashley to come take care of me."
As he bent over, Brandon continued,
"We should do this sometimes; it feels good"
"You mean talk man to man?"
"Yes"
"Heh, sure," Richard replied, giving him a fist bump. Brandon said his goodbyes and left the Wilson Residence, using his pager to send a text to Ashley about him leaving the house, and moments later he received a response from Ashley saying:
"Get a phone, you weirdo"
Brandon smiled and added:
"No chance," he said as he sent the text.
Brandon strolled down the quiet street, past the tree-covered house, the flowing bubble house, and the hilltop mansion. Brandon smiled as he reached the two-story construction building:
"Time to jam"
While he was saying this, Brandon received the fourth grain and began building a course for his rendition of run fighting, which involved the popular game of tag but featured an illusion of his former life as a member of the Delta Squad, utilizing barrels, bricks, and other items he could find.
Brandon was still wondering if the version of himself in the mirror was a hallucination, so the thought of blood on his face gave him goosebumps.
People may believe that steeling one's emotions during times of conflict is a basic prerequisite for a soldier, but few realize that when you are a human, even if you steel yourself, you can be burned and melted.
Therefore, all you have to do is view the work as another task, forcing yourself to bear the burden of sin to preserve the smiles.
Brandon ran, jumped at the barrels, walked to the bars, and then flung them at another barrel like a javelin to hit the target. The goal of this exercise is to determine which assault can cause the most harm to the opponent while using the least amount of energy.
He utilized the bars as a staff, twisting the rod around after showcasing an attack, stabbing at the air in all directions, and throwing it at the barrel once more. Fighting head-on was time and energy-consuming, as seen by the drops of sweat flowing down his face and his muscles crying out.
He sat down, leaning against the wall, and pulled out his pager, pressing the keys to enter a blob the size of a newspaper. Numerous headlines were discussing the weekly news:
Darren and Mark-son's firm building has been abandoned, with the building and space up for auction.
Maxwell Thunder will advise the second-year students on Wednesday morning.
Franklin of the Karma clan joins the Council of the Peak as the Were race's envoy.
Due to Lester's admission of several crimes, his gang was sent to prison, and some members were placed in a mental health facility when they kept shouting that they saw the deity, Lycan.
Agent 6 is looking for melancholy.
Brandon simply read the headlines and looked for anything that could jog his memory a little; the melancholy nickname was his name. So he clicked on the Moody headline and read about the Agent 6 Organization's atrocities, including a possible murder.
Brando started reading:
"Axel Sigzfree, a young teenager, was murdered near the main entrance of the downtown derelict estate of Root Grove. He was a feline with a problematic background; some stories claim the victim was abused, tortured, and cruelly died with a neck snap. The victim died from the neck snap.
To learn more about the story, subscribe to the pager newspaper for only B17.99 Bards.
Before Brandon could even grab the location he'd dubbed the memory button, a barrage of memories materialized upon hearing the name Axel Sigzfree. It revealed that Axel Sigzfree was a buddy of the original Brandon because they were both spotters who would mislead unwary families in affluent communities by stalking, blackmailing, and threatening to reveal secrets.
The spotter business was profitable as long as you didn't get caught; but, it wasn't popular with street hustlers because it needed rigorous organization, time, and participation. Perhaps due to laziness, therefore the team of Axel and Brandon was ideal for this project.
Blackmailing wealthy people was both inconvenient and difficult at times since they were overprotective of their secrets and money; the team had to devise techniques to obtain such secrets through break-ins, infiltration, and other means. They made it a point not to be seen or heard from again once they had their score.
They also sold information to criminals before being recruited to serve for the Agent 6 organization. They saw it as an opportunity to make money while also having a massive pillar behind them. Brandon had begun this business after recess around three months earlier after Matthews left him for dead in their friendship with him.
So, to spite the world and his friend, he made friends with Axel since they both believe they are wiser than the rest of the high and mighty, they saw everyone's behavior as a catalyst to be a spotter. So being a spotter was just them being foolish teenagers looking to make money by exploiting the pillar's secrets.
Now that they were in an organization with prominent people's backing, they wanted to test whether they could spice up their pranks by duping those people. But as time passed, the two realized what the world had in store for them if they continued down this path with no return.
They planned to quit on their first day, so Brandon was going to inform the leader that he and Axel wanted out. So the Agent 6 leader showed Brandon something he regrets to this day, to the point where the recollection was distorted and unseen as Brandon struggled to recall it. The original owner had left few memories for him to work with, simply shards of his friends and family lingering in his mind, permanently attached and never to be erased.
Brandon felt his cheeks to check if his body responded to what he had seen as the water subsided. The original owner's residual feelings had brought out one tear. But Lesley simply grinned and added:
"I'll attend his burial, given how close we are. I'm sure the police will be knocking on my door shortly looking for the partner. To avoid any accidents with my information, I need to keep quiet for a while. Which means I can't get my family engaged; Dad has enough for a lifetime"
After that, Brandon resumed his combat and parkour workouts and training for around an hour. Before midday arrived, Brandon left the building for the marketplace near where the first Brandon died. As he approached the street with the same seller, Brandon smiled and said:
"Hello my friend"
The shopkeeper glanced at him with scornful eyes and said:
"When have we ever been friends?"
Brandon looked at the apples, plucked them, and added:
"Ever since I ate this lovely apple. You know what they say, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away."
The shopkeeper grinned and continued:
"Friend needs to pay; you touch you pay"
As he spoke, he struck his hand in front. Seeing this, Brandon directed his hand to a small pocket and drew out a handful of coins, adding:
"Keep the change, anyways any news on the streets?"
The shopkeeper added:
"I sell food, not gossip"
Brandon laughed briefly and added:
"Friends just talk about the daily grind, how I didn't catch your name?"
The shopkeeper added:
"Friend needs to tell me his name"
Brandon smiled and added:
"It is Brandon but you can call me Bran"
The shopkeeper grinned and continued:
"Buy green eggs, tomatoes, and vegetables, you will get my name"
Brandon chuckled, bit into the apple, and said:
"There is no need anymore; I am just passing. Anyway, I've got to go.
"Yes, you should go take a shower." "You smell like rotten eggs now, Bran; the ladies might mistake it for cologne the next time you pass them."
"I'll keep that in mind," Brandon remarked as he winked & waved his hand at the shopkeeper, who didn't wave back and instead looked at the adolescent as he disappeared into the busy market. While passing a vendor stand selling pots, pans, and silverware, Brandon noticed a burly man in a black overcoat who appeared to be staring at him with narrowed eyes.
Brandon kept walking as if he hadn't seen anything:
'Is he following me? I do not recall being followed from the building. Could he have known me from somewhere? I don't remember ever meeting the brawny man; perhaps he's a private eye for one of the victims of the spotting events that Original Brandon and Axel caused. Damn, the two for leaving me in this mess.
Brandon thought inwardly as he took a sharp turn into an alley, rushing a little to get some distance between himself and the brawny man. Brandon proceeded without glancing back, using the reflections of shimmering trashcans and tops; the man remained behind him.
'I'm guessing he's a human, based on what I've learned from the fragments: werewolves can track individuals from a distance using their nose. He might be human; heh, this could be easy."
He began to run down another alley at full speed. Brandon rushed while he checked for a way out, including concealed corners, a hobo tent, and fire escape stairs intended for the apartments. He was fortunate to come across some fire escape steps with the ladder still in place, high up.
'F**k this suck" As he inwardly contemplated, Brandon saw a trashcan positioned on a wall a bit as he rushed toward it and immediately stepped on it as a way to use it as a jump starter to his wall running and used the wall to push himself up and grab the ladder, which could not get down due to the rust.
Taking advantage of the circumstance, Brandon pulled himself up and began running up the stairs while glancing at the assailant. The strong man paused to put on a silver ring with a crimson stone on his finger. His eyes went scarlet, and his teeth and nose resembled bats, making Brandon cringe as he realized he was cooked.
'Damn he is a vampire, I was far wrong,' he thought as he upped his speed as he ascended the steps faster. The brawny man then roared, sprang, grabbed the railings that kept people from falling and hauled himself up.
Then he repeated the process while climbing with terrifying grip strength and a chilling grin, seeing himself as the predator and Brandon as the prey.