-.-.-.-.-
1.1
I met Five during one of my pickpocketing session.
It was…unusual to see a new face around being a pickpocket. I usually knew everyone in the pickpocketing business, us street kids usually stick together.
He was quite good, if not a little bit rough, polish here and there and he would be a ridiculously good pickpocket.
When I first began the pickpocketing business, my friend Rein showed me the ropes. I owed him one for that. He decided to part ways though and I never saw him again. I wondered what happened to him. As crude as it sounded, it's not unusual either for pickpockets to end up in jail or worse.
But really, if Rein didn't tell me what to do, I would probably be lost right now and when I saw Five being an amateur pickpocket—he was lucky the victim didn't realize it, he needed more practice—I decided to tell him the ropes like Rein did to me before.
"You shouldn't just pick their wallets without any distraction. It's too risky." I told him.
He visibly jumped at my presence and looked like he assessed me somehow. I just kept my cool gaze on him and continued, "My name is Irvine."
He looked at me for a while, pocketing the wallet that he had steal from before.
"I'm Five." He said.
This time I was the one that frowned at his words, "You don't look five to me, aren't you a teenager already ?"
The teenager looked confused at what I said before he looked annoyed and said, "My name is Five and I am 13 years old."
"Your name is…the number…Five ?"
"Yes. What's with it ?"
I shrugged, "Oh…alright, Five it is then."
I wasn't really sure whether his name was really Five or not but in the street business it wasn't uncommon for them to discard their names and made up their own and it was quite an unspoken rule for someone not to pry too hard about somebody so I just let it go.
"Say, Five, what do you know about pickpocketing ?" I asked for a start.
And that started a very long conversation that ended with me teaching him how to become a better pickpocket.
1.2
We started working dynamically after that, with me being the pickpocket mostly and him the distraction. We only stole from those that could afford it though. That was the first lesson I gave him.
I liked to switch the roles with him once in a while though because my original goal was to make him become an independent pickpocket and if he was just good at distraction then it was a moot point.
But it ended up as me being caught while pickpocketing someone.
I took a deep breath because really, this situation wasn't as dire as it sounded like. Rein had told me how to evade capture and how to get away when caught. He usually bailed me out at first but later on I always bailed myself out.
I learned from my mistakes and never get caught anymore, but I supposed it was high-time for myself to slip. It's not exactly a real slip per se, Five was the one who was supposed to be pickpocketing someone and I was distracting, but when Five was going to steal it, the man looked like he was going to realize it and I quickly covered him because I hadn't teach Five how to get out of capture.
And I reminded myself that there would be time when my luck would run out and how risky choosing this line of job actually.
( It's not like this was my first choice of job, I just did all I could to survive alright ?)
I covered him the only way I know how, by becoming the one that pickpocket him, shoving Five out of the way. It ended sloppy obviously and the man still noticed, except this time he noticed I was the pickpocket and caught my wrist.
It was what I had been aiming for actually. I knew for a start that there was no way for any one of us to get away clean, so I just shifted the blame on me since I was the one who knew how to get away between the two of us.
I may be a street kid, but I always thought of myself as a loyal person unless the person in question betrayed me first and besides, I had my responsibility as a teacher, my mentor never left me alone in this situation and neither would I.
Five was a quite good companion by the way.
I was just about to kick the man away from me and ran out of there when the man suddenly stumbled away and let me go.
I didn't exactly know what happened, but I took the opportunity and ran away from there. I already told Five to run when I ran so I didn't bother yanking him with me.
"Hey, wait !" the man shouted as he scrambled up and ran towards me.
I didn't stop as I looked back, there was many situation like this and you absolutely couldn't stop.
Five did though. He didn't stop exactly, just slowed down for a couple of seconds and that was enough for the man to catch up to him.
I gritted my teeth, turned back and kicked the man's leg, making him stumble and fell down.
"I have an offer ! I have a job for you !" he shouted before we could get far away from there.
This time I stopped, but not before making sure a certain distance was covered so I could make a run for it if needed.
"What job ?" I asked back.
"I'm Ethan. You can work for me and I'll give you a place to stay and food."
I narrowed my eyes at that. A home and food really…really was tempting and I personally had little lines that I wouldn't crossed for those since while I could usually eat well enough alone, teaching Five had actually making us eat only once a day or twice if lucky.
Five was starting to pull his own weight, but it still wasn't to the extent of covering his own expenses, I had to pickpocket twice as many and it wasn't easy.
But still,…"That's great and all but what kind of job ?"
"Well,…stealing mostly, big ones, not pickpocketing and maybe assassination once in a while."
Stealing was okay, but assassination…wasn't exactly cool for me. I personally wouldn't like killing someone though maybe I could do it if needed. Rein taught me how to use a gun and gave me one himself right before he decided to part ways—and disappeared.
I looked at Five to see his reaction. He seemed to like the deal, maybe the words 'a place to stay and food' had gotten him good, he turned to me though, waiting for what I would say.
"Do we get some money or not ?" I asked.
Ethan thought for a second before nodding, "Sure, if you are assigned to steal something, 10 % of those are yours, but if you want more money you can pickpocket or steal or whatever you want outside of the assignments. Anything you need for the mission are given by us though so I don't think there's actually any need for further money."
That…was better…, and also ridiculously suspicious.
I glanced again at Five who just looked more hooked at the offer and finally shrugged, "Alright, why not ?"
We became one of the best teams ever after that, completing assignments after assignments without fail.
2.1
Meeting Rein was…unexpected so to say, I never thought he was working for Ethan, but I was really glad to see him.
It was an assignment which Ethan tasked us to complete together. Introducing Five to Rein was quite interesting, Rein loved to tease me about his student having a student while Five seemed to work with Rein quite well, which was a good thing.
I thought with Rein, Five and me in one team we would be unbeatable though, I was wrong.
It started as a simple assassination mission, the target was quite high-class but nothing we hadn't handle before, in fact sending us even seemed like overkill for me.
I didn't expect Rein to turn on me when the mission was over.
He said he was going after Five only and that I should step away, there was no need for any more sacrifice. I didn't understand what he said and so I stayed, aiming my gun on him.
He said that I wouldn't dare to shoot him and I bluffed I could. In reality, I would never do that, Rein..as asshole-like as he was now, he was still my mentor.
Five on the other hand, had been my partner in crime for quite a long time.
I didn't want either of them to get hurt.
Five didn't seem to want to stay back and stepped beside me instead. Rein smirked and cocked his gun.
And that was when I saw Five waving his hand and suddenly the wooden chair beside him raised and crashed full-speed against Rein, knocking him off balance.
Rein glared at Five, "Monster." He said with such venom.
That time I felt so useless, I was usually the plan guy, the one who could plan anything but I couldn't even stop this from happening. For all I was smart for, I didn't know what Five actually did.
Five and Rein looked ready to kill each other and I tried to interfere .
"Look Rein, why don't we just discuss this like old times ?" I put myself between them again.
"Fuck, Irvine, move out or I will really shoot through you."
"I don't understand what's happening and unless someone tell me what's going on here, I'm not going to budge from here stopping you from killing each other !" I shouted.
Rein scowled but answered, "That student you took, he is an alien, a monster, he needs to be eliminated. See that flying chair before, it is his ability and unless we kill him now, he is going to get stronger."
Ability ? Alien ? Five ?
We ?
I glanced at Five who seemed to shrink into himself, he looked so small and afraid after Rein told him those things.
I was a logical person, but seeing as it was Rein who told that and I was sure Rein wouldn't say anything and act without absolute proof, I believed Five really was an alien.
Only he was my student. He never harm anyone, I probably did more damage than him. I didn't know which prove Rein had and I didn't know whether Five was acting in front of me or not, but as long as I never saw anything incriminating on him, I wouldn't choose something like that.
I felt I needed more time to ask both stories from both parties before they killed each other off.
So I did what I did the best, I planned in with uncanny accuracy, I shot Rein's hand so he dropped his gun and I immediately swept in to grab his gun.
"Irvine you traitor ! I never taught you to be like this !" Rein shouted angrily as I danced around his sloppy punches.
I ignored Rein expertly.
"And Five ? Don't you dare do whatever that is from before or I swear I won't hesitate to shoot you too." I said.
Five nodded, somewhat looking like a mixture of confused and relief.
"You know, the higher ups wouldn't be pleased right ?" Rein asked.
"I don't but whatever. You both are going to walk back together right now without strangling each other, understand ?"
Five just nodded again and followed me while Rein laughed, "Oh that's a good one, you're always like that, Irvine. "
"Shut up. Now why did you say the higher ups wouldn't be pleased ?"
"Who knows ?" Rein smiled.
I glared at him for that answer but eventually just told them to get in the car.
Rein was going to the driver's seat before I pushed him out of the way and opened the door myself,
"You sit next to me, Rein. And Five on the back." I instructed.
"Whoa whoa hold on…Five on the back ? I will be open for attack then !"
"No one's is going to attack anybody ! And if Five attacks you, I'll shoot him don't worry."
"But you're driving."
"I can drive while shooting."
Five didn't give out his opinion and quietly went to the back seat, Rein then obligingly took the seat next to me.
"That also works for you Rein. You shoot Five, I'll shoot you back."
"I don't have a gun, remember ? Unlike Five there who could use his abilities anytime."
"On the contrary, if he tries levitating something in this car, he would end up killing everyone, including me and himself and you still have your body as a weapon. Five here, doesn't know jack shit about punching. His arms are too skinny for that." In reality, Five was great at any kind of fighting, in hand-to-hand he used his built to focus in speed, Five didn't say anything though.
"And you are sure about that ?"
"Pretty much." I answered.
Rein grinned for the last time but didn't say anything and I drove to the base as fast as I could.
2.2
When getting to the base, I told Rein to do the report because I wanted to rest so badly.
Usually after that, Five would get away who knows where and would come back later, this time though, he followed after me looking very much like a constipated stalker.
I sighed when we neared my room—the hallways are empty and there's no one in this part of the building.
"What is it ?" I asked.
"Why did you stick up for me ?" Five looked at me with a strange light of uneasiness and…hope ?
"I don't want anybody to die without any prove whether or not they are guilty. I don't find you wrong or something, I have a feeling you really are an alien but so far you seem tame. If you're really guilty and going to kill someone though…well I suggest myself first because once I realize you're guilty I won't hold back. "
Five's uneasiness lessened but so did the hope. Hmm…not the answer he was hoping then ?
"I see…"
"Seriously though, it will be a shame if you die now. " I said without any hint of care, "And by the way, if you're looking for a sentimental answer you shouldn't talk to me in the first place. Even in the face of death, I won't be saying 'Because I care about you' anytime soon."
Five looked surprised at that but he now seemed returning to normal and obviously wasn't bottling questions anymore.
Bingo. He looked satisfied with the answer. I really wasn't called the best strategist for nothing. Apparently Five was pretty insecure and was searching for someone who would say 'I care about you' or its variation. Who would have guess?
"Thank you." He said with a smile as he went away.
I just grinned at him cockily and went inside my room.
3.1
The higher ups seemed pretty strung up after that.
They kept sending me and Five both on suicidal missions that I always managed to bring us back alive. But really, even for my planning abilities, it was quite hard to crack.
It was easy to guess that someone seemed to want us dead. Or maybe just Five.
Rein never showed up again after that. Ethan was still the same mysterious man. I wasn't sure what were Ethan's motives but he seemed to have some serious hidden agendas.
I kept ignoring them, because they were at least being subtle about it. Being stuck in situations of life and death do wonders to my skills and Five's. He seemed to relax around me, using his ability called telekinesis—I learned its name—pretty much without worrying over my reaction. In fact, that same ability was what saved our lives many times.
The limitation to that ability was endless, if Five was on his own, maybe he couldn't be that powerful, but with some genius planning, he could even take an army himself and won.
Oh, and did I mention enhanced body ? Five could run ridiculously fast, had superior strength and more endurance. That probably was a surviving factor in itself.
It was the second suicidal mission that we got. Stealing information from an isolated elite military corp. Hard-copy ones. The security was so tight it was ridiculous.
I was usually the support guy, like…the one who sniped them one by one when they were too distracted by Five and planned the area ? Like stopping the electricity and what not.
I wasn't sure whether Five actually knew he was being hunted or not but I never said anything about it. And if he knew, he didn't say anything about it too. For all he seemed to relax around me, he never gone through the fact that he was an alien to me.
I never asked him about it either. I didn't like prying, he would tell me if he wanted too, or not if he didn't want to.
I had to though, because on my suicidal mission # 35, mysterious alien-like soldiers with questionable guns that had some kind of energy emitting from it and their version of dogs came in abundance on the end of the mission, looking very much like they were searching for something—or someone.
Five looked pale-white at the sign of them.
"What the hell is that ?" I asked behind our chosen hiding spot. I wasn't sure how long it was going to hold but I hope long enough to get some explanation so I could have some course of plan.
"The Mogadorians…" he whispered.
"Are they your buddy aliens or something ? Cause if yes, you should tell them to fuck off because we can't go anywhere with them out there."
"They…no…" he looked distressed and shook his head, " Look I'm sure they only want me…you should run instead. I'll see what I can do about it."
I saw the Mogadorians—was that what he called them ?—shot the surroundings, leaving craters and ashes behind—"You're suicidal then ?"
"I'm not !" he protested, "I…this is impossible. There's too many of them."
"We've pulled impossible before and came out unscathed. So tell me what's actually that Mogadorians doing here and how you can recognize them, their strengths or powers and weaknesses so I can get us out of here."
"What ? That's…insane ! You're gonna die !" he frowned.
"Well, we are both gonna die if we stay here for too long, so spill."
Five looked at me for a while, before answering, "I'm sent here as one of the Nine. Nine Gardes, Nine Cepans. We used to live in a planet called Lorien but the Mogadorians ambushed it for its resources and we were the only one left. Gardes have Legacies, abilities like mine, Cepans were more of a bureaucrats."
"Oh…total annihilation, and they just aren't satisfied taking over your planet and want to kill you too I suppose ? "
"That and they probably want to take Earth. " He added.
"Earth ? That's quite ambitious. " I mused, " So the Mogadorians are super strong soldier and we are pretty much screwed here…how many of those guys can you take ?"
"Eh…? I'm…not sure. Maybe one or two alone, but not in a group like that."
"Hm….so fighting them head on is not an option." I looked around the surroundings for some clues.
We were inside a hut in the middle of a forest since we were running from the mercenaries that chased after we stole the gems from a mansion near the save forest. We stole and drove their car and they shot at us, making it broke down after a while—leaking oil and all—and it stopped when we were near this hut. So we decided to stay in the hut for a while and hide until we could get back in gear.
The mercenaries didn't chase after us to the forest. Well, it was dark and quite menacing that if I wasn't depending on crossing this particular forest to get away, I wouldn't get in.
Then the Mogadorians came in and started to destroy the forest mechanically. They hadn't seen us even though we could see them from inside here. Surprisingly they hadn't even find our car that had crashed into a bush—not really covering it but it certainly made it blend a little, not to mention it was a black car.
Some smoke was still coming from the car…, the car looked to be on the edge of being blown up. Maybe if there's more fire…and then the forest would be on fire too….
That's it !
I grinned and prepared my gun. "Hey, are Mogadorians immune to fire ?"
"Fire ? I don't think so, why ?" Five asked back.
"Great, so here's the plan..., it's quite simple actually, I shoot the oil trail and blow the car up so the forest will be on fire. Your part is to take us away with your fastest speed to our own base, I don't really want to report in after this."
"Carrying you ? The Mogadorians also have super-speed you know…"
"Yeah obviously, and that's the point of fire by the way, to distract them and halt them. I know for a fact that we are nearing the main road from here, just a little across there and we can just go along that road. There's a lot of Mogadorians here, I can hear the crashing of trees far away from us though there's also some around here. But losing a bunch of Mogadorians might be worth it rather than facing an army. And besides, I'm going to shoot it once we've covered quite a distance, the maximum distance I can take to make the shot. "
While I always knew of Five's enhancement, I personally never ask to be carried even when we were chased and the logical easiest option was asking him to carry me out. I chose a more complicated plan instead. I was too prideful for that since I certainly wasn't ten anymore though I wasn't fat either.
That might be why Five clarified for the plan.
I wasn't too prideful to ignore the solution that might save my life in this kind of situation. Those other times before…? There were other things to work with unlike this time.
"Alright then. Let's try it."
We went out and sneaked around, aided by the darkness and luck, I shot the oil trail near the car, the car exploded sending sparks of fire around, the forest caught fire.
I saw the Mogadorians suddenly turned up in place, Five hoisted me up.
And the rest was a blur.
We turned up in our own hiding place just fine though, if not dirty and tired.
3.2
"Hey, when are we gonna report in ?" Five asked in the morning.
"I…don't really suggest reporting in again, Five." I said, "They seem to have step up the game by sending those Mogadorians to a new intolerable level."
"Step up ? You mean they are really aiming to kill us ? I know that the missions are getting harder lately but…"
"To kill you actually, but essentially yes. " I said while munching tuna sandwich, "This is why I've been asking a lot of resources from them with the guise of 'harder missions' for as long as I could. I knew it would end up badly one day. "
"Oh…" he looked put out at that.
"Well anyway, can Mogadorians track you here ? Do they have super-trackers or something ?"
Five blinked, "No, I think. If they can they would have kill us all already."
"Great then, I don't have anywhere else to go if they can done that."
4.1
We ended up getting found out in the end. Seemed like our luck ran out.
This time though, they put more effort to killing us since we were stuck inside our own safe house with Mogadorians soldiers surrounding us.
I was actually out of idea sort of bringing the bazooka up and shooting them one by one. I was sure we would still end up dead though. This safe house actually was just a normal house, nothing special. No traps, no hidden backdoor, no nothing ! We didn't have enough money to build up something like that. We barely managed to buy this house.
At least, one of use should stay behind while the other ran.
I smiled sardonically at myself at the thought.
Huh…so this's where the support character died to make sure the hero live, eh ?
I took a deep breath as I armed myself up with the bazooka, a normal gun on my pocket and Five taking the machine gun.
"Drop the machine gun, Five. You're not gonna fight this time. Your job is to run."
"Run ? Carrying you again ? They would kill us !"
"Who said anything about carrying me ?
"Then what about you ?"
"I'll carry this bazooka here and shoot as many of them as I can." I said, "If they happen to catch you …, just give them an offer to work for them. If you like it then that's good but if you don't like it, you can just pretend to do it and strike again when the opportunities come. It will definitely make sure you're gonna get out of this alive."
"What ? There's no way you'll survive this ! I'm not going to leave you here !" Five looked defensive about it for some reason.
I wonder why…
"From the first time I chose to pursue this line of job, I had already accept death as a part of living. It's a risk I always had to take any way so you should just go."
If what Five says about the Mogadorians going to take over Earth was real in any way—even if I didn't exactly believe that would ever happened—then only people like Five who could go toe-to-toe with a Mogadorian can help.
There's no screen time for a support character like me. I'll be useless at those kind of situations then.
"You can't expect me to leave you like that ! Do you even understand my view point, Irvine ?" His eyes are tearing up.
Ah…, so that's the problem. Five had become too attached to me, eh ? That wouldn't do at all, I would obviously be the weak point that they could use to stir Five. It really was better for me to just get out of the way.
"Maybe I do, maybe I don't. The Mogadorians were not going to wait ransacking our house by the way. Look, they already went in. " I said as a resounding crash was heard.
"There really isn't any other option here." I added, "Unless of course, you have some kind of another power and can get us out of this shit."
He gritted his teeth, " I can fly if that helps any."
"Fly ? That would be helpful, can you evade bullets while flying ?"
"I don't know. I might be able to but it might also get to me." He looked pensive before his eyes widened and added hastily, " I can though, I can. Let's just fly together."
He gripped his machine gun tightly and his parlor slowly turned shiny and…his fingers are not digging into the machine gun but in fact creating a dent ?
"Hey, what's happening to you ?" I asked.
"What ? There's nothing happening to me." He snapped.
"Look." I held out my hand and touched him, smooth cold skin met my fingers, It felt like the machine gun actually…wait… he was changing into the machine gun's metal ?
My eyes lit up at the notion I was implying. I quickly searched for my own handgun which had this sleek design of metal and was easier to carry than the machine gun
"I can work with this. " I said as I handed him the handgun, he took it confusedly—his machine gun still stayed in his hand, " So here's the plan, I'm gonna ask you to fly while carrying me, this time a piggy back one—don't worry, I'm not going to need any hands to support me so you have all your two hands free. You will leave that machine gun here and hold to my handgun instead. Don't dare to let it go since it's very important, you can also shot while holding the handgun, just make sure you're always holding the handgun."
He looked at me skeptically, but nodded anyway.
"Don't worry, we'll get out alive again this time. I'll explain something to you later when we are clear."
When the machine gun was let go, he changed again into normal before imitating my handgun metal.
I hold onto him real-tight and we flew to the sky through the window next to us.
The Mogadorians shot at us but none of them managed to hurt us. Well, I'm using Five as a shield and Five's body seemed to be able to withheld shooting in the first place. Some of the Mogadorians even got shot by the handgun in Five's hand.
He looked confused at the lack of effect of the Mogadorians attacks, but he wasn't about to complain about it.
So maybe I didn't actually want to die right now…
4.2
"What happened back there ?" Five asked as we landed in some backwater village in the mountain range after quite a long flight. I wasn't sure about where to go, so I just told him to go to the nearest mountain instead.
"Well, you changed into the material of whatever you're holding, which was why I told you to grip that handgun. Do you know you can do that ?"
He checked himself over, "Huh…you're right. I never thought I would get another Legacy like this."
"Another Legacy ?"
"It's our power, it's called Legacy. Garde usually have more than one Legacies, I only developed three myself. The flying one, the telekinesis and this one. And all Garde also get the enhanced body."
"Cool, so you can have multiple powers there. You should practice this power more often, it's quite useful. I never thought I would survive that without you." I said with the same casual air I usually emitted.
He glared at me then, "Don't ask me to leave you again in such attacks, Irvine."
I just hummed in answer. Not really answering it.
You know I couldn't promise that—was the unspoken answer.
Five knew that anyway and glared one last time, before turning his back on me.
5.0
I met Ethan that time. Five wasn't with me, I took a walk by myself.
Ethan looked the same to me.
"Long time no see." I said to him with my signature grin.
Ethan smiled back before he turned serious. I tilted my head at that.
"What are you doing here ?" I asked him. Are you tracking us ?
"No, I come here by myself." He answered.
"It's not a coincidence, nor is it to say hi is it ?"
"It's not." He confirmed, "You do know you've been targeted right ?"
"You mean Five ? Yes I know."
"No, not just Five, you are targeted too, you've been targeted ever since you were sent in those suicidal missions as an accomplice of Five. They are planning to capture you for a hostage against Five."
I blinked, who would have guess I was targeted too ? I guessed the Mogadorians were playing dirty now.
"Oh, so I'm going to die then ?" I asked.
"You're not going to die, just in prison. Five has grown fond of you, you know. He might even choose to go with them if that means you would live."
"So.., they are trying to control Five through me ?" That…surprisingly left a bad taste in my mouth.
I liked Five enough that I would stick with him through all kinds of situations, maybe protected him once in a while but I never thought I care for Five that much. Surprise.
"Yes. The Mogadorians are tracking you all right now as we speak."
I hummed thoughtfully, " Why are you telling me this ?"
"I don't trust Mogadorians." He said with a bitter smile, "I work for them not by my own will."
He didn't clarify any more than that.
"Ah… is it better for me to get out of the way then ? Make him hate me or die later ?" I asked casually.
"Maybe." He mused as if the question wasn't about my own death, Ethan was a mysterious guy, a tactical mind like me, it's no wonder he had the same ability to view death with casual detachment if it meant reaching the goal, "Making him hate you might be counter-beneficial. He probably will turn to the Mogadorians in defiance instead. Killing yourself works better in anyway as long as you can set your death in the right hand and right situation. If timed right, Five might even hated the Mogadorians and set to destroy them because of your death. "
Oh…, my death eh ? That didn't incite any feelings from me in any way.
"If I try to stay alive with Five ?" I gauged out.
"You'll get captured one way or another."
A declaration from fellow strategic mind.
"Alright then. Do you think Five will work with the Mogadorians without me being a hostage ?"
"No, he doesn't have any relationship close enough for him to stay." He answered, " I was tasked to be the one for that, but they miscalculated your loyalty. They thought you are more loyal to Rein and would abandon Five in an instance if he revealed to be an alien."
I narrowed my eyes, "You can't have miscalculated that."
"No, I didn't. I wasn't in charge for that. The higher ups did."
He didn't say who the higher-ups of the Mogadorians were and I didn't ask.
Well, there goes that option to ensure Five's survival…
We parted ways after that, I didn't say thanks to him.
I would like to stay alive, but I would hate it if I got my freedom taken from me.
Death it is then.
6.1
I probably would never acknowledge it myself, but part of my reason for sticking together with Five even with alien soldiers and suicidal missions after him was probably because I also had grown attached to him. After Rein had left me alone, he was the first partner I got and had been ever since. In my heart, he would always be the student I took in though, even if his fighting ability had greatly surpassed mine—with his Legacies and all.
I knew for a fact that me being a normal human would be a limitation in fighting. My best advantage was my mind, my planning abilities and I had this…inkling feeling our luck wouldn't hold out much longer.
Ethan's declaration still spinning in my mind.
I never taught Five everything, I used to keep this and that for myself, especially my observation skill and planning skill. It was what I thought as the only thing I could be ahead of Five. Five wasn't a sloppy person either, he actually could scrounge up a plan good enough anyway, but I just never taught him further in that aspect. He never asked anyway, just deferring to me for plans.
It made me feel useful for that. I knew that Five wouldn't abandon me just because I was not as good as him later, but it still was a possibility I wouldn't like to cross.
I wondered if that made me insecure instead. What a joke.
Live in the streets for long enough and you would develop a persona to fool others.
But it would be a waste for my planning ability if it wasn't inherited to someone. One day or another I would die anyway, better start now before it's too late.
So I called Five one morning and told him to prepare for a stealing spree. We had taken to living in the streets again after that, constantly moving and all, and we did need money now.
When we came across the jewelry shop, Five asked me what to do again.
I told him to think it through himself and to not use his power. This kind of thing was doable without his power.
He looked confused but did give out his opinion. I corrected a few things with hints that he caught pretty fast by the way.
I never looked more proud when we managed to steal without getting caught.
6.2
I wondered what I should do now. The Mogadorians were coming again. I knew from the hints that I heard along the street. Five seemed to catch them too, good thing that I had parted my knowledge of planning then. He was a good learner, I had told him all I could anyway.
This time an even bigger number came and I wasn't sure if we could ward them off again.
Ah…, I was really a burden here, not to mention Five really wouldn't leave me now.
Should I tried to make him hate me ? I know he was pretty insecure, a well-placed word here and there and he could probably kill me himself. Would that destabilize him ? Made him go crazy ? Or would he accept it and move on ?
So many possibilities….
It's not like I actually want to die. But we were being chased by some kind of alien and really, our luck would run out and one of us would have to die one way or another. There might be one last thing I could think of to increase Five's rate of survival though—sort of working with the Mogadorians that would only happen in my capture.
I probably should have done this from the start anyway.
"Say, Five. Do you have any kind of way to contact the rest of the Garde ? Are they alive ?" I started.
I told him we were going to find all of the Garde that were still alive—he said three of them had died—dropping clues to continue the search if I happened to not made it. With his practice he should had realize the clues, but he remained oblivious. I wondered if he chose to ignore them instead.
Ethan was right, When should I kick the bucket then ?
He would be safe with them anyway. Safety in number, right ?
7.0
In the end I chose the old way of sacrificing yourself by covering Five from an attack that he didn't see. He had turned into metal at the first, true, but the Mogadorians managed to get the handgun out of his hand and then quickly attacked him while he was vulnerable.
I covered him then.
The blood sprouting from my mouth felt surreal. It's like I was watching my own death from a slow-motion film.
I heard Five shouted at me. Something desperate. A spinning short of energy started to developed around Five.
New Legacy…?
I never could quite decipher what he said. Unlike in some heroine movies where the character could give any kinds of last words, my own death was quick on the contrary. I never did say anything before I close my eyes.
The energy lashed out, obliterating all, accompanied by a shout of anguish.
Five was left standing in the middle of the carnage. Alone.
A/N : I haven't read the books at all, it's just based on wiki. I'm sorry if there's anything weird here or something. I know Five originally doesn't have that super power Legacy...I just made that one up to suit the situation.
There's two epilogue chapters I make for this by the way...favorite and review please !
