Chapter 12: Silent Revival

Burn POV

I skate for a good half an hour with no damn luck in finding him. I'm gettin' seriously pissed off here... What was all that shit about? Why exactly is he searching for that Silence guy? You know, he makes me tell all my problems to him like he's my damn therapist but he's all fuckin' secretive and shit. That ain't fair and I'm gonna point that shit out when I find him. For a short while, I forget I'm out in the open, where every passing person can see me... If there were any out this time in the morning. Curfews and whatnot... I'm making my way down a hill in my search for Viruz when suddenly, I hear a growling shout of anger to my right. No one should be out here... Wait... Shit.

Silver Keepers. Fuck. Me.

I don't even get to turn my head before I'm tackled to the ground. The armor wearing sonofabitch straddles me, not in the fun way, and starts to beat the shit outta my face with his metal clad hands. My face grows sticky and I'm seeing red and stars. Shit...

This asshole wants me to die. I'm going to die in the middle of the street... I can't move and my blood soaked vision is fading fast. Then... It stops so abruptly, I get actually fucking scared... He's gonna finish me off, right? Yeah? I start hearing shouting and I feel the weight leave my body. I hear shuffling next to me then... Nothing. Everything fades to black. I think I'm dead. Then... I wake up with a jolt in a warm bed. I can barely open my eyes but... I'm so sore all over. I go to reach my hand down to find my cell in my hoodie pocket... But apparently, I'm shirtless with bandages all over my torso... Someone helped me... Who saved my ass from the fire? I slowly open my eyes a little and try to glance around me. I see a male shaped figure hunched over a table, muttering to himself. I slowly speak out to the muttering guy. "H-hey..."

"Ah. You're awake, good." He turns around to me. I blink a little, the swelling makes it hard to keep my eyes open. He's tall and lanky, dressed in a black jumpsuit and scarf... What? No... Wait... I try to focus more... He looks to be in his late thirties, early forties with unkempt messy black hair and a scruffy goatee, skin tone a light tan and pale combo. His voice is so smooth and low, calming to the mind. But... He's dressed like Silence. But he can't be that guy... Could he? Nobody has ever seen his face or heard him talk before. He gives me a small, curt smile. "How are you feeling?"

"Like shit, sir... Were you the one to save me?" I take a low breath, dammit, my chest hurts. He nodded at me and starts to make his way towards me.

"Yes. That Keeper won't harm anyone for a long while."

"You killed the guy?" I say, mildly surprised. He chuckles in a weird, warm way.

"Heavens no! I just broke his legs." Oh, yeah, that's definitely any better. But... I have to ask him.

"Are you that Silence guy? The one that saved my gang member?" He reaches up to itch the back of his head with a big sheepish smile upon his face.

"Yes, that's what you kids call me." I quickly gasp and press my back against the wall beside my bed. Whoa... I'm right in front of a ghost, a man of legend... And he had to save my sorry ass from the fire. I feel like a goddamn joke. He shakes his head. "Calm down, heh."

"You're a living legend amongst us rudies, sir... Hard to not be calm." He laughs again and sits himself next to my current laying spot.

"Only to you young people. I've been a rudie since the trend started a decade or two ago... Heh, so different nowadays. So much violence and death... Especially on behalf of Ginzou and his Sliver Seven Corporation." He sighs and shakes his head, placing his arms on his legs. He does seem like he knows a whole lot...

"A rudie named Viruz has been looking for you." I say.

"Yes, yes. Your friend... "How does he know that...? He looks into my face after a moment. He looks so goddamn serious. "Burn... There is a great deal of things going on that could turn this town on its head. It's up to people like us to stop that. The freethinkers of this town... We still feel that soul. We still see that soul... They only see greed and green... And in some cases, the color crimson... What side will you be on?"

I feel like a moron because I have no words. This is the second time I've been told this today... Why do people place me into things that I don't even understand? Why do people throw me into the grand scheme of things? I grab my head in frustration, then feel warmth on my bare shoulder. He placed a hand on me.

"It's hard, I know. Just... Think about what I've said. I know a lot, Burn... I can't spill everything yet, but it will all come in due time... Now, just relax, go back to sleep."

I make a frustrated grunt and lay down as he gets up from his seat, he turns his head to me. "By the way, don't speak of me to your friend."

"Why not?" I ask, pulling blankets over my bare torso.

His gaze grows into an oddly sad expression. "Just don't. For both of our sakes..." I don't have the mental strength to pry any further and feel myself get heavy and knock the fuck out.

...

I wake up with a painful jolt. I snap my eyes open to glance around... How the fuck did I end up in my room? Did he...? Had to of. I'm in my previous attire, cleaned of my blood and all the grime and grit. I lay back down upon my bed with a heavy sigh... What the fuck is going on in my life? What am I apart of? I shut my eyes... Then hear my door open...