*October 5th, 2030*
(POV: Third)
It was during Lunch hour when Liam Kieron was called by Alice Fridrik. A sudden meeting was scheduled, interrupting him from potentially apologizing to his friend. He didn't want to go, yet he and Demios knew that they had to attend; not doing so may result in Fridrik ousting the both of them into the fray of murder charges and jail sentences. Fridrik was waiting in her office. Within the DMW building, she knew that there were barely any people around. Time was getting too tight for her to actually go out and meet Liam; she was dealing with piles upon piles of forms regarding the incident that transpired only a few days ago. She was going out of her way to work overtime. She was only willing to spare a few minutes to Liam when the man and his buddy walked into the room. Demios, in his SD form, cautiously observed Fridrik's movements. He didn't want her to pull some sort of fast one; Demios and Liam were within the walls of the law now, and it took a lot of talking in order for Fridrik to convince the two that things were being kept on the down low.
Liam was the first to speak up. He was still in an aggressive, dreary mood, yet he couldn't help but notice that Halia was away. When he was looking around the room he realized that the eagle was nowhere to be seen. "Where's your buddy off to?"
Fridrik was still looking through the countless files sprawled out on her desk. Her hair was laid out in disarray when she finally looked up at her "employee." She looked to Liam with weary eyes before speaking up. "I sent her with some other agents. We are undermanned, and there have been many calls about Disaster Force sightings. I would've gone too, but I still have a responsibility here."
Demios spoke up. "I don't like you, but I respect your work ethic."
"I appreciate that, honestly," Fridrik replied coldly. "Working the hard way and the right way got me here. I couldn't care less about whether or not others liked me; I have a job to do."
Liam sneered at her. "Right, like blackmailing me."
"After you murdered four people," Fridrik returned. "You can go on hating me all you like, but that doesn't change the fact that, like you, I work dirty."
Demios stepped in. "Let's not change the subject; I recall you telling us that you have another assignment."
"First thing's first," Ms. Fridrik began. She reached into her desk, pulling out an envelope twice the size of her right hand. There was a bit of weight to it. She tossed the envelope towards Liam. He caught it, quickly opening the thing up to see what was inside. He looked confused upon noticing the criteria of the contents. The amount of valuable green paper astonished him. He laughed at first, finding this situation completely absurd. However, as the amount of money started going into the thousands, he coughed in shock. "What the hell is this?"
"At least two hundred thousand yen, cash. In my position, it's chump change, really," Ms. Fridrik returned. "You're living here, but you don't have a job. I doubt you intended to stay in Japan for this long, so I figured that covering some of your living costs would've given you… incentive."
"Is this what you're paying me for this job?"
"That is from your previous jobs," she reiterated. Liam gasped as he looked into the envelope once again. Demios squinted his reptilian eyes at Fridrik. "After what you've been doing for me, I hope that we can both continue to profit from this… mutual relationship."
The grey dragon frowned, angrily scoffing at the woman standing before him. "We're not bounty hunters for hire."
"Liam has been getting to you, hasn't he?" Ms. Fridrik returned. "Actually… was it CJ? Was his innocent mind enough to warp your judgment?"
"You don't know me," Demios sneered.
"You are the leader of the Purgatory Knights, known for many unique qualities," Ms. Fridrik began. She got up from her desk and started to calmly walk over to Liam and Demios, scanning the two of them as she spoke. "Your army continues to rise above death as you slaughter your enemies mercilessly. Darkness Dragon World is one that has death and carnage, and only the strong can truly survive in such horrendous terrain. Truly, the strong survive, and the weak perish, and what allows the Purgatory Knights to survive is their loyalty to each other." Ms. Fridrik glanced back at Demios with cold eyes. "And yet… you question your loyalty to me… over me telling you to kill people you already planned on killing? Either Earth has softened you, or you have completely forgotten your father's legacy." Demios's body froze up. He crossly stared back at Fridrik, hoping that the fires of hell would burn her for stating such words. However, as each moment passed, he realized the foolishness of his actions. He looked away, feeling defeated. Liam could only watch as his buddy gave in to her. Liam wished to do something, he really did, but what choice did he have. He came to his buddy's side and glared back at Fridrik. Despite their actions, Ms. Fridrik was not fazed. "Disregard everything else for a moment. Only think of one thing, and it is the one thing you knights hold so dearly; the concept of loyalty." She turned away from the two of them, returning to her desk. She caressed her hand against some of the fine woodwork as she dully spoke. She already knew how this was going to play out. "I know your secret, yet you act like I'm the one in the wrong; you murdered people in cold blood. I simply want those talents used so justice can be done in ways this legal system can't get to." She glanced back at Demios, expecting him to answer soon. "I've been loyal to you. The least you could do is be loyal to me in return."
Demios sighed. "…. What do you want us to do?"
"Under normal circumstances, I would've had you join Tasuku in his surveillance of your friend, that is, if he still sees you as a friend." Liam squinted, finding the comment irksome. "Don't give me that look. You know what you did, and you and the others saw something I didn't; how the Disaster Force affected CJ's mind. Tasuku and Jack are currently keeping a close eye on him. I wanted you to do the same but get more discreet, but I couldn't stop thinking about Alvis." Fridrik sighed. For some reason, she pulled out her phone, observing the device. She went through her messages, sighing to herself. "There was no reason for Alvis to ignore my message. At least, that's what I initially thought. I suspect there is more to what Alvis did a few days ago. He never screwed up like this. I want you to investigate him, discreetly."
Liam interjected. "The hell?" He sneered back to her. "Why us? Demios and I aren't needed to go undercover, like. Don't you guys have more than enough reason to investigate him yourselves?"
"Not only are we undermanned, but Alvis's clean record made the higher ups exempt him from any possibility of working with The Will."
"Hold on!" Liam stomped forward. "The Will? You think he's working for them?"
"On the very day that we needed all the support we could get, it is then that Alvis screws up this majorly?" Ms. Fridrik, after asking that question, shakes her head. "No way in hell. He's too smart for that shit. Besides, if I'm wrong, then I'm happy with that. However, his actions caused me to lash out a CJ and his partners. There's no doubt in my mind that this was a factor in him quitting."
Demios smirked. "So, you're angry that you were played like a fool."
"Think of it in whatever way you want," Fridrik returned with a cold stare. "This is personal to me; Halia won't stop thinking about CJ and it is up to me, and now you, to get to the bottom of this. Do the job well and you'll be rewarded. It's as simple as that."
(POV: First)
The October weather was finally hitting me hard. As I led the walk home after picking up some Takoyaki, I couldn't help but shiver as the brisk, cold air was riding up my back. My suit wasn't doing me any favors. Even though I quit my desk job, I still wanted to keep my presentation up. I didn't want to present myself as some jobless runt, especially when I was jobless. I guess it was because of my low self-confidence concerning my overall choices that made me so picky about my appearance. Arkaid was especially concerned about my odd behavior, but I couldn't help but worry about how people saw me; after Arkaid truly found out everything about me, I wanted to do everything in my power to make sure I didn't come across as a creep.
Despite this, Alliot also gave me crap for dressing myself in an unprepared way. The three of us walked away from the Takoyaki shop with our food in our hands, held within disposable dishes of sorts. Alliot would occasionally crack comments about my self-conscious nature. He would stick his toothpick into each piece of takoyaki before nabbing it with his large jaw. Alliot snickered as he watched my teeth chatter from the coming cold. "Serves ya right. Maybe Doble had a point in talking about your 401k stuff."
The chill was so cumbersome that I barely had the will to make a sarcastic remark. I felt my arms rattle underneath my white-collared shirt's sleeves. I kept wishing that I nabbed a blanket or something before leaving my apartment. My spirits were dwindling until I heard Arkaid giggle slightly at Alliot's remark. I looked over to her, watching as she held her right hand over her snout, attempting to hide her laughter. I found myself smiling back to her; she appeared to be much more innocent and happy. It was a change I liked, especially after the argument that occurred between the three of us. She looked over to me with cheerful eyes. "My apologies," she giggled. "You brought this on yourself, however. You cannot deny that."
Despite her laughter, she still had the capability of speaking in the same regal manner as before. I couldn't get mad at the two of them. I merely shrugged my shoulders as I took the last piece of my beef takoyaki. Without thinking, I had eaten all of it. I was definitely hungry for more, but I didn't want to walk back now; we were already halfway home. I took the first chance I had and placed the dish in a trash bin. My hands were still chilly from the cold air, so I swiftly placed my hands in my pockets. "I still don't regret going," I replied with a satisfied sigh. "The takoyaki hit the spot, and I know how much you two like that stuff."
Alliot grinned. "Well, I'm okay with anything good. Arkaid, on the other hand-"
My blue-scaled companion snorted to him in a superior manner. "Oh please, don't get started with me on that."
Instead of abiding to her demands, Alliot nudged up to me and started whispering in her ear. "When we got Takoyaki with Gao and Drum one time, she nearly ate three dozen at once. She's an animal!"
Admittedly, I was rather impressed. Arkaid didn't take it that way; she was more embarrassed about the whole thing really. She turned her head away from the two of us as she grumpily chewed on another piece of her food. "Don't act like you didn't get enough."
"Hey, I need the food to possibly get taller, and I need all the power I need to get my own Super form!" He was right about that; Doble and Meglax obtaining their new forms was a shock to all of us. None of the Fifth Omni Cavalry Dragons had even heard of such a power. After the three of us reunited, the other Fifth Omni members and us went to Tenbu, telling him what had occurred. It was then that he informed us about what Dynamis told him. Such power… yet most of us barely understood how we could unlock our powers like Doble. When Doble and Meglax told us what had occurred, I almost couldn't believe what I was hearing. A barrier of somekind had to be broken; a barrier involving one's personality and level of maturity. I feel like I'm rather mature and, after the incident involving Liam, Arkaid and I have been rather open with each other. Alliot, in addition to Arkaid and I, was incredibly devoted to Tenbu's cause. It was hard to think that we would only now unlock a power that was once a secret to the Cavalry Dragons ever since their initial formation. It goes without saying that Alliot wanted that power for himself; he wanted to win in his rivalry with Doble. "Plus, I only ate two dozen," Alliot snickered back. He confidently walked in front of Arkaid and faced her. As Arkaid and I kept walking forward, Alliot walked backward but kept up with the pace. "I recall you saying that you want to watch your figure. Sad to say this, but ya can't eat anything you want."
I remembered Arkaid mentioning that; she and I were outside my apartment when she mentioned that little fact. Alliot was inside my apartment at the time; he must have overheard our conversation. I felt like intervening, but Arkaid didn't appear affected by this level of banter. She didn't appear offended but instead treated this little spar as a light vocal match between two close friends. When I continued watching the two of them go back at each other, I couldn't help but feel reminded of the antics Liam and I performed; constantly, and playfully, insulting each other back and forth. We always spoke with a comical and non-serious tone as we talked and, despite Arkaid's regal dialect, as well as her inflections displaying embarrassment, she never spoke in a way that told Alliot that he crossed a line. It wasn't long before I heard Arkaid's little comeback. Without Alliot's attention, I noticed that one of his takoyaki started to float a bit. The fried treat started motioning upward to my surprise. I just so happened to glance at the rest of his plate as well; it was his last bit of food. My eyes scrolled over to Arkaid, soon noticing that her eyes began to glow with an illuminating cyan color. Immediately afterward, Alliot's final piece of Takoyaki shot away from his dish. Alliot gasped as he watched his food fly into Arkaid's mouth. With victorious eyes, she chowed down on Alliot's food with a slight chuckle. Alliot's face went long as his chin fell to the floor, leaving his mouth agape. Arkaid said little, but with a slight humph she walked around the now petrified orange dragon. I decided to roll with the joke and nab Alliot's now empty dish from his frozen hands. "Done with this?" I mused before placing his dish in the nearest trash bin, chuckling from witnessing a unique spectacle from Arkaid. I didn't expect her to act in this way, yet I found myself incredibly amused by her actions.
I briskly walked up to Arkaid with the both of us still chuckling at what just occurred. Assuming Alliot was just going to follow right behind us, my attention was then focused on Arkaid and her alone. The way her shoulders twitched with each innocent giggle was something I didn't even think about before. Her eyes didn't carry a regal demeanor, but it was one that was serene and friendly. It was strange at first to see her much more vulnerable; the barrier she once put up was removed. Thinking that I was staring at her for too long, I quickly looked away, facing forward. I could still hear Arkaid chewing on the stolen Takoyaki before gulping it. At the corner of my eyes, I could see her turning to me. "I honestly cannot apologize enough for my sullen attitude from before."
I had to get my mind out of the gutter; she was talking to me, so as long as I made sure I didn't do anything stupid I would be fine. "That makes the both of us. I'm actually surprised at a few things in particular."
"Oh?" Arkaid asked curiously. "What's that?"
"This entire time, I never found out your opinion on the Super Forms," I returned back to her. Arkaid's face became much more thoughtful as she started pondering to herself. I continued speaking, hoping that my words would fuel her ingenious mind. "What Tenbu said to all of us was… odd. After the centuries you and the other cavalry dragons worked with him, I'm surprised none of you really talked about your forms."
"It was a surprise to us all, even Tenbu," Arkaid continued back. She started flicking her toothpick around, almost like she was conducting her mind like an Orchestra. She was very subtle about each flick. To me, it was comparable to snapping my fingers when my mind has a hard time thinking, so I knew the purpose of her actions. "I recall my master discussing about a hidden power, but even he, as wise as he is, was unable to unlock such power."
"Out of everyone, you deserve that power the most," I returned. "Doble and Meglax, apparently, got it from breaking a sort of mental barrier within themselves. After everything you and I went through, especially since you are also incredibly mature and mindful, I'd imagine that you'd be the next one to get a Super form at the very least." It was then Arkaid looked at me with intrigued eyes. She looked startled to an extent, so I tried going through my words to see if I stated anything odd. I then realized that I had complimented her multiple times, so maybe that was it?
I was about to recoil back out of embarrassment for my words, but then Arkaid smiled back to me. "Even after everything, you still see me in such high regard. I greatly appreciate it, but I cannot see myself fulfilling your expectations." Arkaid's smile faded, for it was replaced with a curious frown. "Honestly, I feel like you've been more open out of the two of us. I've had over 400 years of experience within me, and you've only lived a quarter of the average human lifespan. We both may have stated a lot. However, in comparison to each other, you said more, relative to your age, than I did." I was stunned by her words, so much so that I couldn't even muster a response. My mouth was slightly opened as empty words left my mouth, struggling to be heard. Arkaid giggled at my display before turning herself completely towards me. With her right hand, she stuck a toothpick right into the last piece of her Takoyaki. "There's still that thing I promised I would tell you. Do you remember?"
It took some time, but I was able to recall it. One time, she wished to say something back when we first fought Sinblade. The next time she wished to discuss this matter was when I was training with Alliot the same day the armordragons arrived at Tenbu's Sanctuary. I never wanted to force anything out of her, but her behavior made me worried about what the topic of the discussion was. "Yeah, I remember. You've been kinda quiet about it, considering how much emphasis you appear to put on it."
"It's rather embarrassing, really." Arkaid's voice shook a little during her reply. It almost left me speechless just how quickly her tone shifted. She began fiddling with the last piece of Takoyaki, motioning it around in her disposable dish. She looked down it at, watching as the circular treat danced with the aid of her precise and slim fingers. "When I first wished to discuss the matter with you, I truly planned on telling you. However, as time went by, things have been getting more difficult for me. One would think that, with all the time in the world, I'd be able to make up my mind. However, I feel like it is because of the amount of time I have that I feel like I don't have to tell you anything right now." She looked over to me with weakened eyes, yet she forced a smile. "A bit ludicrous, don't you think?"
"Not… really?" I replied cautiously. "You're putting a lot of thought into this. If it's difficult for you then I know, without a doubt, it would be difficult for me. I don't mind the wait, to be honest," I lied again. Of course I wanted her to tell me. The entire talk she, myself, and Alliot had discussed about being completely open with each other about the secrets holding us back. I wanted to tell her that it would be alright to discuss this with me, yet her behavior didn't imply that she was held back from anything. If anything, she appeared to be a bit more carefree. "You have a lot of time. Just don't feel pressured to do anything you don't want to do, alright?"
"I appreciate that," Arkaid replied with a soft bow. "Maybe I'll work up the courage to talk to you about this next month."
"What's so special about next month?"
Arkaid suddenly smirked at me, raising her right eye. "You're without a job. I understand that you've saved quite a bit of money, but I hope that you didn't forget about our training plan."
"Oh… that…," I sighed morosely. "Still, I don't get why it makes next month so special."
"You've displayed adequate skills when it comes to utilizing magic, and I've seen your decent swordplay," Arkaid began. I couldn't help but feel a bit somber about my poor abilities even though it was understandable; I was a newbie, so there was no reasonable way I would just rise through the ranks and become the best fighter and warrior that ever existed; that would just be a pure and unadulterated fantasy. "During your standoff with Fridrik, you stated that you would be fine working with the Buddy Police. One Month," Arkaid began before directing her last piece of Takoyaki close to my face. She was directing it at me like I was a student to be instructed. "I aim to follow through with your training and allow you to become a better warrior and magician. Now that you are completely detached from your work, you can now devote your time to the Fifth Omni Cavalry, and I will be assisting you throughout all of it."
"I wouldn't want anyone else to do it," I returned with an understanding nod.
"After that, apply for the Buddy Police position; it would fit your line of work, and your employers have a good foundation of your occupation as a member of our cavalry. I'm certain that this will be much more beneficial to you than what that ignorant woman had to offer."
"Understood."
"Good," Arkaid replied. "I discussed this with Alliot earlier, actually. I'm sure that he'll-"
CHOMP
Befuddlement and confusion had only just settled in when I suddenly saw Alliot's head stretching over my shoulder. His neck extended his face forward, bringing his mouth towards the delectable piece of cheese Takoyaki. I didn't even get the chance to see him bite it; his teeth were centimeters away from Arkaid's fingers. Arkaid quickly released her fingers from the toothpick, noticing that the wooden pick was sticking out of Alliot's sharp teeth. He was grinning with beaming confident before motioning himself away, snickering to himself as he walked in front of us. He continued to look back to us with the goofiest face I've ever seen; it beamed with so much confidence that I couldn't even believe that I was looking at the same Alliot. "Serves ya right for stealing."
"You dolt!" Arkaid shouted. "I was going to give that to CJ!"
"Maybe ya should've given it to him before talking for hours." To be fair, he had a point there; Arkaid and I find ourselves talking for long periods, so we often lose track of what's going on around us. It was the same when Abigail overheard us talking about law enforcement, it was the same when Liam watched as Arkaid and I discussed looming fear, and it was the same now; Arkaid and I were completely ignorant to our surroundings.
It was then that we found out that we were oblivious to more than previously thought. When Alliot turned his head forward, his eyes caught on a dark, dreary-looking man. His dark-brown hair covered one of his eyes as the leader of the Purgatory Knights, in his SD form, leaped from his buddy's shoulders and landed on the ground. Alliot and Arkaid immediately came to my side, positioning themselves in front of me as Liam looked nervously at me from afar. His hands were dug deep in the pockets of his black hoodie. His bottom jaw motioned back and forth, making me believe he was grinding his teeth. After finally getting a grasp on the other surroundings, we were at a corner of a city block. The two of them must have been walking on the other side of the building. Regardless of that, I found myself unable to truly stick with a feeling on the matter. Should I be angry at him? Scared? No; I remembered what I almost did to him. If anything, he was more afraid of me.
He appeared to be just as speechless as myself. It appeared as if fate somehow, of all times, made he and I reunite once again. His eyes motioned over to Arkaid and Alliot once again. He quickly looked to the ground for a moment before muttering a few words to himself. I couldn't make out what he was saying, but soon he was able to speak up. "Hey… I, um… sorry for breaking your door."
My head went back, astounded from that comment alone. "It was you?!"
Demios spoke up, clearing his throat with a slight cough. "It was me, really. We thought you were still locked away in your room and I didn't sense your presence. I thought you…."
"Jesus!" I winced, soon hearing the voices of my alarmed buddies at my side. They turned to me with worried looks as I reassured to them that I'm fine. Before turning back to Demios, I shook my head. "I would never!"
"On purpose, maybe," Demios returned. "After what Liam told me about you, the possibility of alcohol poisoning could've been-"
Liam cut his buddy off. He hastily motioned his left hand in front of his buddy, blocking his view. Demios took that as a sign to silent himself. The great dragon understood the reasoning, and so did I; the last thing Liam must have wanted was to go into detail about such a horrid possibility. However, that made me wonder why he would even bother doing so. Based on what he said to Arkaid and I, he barely cares about us. Does he regret what he said about us? "Forget that… I visited ye gaff to check on my friend, if you still see me that way, anyway."
Alliot inched forward with his drill in hand. His teeth were tightly gritting against each other as he growled back. "After what ya said? After what ya did? You remember what Arkaid told you too, right; she won't be so forgiving!"
"I don't expect her to be," Liam replied. The melancholy tone gripped me, and I hated it. He wasn't doing it on purpose, but I felt guilty for him. But why? He hurt Arkaid and me so much…. Why was I already thinking about forgiving him. However, I only needed to look at Alliot to see the conviction present in his eyes. I took him as the side that was right, and I was willing to support the one supporting me. However, as Liam continued talking, I could feel my resolve somewhat wavering. "I don't expect CJ to forgive me either. I just want to tell ye what I went through, that's all; ye can do whatever the hell you want. I don't care if all three of you cut me off completely. I deserve it."
Arkaid's voice seemed to echo faintly. Her words were so cold to hear, soon sending chills from my spine. "Don't play that game," Arkaid scowled quietly. Liam gulped, yet his face remained exactly the same. Despite this, Arkaid appeared to be completely relentless in how she glared back to him. "I figured you would do this. Now you understand what it means to be left with nothing. You are certainly fortunate to have Demios by your side; he may be too loyal for his own good."
Demios scowled back. "How dare you! At least listen to him! It wasn't his fault!"
I brushed past Arkaid and Alliot, mouth completely agape. That was it; that must have been why my heart was being torn. Something within me was telling me to believe in him, for there was no reasonable way that the person that ruined me was the same person standing in front of me now. "What do you mean? What are you talking about?" I was about to be given an answer. I prayed that the answer would have absolved me of all previous doubts.
Liam's eyes looked away. He knew what I was trying to do; he knew I was trying to pry at the truth. However, as he spoke to me, the pitiful amount of confidence he carried before had left him too. "Gale… took control of my mind."
"I… what?" And then it happened; my hopes to remove myself of my doubts vanished away. "… You're telling me you got brainwashed?"
"… Yeah…," Liam morsely looked away. "… And, from what I see, you don't believe me."
Arkaid marched past me before giving Liam a cold stare. As she spoke, Alliot's furious growls could be heard to my right. This entire situation was leaving me incredibly uneasy; I couldn't imagine what Liam was feeling from this, but I had absolutely no clue what to believe anymore. "You leave us no reason to believe you. It is true that Gale escaped his confinement, but mind control? I'm familiar with such abilities, but that seems all too convenient for you."
Alliot intervened, stepping forward with his green, piercing eyes shooting out at Liam like merciless daggers. "Damn right. You can't just shit on us and then claim you weren't in control. Who's to say you're only doing this because things went too south for ya, huh?"
An empty, depressing sigh left Liam's lungs. Even though Demios was having difficulty containing the rising anger within him, one look at Liam removed such rage from his body. Liam must have known that this was going to happen. "I knew you wouldn't forgive me." He turned to me now. Arkaid and Alliot had given their opinions on the issue. I was the only one left. "What about you, CJ?"
"M-Me?"
"What do you think about all of this?" Liam asked morosely. "Arkaid and Alliot don't know me like you do, like. We've known each other for so long. You know me; you know that I wouldn't have done this to you."
"… I deserve it," I muttered back to him.
"What did you say?"
"… I … I remembered what you told me that day. That day, when you hurt the three of us so badly, something came over me; I wanted to hurt you." Arkaid and Alliot's demeanor went from aggressive to solemn. They looked to me with careful eyes as I tried to remind myself of the horrible power that took over me. I had told them this already, but never much. I didn't want to scare them away. "When the Disaster Force took over me, giving me so much power and strength, I wanted vengeance. I wanted it more than anything. You tore apart Arkaid's heart; I couldn't give a shit if you hurt me when Arkaid left me in tears!"
Arkaid opened her mouth slowly. She appeared reluctant to speak. "CJ… I…."
My mind was now focused too much at Liam that I could barely hear the rest of her words. "You betrayed me, but you betrayed her worst of all. Seeing her the way she was… I couldn't believe that someone like you would do that to someone so important to me…. But that's the thing," I dully lowered my head. "I can't believe that you did that, I really can't. Even so, I can't forgive you; there's nothing for me to go on that could truly prove that you didn't mean what you said."
Liam sighed back to me. "I see…."
"I really want to believe you, Liam. Trust me, I really do," I somberly replied. "But… for the sake of my buddies… for the sake of Arkaid, I can't blindly take you back in. There's nothing to completely rule their opinions out. I need proof, Liam. I need it now!" My hands curled into intense fists. Everyone turned to me, stunned from my sudden shriek. Liam's eyes widened as he gazed into my weakened soul. "Please! Liam! I need you to show me the proof that you are innocent! If you had it, then I'd be more than willing to have you back! But without it, I…."
"Stop that, please," Liam struggled to reply with his weakened voice. His eyes were tightly shut as his hands went deeper into his sweatshirt pockets. He turned his body half away, staring into the street. "… I came here thinking that you would hate my guts, that you would never forgive me. But… I see that you're still you." He turned his head back to me. His eyes were still shut, but tears rolled from his eyes. He forced a smile, breaking my heart. "I'm happy that you're still the same hairy asshole I know."
"Liam…."
"If it means anything to your buddies, I'll be looking for whatever evidence I can find," Liam returned. "Fortunately, I got a job now, and it gives me more than enough time to look for it." He turned his back to me. Demios hopped onto his shoulders before turning his eyes back to me. "I know you've given me too many chances already…. Still… thank you, for giving me another one."
My eyes were staring at the pavement beneath my feet. I could hear Liam rushing away from me; his shoes slammed against the pavement with each hard stride. My throat was dry, making it even harder for me to speak my mind to the others. Alliot quickly stepped in front of me with an intense, angry voice. "What the hell, man? You're really giving that bastard another chance?! He broke your trust! He hurt Arkaid. You even know!"
I weakly nodded back to him. "Yeah… I know."
"Then why?!" Alliot growled back. "Why forgive him? Why go out of your way to-"
Arkaid stepped in front of me, blocking Alliot from my view. I looked up, watching as she stood firmly against the muscular dragon standing before her. "That's enough, Alliot."
"Arkaid? You're agreeing with him?"
"Of course not," Arkaid replied coldly. "I have more than enough reason to distrust Liam after what he did to me." She lowered her head with morose eyes. "Not only did he break the trust between us, he broke me. He spoke and attacked me in ways that he knew would hurt the most! I want him to stay away, however…." Arkaid turned her head towards me, nodding in my direction. "I cannot bring myself to go against CJ's judgment. Out of the three of us, he knows Liam the most. If CJ is willing to give Liam a chance to redeem himself, then I am going to side with him."
