Kyle flew over the course, Rahim finding the kid smirking next to him in the first quarter vaulting past and Crane watched closer noticing how quick he took a turn when he was sure about his footing. It was just like when he caught up with him in the tower but this time the man got to see the kid actually run. Something about it was peculiar but he couldn't pinpoint what it was. With how fast everything had gone, Crane forgot to ask about the glowing eyes too. The man suddenly remembered hiding the realization that he had forgotten about it hitting him like a brick to the face. Kyle could turn any moment, yet Crane hadn't seen a wound on him at all. Nothing about what he saw from the boy made sense based on what he knew but he wanted to ask Kyle and get him to Zere without causing a panic. And definitely not have Rahim and Brecken around if Kyle turned though the roof would be easy to block off from the rest of the tower. "Hey Kyle, come down here I want you to meet someone!" Crane shouted, Kyle pausing the race only for a second to shout back that he didn't feel like meeting anyone new. "Don't put me in a bad mood!" Kyle stopped again giving him a look with a scoff but complied. Crane led the blonde behind him back down the tower but stopped in front of his room pulling him in and closing the door glancing down the hall.
"More blackmail I don't know about?" He sure liked rubbing things in.
"No, I need to ask you about your glowing eyes." Crane replied keeping his voice low.
"What about them? Oh yeah, try keeping it a secret, would you? By the way, if you push me I don't care how much blackmail you have on me, I'll run and you will never catch up."
"I'm not going to blackmail you again, kid." 'At least not now and hopefully I won't have to.' "Listen, this is important. When did you get bitten?"
"At the start, over a month ago. Done interrogating?"
"No, it's not interrogating Kyle. When was your last shot of antizin?"
"Never"
"Okay-" Crane stopped himself, realizing what was meant only to be more confused and seriously worry now definitely wanting to get the kid to Zere.
Kyle suddenly burst out with a little laugh smiling at Crane. "Oh I get it now you're scared I'll turn!" The laughter gone but still wearing a smile the boy continued with utter confidence. "I won't."
"How can you be sure of that?"
"I haven't so far. I just know it. Don't worry Crane I won't be chewing on your precious friends. But you know I could also not hang around the tower if I'm that scary." The blonde smirked but Crane gave a smile of his own, his words shooting down Kyle's smile.
"Nice try, you're here for a week. Listen, you have a point but if you ever have a seizure or get dizzy you tell me right away alright?"
"Fine, anything else?" 'This week will suck.'
"No, let's get going to Zere there's something I want to ask him." Kyle followed the older one, curious glances drawn to the newcomer. "So, what's with the claw gauntlet? You know, it makes you only stick out more."
"You know the silence was beautiful." Kyle replied with a sigh hopping down with Crane exiting the tower. The adult waited for an answer only to receive none. "I don't wanna talk."
"So you'll just say nothing all week?" Silence was the answer and Crane sighed to himself; this wasn't going to be easy. And while he didn't feel like Kyle lied about turning, he didn't like the idea of dumping him off at the tower. 'Maybe I could drag him along a little bit when I'm busy.' At least it wasn't like having an ordinary kid along. If it was any other thirteen year old, Crane wouldn't even consider it but Kyle was a whole different story. The track to Zere wasn't long with the trailer coming into view fast both jumping into the safe zone. "Hey, eat something while I talk." Crane tossed him a can of beans still good, the boy leaning against the fence much to the guard's horror quick to warn him only to receive a smirk and Crane sighed knocking on the trailer door. Zere greeted the man motioning him in and took a peek outside from the commotion being one of the guards being ignored when inquiring about the claws. Kyle's eyes shifted to a zombie's pocket shuffling by as the wallet from the biter fell out on the street, the can half empty.
"H-hey kid, what are you doing?"
"Hey that wallet isn't worth it!"
"What is he doing now!?" Crane stuck his head out to see the guards trying to stop Kyle already on the bent fence eying the wallet and jumping down into the crowd without a care, the guards staring and gaping one muttering something about Blake.
"He is walking among them!" Zere remarked in an excited tone watching the scene as well as the blonde picked up the wallet, lips pulling into a smile upon finding a hundred bucks. The cash got tucked into a pocket, empty wallet dropped and Kyle took his sweet time climbing back inside going back to his can gazing at Crane staring back.
"What? Spit it out if you have something to say."
"For someone who doesn't want anyone to know him you sure put on a show."
"It's a habit, you don't leave something you find hoping one those freaks won't shuffle it somewhere else as they wander about."
"Can't wait to see your other habits." Crane sarcastically quipped.
"I won't let you." The guards looked back and forth between them, their bickering almost like an intriguing spectacle as they didn't know what happened before.
"Anyway, this is Dr. Zere, he also gives out antizin."
"Wow" Kyle sarcastically replied, the tone obviously underwhelming on purpose and the lips pulled into a smirk seeing Crane's annoyance increase. "Hate me yet?"
"I won't hate you, I like a challenge." Crane smiled back, Kyle's refusing to drop.
"I'm a nightmare."
"Face nightmares every day." With the can empty, Kyle tossed it back without warning but pitched it like a baseball at Crane catching it.
"Figure you'd want the scrap, after all it's not just scrap since the outbreak anymore." The boy smiled, Crane refusing to let himself get goaded into snapping at him as his hand stung. How the heck did he make catching an empty can hurt?
'I won't let him provoke me; no way I'll lose to this kid.' "Thanks. Let's go back to the tower."
"May I ask the boy something? Kyle was it?" Zere quickly spoke up.
"Fine, what do you want?" Kyle sighed but Zere didn't get to ask as the blonde already guessed. "It's about me being ignored, isn't it?"
"Yes, you're very perceptive."
Kyle smiled and Crane didn't like it. "Lucked out. You know, rumors can lead to answers." The blonde didn't give more. Crane didn't think Kyle had lied yet but he sure loved to skip straightforward answers for vague truths. "Race you back to the tower Crane." The blonde took off, cutting off any chance for Zere to continue the conversation and Crane gave a quick apology rushing after the kid. Maybe if he could get past his defense, just for a single moment. Back at the tower, Crane turned to Kyle as they pulled up.
"There is something I want to help out with and I'm going to check the job board you wanna come with and head out with me if there is anything?" Crane didn't know if he should regret the decision, the usual gaze devoid of a smile or happiness changed for a smile that made one uneasy.
"Alright, let's do it." 'He's plotting.'
"Alright, follow me." 'He's plotting.' The job board didn't have much on it, fingers moving to a request to find incense herbs. "Got one."
"Does everyone new here get stared at so much?" Kyle growled, fully aware of the many gazes he drew.
"Sure if there was another kid with blonde hair and weirdly green eyes insisting on wearing metal claws."
"Thanks for pointing out my appearance Crane." Kyle sarcastically smiled, Crane returning the favor.
"Anytime Kyle, I'm here for you."
"Keeping him busy, huh?" Jade showed up around the corner out of the blue, Kyle quickly shuffling close to the job board staring at it intently trying to use his rather ruffled blonde mop to hide his face close to the wall. Really close. Crane leaned against the wall sliding in between Jade and the boy helping the younger Kyle in hiding his face.
"Yeah, I figured he'd get bored in the tower, we're doing a job."
"Did you introduce him to the other kids? Maybe he would like to play with them."
"He's mean."
"I'm an asshole." An awkward silence spread in the room, both having replied at the same time. "Hey Crane, I bet I'll beat you to those herbs!" Kyle jumped away from the board with a cocky smile, eyes locked on Crane who quickly joined in.
"Is that a challenge?"
"You bet! You gonna lose, old man!"
"You're going to eat dust, kid!" Crane took off after Kyle rushing off, the two slowing down at the stairs on a nearby roof by the tower. "How bad is your crush?"
"It's not that bad!" Kyle retorted defensively.
"Hey, I've been wondering-"
"Don't wonder."
"How come you're in Harran? You don't seem like a local unless your parents moved recently."
"It was a small business thing mixed with a vacation. We came to see the games and I was looking forward to seeing Jade fight, been interested in becoming a professional athlete or something along those lines." Kyle explained, his gaze straying to the side snapping back to Crane wearing a triumphant smile while the boy's began to sport a snarl again. "You won't win Crane, this means nothing."
"Whatever you say, sure gonna try though."
"Didn't you want to do a job!?" Kyle growled leaping away.
"I'm the one with the coordinates!" Crane pointed out still smug about his victory and the man took the lead, Kyle right behind him. It didn't take them long to find the lavender and collect it, the run and task quiet. Kyle remained silent simply watching Crane to see what was next, the man taking the lead to retrieve Fallon's things, the journey to the first spot quiet again as the blonde didn't give a peep. "Next stop is the internet café over there, you think you'll be okay to wait on the roof here? That's a bad-" The blonde had taken off, down on the ground and darting in without a problem Crane rushing after him barely avoiding grabs.
"What do you need from in here?"
"A satchel." The café being small, it didn't take long the tower's newest runner to find it while Kyle rummaged through the cash register and the duo took off. "Wait where I tell you to next time. You know just because they won't attack you, you can still end up getting hurt in another way." The thirteen year old didn't reply giving his usual cold look.
'Great…' The car just had to be on the edge like that surrounded by infected. Kyle glanced to the man assessing the situation.
"Which one?"
"Black car on the edge." They had to hurry it up a little, the zombies shuffling closer.
"I'll get it, a camera right?"
"Yeah, wait-" Crane's words fell on deaf ears, Kyle already down from the bus and darting to the car weaving through the zombies avoiding touch. His arm reached out trying to grab it but the car groaned, Crane jumping down the bus as the car started sliding and Kyle's instinctively tried to get it up yanking on it before backing up a step to jump slamming his boot on the frame on the back almost falling in his stumble back. Crane's eyes widened, the car successfully tipped now tipping over Kyle with another groan as it cast its shadow on the boy looming over him.
'Oh that's not how I saw it play out…' Kyle spotted the camera, Crane yelling for him to move having cussed on the radio as Fallon gave a call asking what's wrong. The kid didn't run instead leaning forward to the man's horror snatching the camera with one hand while the other placed his arm between his head and the car stopped in the tilt with its full weight on the boy.
'How is he doing that!?" Crane cussed at the zombie's hand grabbing onto him quickly kicking the infected away leaping onto a car. "Kyle!"
"I'm fine!" 'I don't know long I can hold the car, it's really heavy… I just know I can kick two…' "Hey Crane, catch!" The camera sailed into the air behind him at a low toss fully relying on Crane to catch it, eyes widening as his lung stung. 'Damn it…'
"Got it!" Crane shouted darting to Kyle and pulling him out staggering along as fast as he could, the car crashing with another small groan and creak shoving three clumped infected. The two took off, Kyle for once slowly panting and quickly catching his breath on a further away van before they continued. "You okay?"
"Yeah." Kyle glanced to Crane sighing in annoyance. He knew he would ask, it was written all over his face. "It came with the bite like the glowing eyes and being ignored. That's all you're gonna get." Crane smiled, just him mentioning it without having prodded him for it was a win to the guy. Crane headed to Jaffar's wheel station taking the lead as night started creeping in. Upon entering, Kyle took a closer look at Crane again with a glance, the man leading onto a balcony past the red van with a bedroll in the small room but the two got stopped or rather Kyle by a man on the balcony as Crane put his bag down.
"Wow, you trying for a movie with those claws kid?" The man remarked.
"No." Crane poked his head out of the room again, eyes shifting to the boy having replied.
"Crane!? You're Crane right!? Kyle Crane?" The man's attention turned to the other adult.
"Yeah"
"Got the looks all from his mother, huh?" The man chuckled, Crane and Kyle both caught off guard with Kyle's face scrounging up.
"He's not my dad!"
"I'm not his dad." The two replied in unison again, glancing at each other afterwards as the man watched them.
"Irwin Snowberg. Movie Director. I make the Zombie-annihilation series. You've probably seen them."
"Ah, no"
"Yeah, they're thought-provoking meditations about people very much like yourself, who have to kill butt-loads of zombies, for various reasons. The details really aren't important. What is important is production cost. Makeup is major factor. I'm talking head-rot, arms falling off, guts hanging out. And when you blow 'em apart with guns- those squibs cost like crazy."
"So you've come to Harran."
"It's a tragedy, of course. But there is a fortune in special effects shambling through the streets, just waiting to have their heads blown off for my next movie, Zombie-annihilation IV: Dying Lunch! All I need is a gun-nut, who can drop them in spectacular numbers, and I am told you're just such a man."
"Would you pay?" Kyle questioned.
"Kid, you're not telling me you can pull that off?" Irwin humored him.
"Well, he's tougher than he looks." Crane remarked. "But is there a reward?"
"Yeah, yeah, I can give something for taking ya time."
"See you in the morning." Kyle smiled, entering the room and sitting down the floor, Crane right behind him as the sun bathed the sky in vibrant orange.
"You really want do it Kyle?"
"I'll take pay where I can get it."
"Well, you're not going to do it alone. Guess that will be first thing we do in the morning. Here, you have the bedroll."
"I'm fine on the floor." Kyle brushed off Crane's offer, backpack going under his head, turning his back to the man with a clear attitude of wanting silence again. Crane tucked himself in, another glance to the blonde. It sure had been a long day and the man wondered if he would wake up to find the kid gone as night settled in.
Unknown to Crane, Kyle lamented the absence of bandages in his backpack. They sure made it softer when he had them. 'This sucks so much… I'll have to get some from the hideout, there were some in the last loot. Can't let Crane see Osman's and Nazim's hideout though, I'll have to temporarily lose Crane.'
With another shotgun on hand and taking it, the two quickly made their way to the spot with Irwin ready with a camera far more excited than them. The crowd perfectly shambled closer in the daylight, guns being aimed from the two males on the street with a silent competition of who'd shoot the most out of forty between the two, time ticking as it started. The duo blasted away, Crane stealing a glance to Kyle, the fact that he was used to a rifle and hand gun evident for those next to him Crane flashing smile being in the lead receiving a scoff in response as the boy's finger pulled the trigger taking out a zombie.
"You can keep the money." Crane offered though he actually would've liked a split but winning Kyle's trust came first.
"Nice try, I won't owe you." The boy's eyes narrowed, half of the cut held out demanding the man to take it and Crane took it with an internal sigh. 'Man, he's stubborn… I might not be able to make him stay at the tower at this rate…' Even if it didn't work out, he had at least given it his best shot at the end of the week.
"Come on, I want to talk to Jaffar first before we head out." Kyle wordlessly followed watching the man closely and Crane could feel his watchful gaze expertly glossed over by a bored expression in his back.
"Shit… it's you again? I mean… what are you doing here?"
"Relax… Relax… I don't work for Rais. That was a one-time job, and it was all about protecting the Tower. Look, I'm sorry… I mean it."
"Is that right?"
"Look, everything I was doing… I was doing it for Brecken. You can ask anyone in the Tower, if you don't believe me… so, what do you got, Jaffar?"
"We've been picking up some of Rais' transmissions. One of his crews found something at the construction site, and they got very excited. They didn't say what it was, but they referred to "bringing down the entire Tower in one shot". Someone's got to find out what it is, and either confiscate or destroy it."
"Well, I'm someone."
"Congratulations, the job is yours. We'll be in touch!"
Crane turned away to leave, glance quickly going over Kyle meeting it within a second.
"What? Don't know where the construction site is?"
"I know where it is, just thought I saw you caring about the tower for a moment."
"Yeah, right. In your dreams." Kyle pushed off the wall he leaned against following Crane taking the lead. 'The construction site is close to the tunnel after we pick up the stuff Rais' gang found, I can take a quick detour to get bandages. Just need to make up a reason to go there.' The track to the site commenced silently again, Crane trying to figure when it was a good time to try get closer again without making the boy retreat immediately.
"Hey Kyle, Rais' men won't be like the zombies they won't ignore you. Wait outside this time." It could be the perfect chance to run off for the bandages but he didn't know how long it would take Crane to deal with the construction site. A dark thought crept up of Crane maybe ending up shot removing the one week deal but Kyle quickly cast it aside. He didn't hate the guy that much. The blonde shoved the thoughts around in his head, he was quite curious what it was himself although he could ask Crane afterwards and certainly be given an answer anyway. Crane's eyes flickered with curiosity, Kyle's stoic face suddenly shifting looking away with a snarl to himself. Fallen again. He had felt it, that tiny spark of warmth and a sliver of a need to go with Crane worrying for a fleeting second for the man's safety. It had to stop. He had to get away, somehow. "Alright, come along but you're not doing anything daring. The only way I see in right now is the bridge and I don't like it."
"There is a pipe to the side." 'Damn it.' His tongue had betrayed him, moving faster than the boy had stopped himself and Crane clearly now waited for him to take the lead for now. The blonde turned around to show the way, fighting all the way on the inside to snuff out that little bit of warmth to harden his heart in a cold shell again. The two crept along slowly and cautiously indeed coming up to a pipe by a hole in the fence, breaths slowed as one of the thugs stood right behind the fence causing them to frown but Kyle crept forward much to Crane's dismay, Kyle threw a look over his shoulder as Crane's hand grabbed his shirt and jerked his head to the broken bridge. The man had no clue what the boy had in mind but he gathered as much as Kyle wanting him to enter through the bridge. Crane shook his head and Kyle's gaze turned into a glare suddenly yanking forward through the hole causing noise. 'Sorry but it's best you hate me.' The thug immediately turned his sights to the pipe, Kyle slipping through the hole and Crane carefully but swiftly headed for the bridge with a silent snarl.
"Who is this!? You're done for!"
"Wait! I want to join Rais' gang!" Kyle held up his hands, heart beating a little faster at the risky approach but the man upon seeing the boy approach through the pipe lowered his gun a little calling another closer but the finger stayed near the trigger.
"Check this out man, a kid just wandered in claiming to want to join the gang." The first one chuckled at the other looking down at the tall thirteen year old in amusement.
"What safe zone did you crawl out of? And why not go to the garrison, huh? You know, I think my finger is itchy, better talk quick because I'm liking the shiny loot you have on you."
"I didn't crawl out of any safe zone." Kyle scoffed, quickly taking his temper down a notch. "You're some of the guy's men right? I heard they all wear yellow and black. I was passing by; you were closer than the garrison. Zombies ignore me so I can be more useful in a fight and looting than any runner ever will be. I'm sick of scrounging around." The two men looked at each other, one having his smirk grow.
"You know what it takes to join Rais, boy?"
"No, what?"
"Eating a pair of human eyeballs." The man smiled, Kyle disgusted but managing to keep his expression the same. "Hey, radio Karim and get Rais on the radio he's gotta hear this kid." The eyes narrowed, as Kyle darted forward towards the middle of the site, the men grabbing after him, the action drawing out two more into sight, the bridge hovering to the boy's side glancing it shortly going unnoticed. "Wanna get shot!?"
"Just wanted to stand somewhere else, besides one just hopped the fence." Their eyes darted to the zombie having gotten in charging at them with scream and Kyle rushed at it sweeping the leg and razing the claws over the throat walking back to the men pointing their guns at him with his hands raised.
"It didn't look like he got noticed…" One of them remarked, the gun a little lowered as a radio crackled to life and one of the man rushed forward, hand gripping onto Kyle's hair glaring up at the man as he shoved the boy forward.
"We don't like stunts like that kid, you can just tell us when one gets in and we would've noticed anyway."
'You won't see Crane almost at the top now.'
"There is a kid here claiming to want to join Rais Karim, can you get him on the radio?" Karim's eyes widened, thoughts going back to the runner. Rais currently wasn't doing anything where an interruption would piss him off however the man didn't like what he was about to do making his gut churn. However, Rais had already over heard it on another radio and made his way over with a curious smile.
"I heard you guys. Kid on the radio?"
"Talk brat! Hey, what are you smiling about, what's so funny!?" The hand gripped tighter only to loosen in a snap with the shot ringing out from Crane's rifle, Kyle quickly rushing forward tackling one of the gunmen to the ground. Crane jumped down, the shot barely missing him flying over his head retaliating with his own shot hitting in the gut before the head, Kyle's handgun going off taking down the tackled man, bullet from another thug hitting the container the by darted behind after the tackle and shot almost hitting him. The blonde rammed the container without warning making it groan and creak with the tiniest tip freaking out the thug before darting back into sight ending the man with a headshot and sending a bullet into the radio next. Panting, Kyle darted back behind the container sneaking around to the other side hearing one of the thugs yell at Crane having spotted him but the victory was short lived for the yellow and black clad man. Kyle's hand closed around the brick, one of Rais' men backing into sight taking aim at Crane and the blonde threw the object with all his might doing more than knocking the guy out. Crane's next bullet ended another one, enemy bullet almost digging in his shoulder while Kyle darted behind the last distracted sending a throwing knife into the man's neck. Crane checked in a container finding keys as the kid retrieved the knife checking out the bullets to see if they fit with his own rifle. Glancing to the newest runner form the tower unlocking the door on one, Kyle walked over their eyes quickly landing on the discovered box of dynamite.
"That's not all gonna fit…"
"We have to get it out of here."
"You think Rais would sent guys here that fast? Jaffar's station isn't exactly next to us."
"Well if you're comfortable with it here."
"You had to take anything you wanted with you right away all the time, huh?"
"Yeah… how about hiding it around here just in case runners from him come to check it out. I can get it box by box at night." Crane wanted to protest for his safety immediately but stopped himself.
"So all kinds ignore you, even those volatiles huh?"
"Yeah"
"I still don't like you out at night like that."
"Get used to it; I'll be on my own soon again." An idea came to mind, the internal smile hid perfectly. "How about stashing it in the tunnel nearby? It's got a couple of pathways, it'll be easy."
"If it's going to keep you from going out at night carrying around dynamite this week, we'll do it."
"It will."
"Alright, let's see how much we can fit into my bag and your backpack." The duo managed to get half stowed away on them adding weight to what they carried careful to have it a little sorted and not strewn about randomly.
"I'll carry that." Kyle rearranged the rest half into another box assuring an asking Crane that he'd be fine with carrying it. 'Perfect, now I'll just pick a spot for him and ditch him the moment he has his back turned.' With a bit of climbing and Crane using an additional sturdy bag they found by the computers, the pair used the pipe and hole cautiously passing it to each other before setting off with their shoulders carrying extra weight and Kyle walking along the street with the box in his arms almost blocking his sight. It was pretty open on the track to the tunnel, poor Crane having to maneuver so much more than Kyle just making sure he didn't stumble in his brisk walk. Upon entering the tunnel, the blonde immediately jerked to the right but not before noting a sound to himself that only he picked up on. They didn't even go in further than two rooms but it seemed to be enough, Kyle suggesting to move some stuff around and hide the dynamite behind it unpacking after the ones in his backpack after they shuffled the few contents around a bit, the emerald green eyes straying to the older male ones again as the last stick got carefully placed down finding Crane's back turned to home. The thirteen year old slowly backed away taking off as Crane turned around jumping up to dart after him and ending up cursing as he stopped with his eyes shifting to the exposed dynamite. He wanted to run after him so badly but anyone could stumble upon the dynamite like this. With a snarl and 'fuck' Crane quickly kind of stacked the explosives in the prepared corner and hastily covered it up to sprint after the blonde hoping that by a miracle Kyle had gotten lost in the tunnel and couldn't find his way out.
'Osman?' Kyle slowed own, Osman's voice calling Nazim quietly asking if it was him. "Osman?"
"Who is there?"
"It's Kyle." The boy moved into view, the man relaxing again. "Who did that?" He didn't even notice how his eyes narrowed, head nudging to the stump.
"We got caught, this was Rais punishment, Nazim is out gone to the supermarket but he hasn't been back in awhile."
"I'll look for him but do you have some bandages here? I need some again."
"Yeah, a little bit, here you go. What's wrong?" Osman asked, Kyle's gaze going to the side.
"How the hell did he stack it so fast!? Or he abandoned it…" With a sigh, the boy took off to hide Osman's where about but Crane didn't exactly slow and Osman had already called out for Nazim in hopes that it was his brother effectively guiding the man to them. Kyle didn't run, gazing away with an annoyed expression as Crane's rapid footsteps came closer and Osman stole a glance to the boy not in the least concerned about the arrival. The arrival himself bore a glare at the boy apologizing to Osman for having his hideout found by the man. Crane came closer showing his face to Osman but didn't talk before slapping Kyle on the back of the head for running off.
"You know what that is for. We'll finish up in a moment; it's not well done because of you." His gaze shifted to Osman. "So, what is it?"
"So you remember me? I know I remember you. You were at Rais' camp when I lost my hand. You're one of Brecken's guys. If you were anyone else, I'd kill you."
"Lucky me. Hey, how do you know him?" Crane motioned to Kyle surprisingly not that miffed wearing his usual unhappy expression making Crane only wonder even more what the stunt was about as the blonde stayed and didn't take off again.
"That's right. As for Rais, I'll settle with that psycho on my own time. But first, I need your help to find my brother, Nazim. He's the one who helped me escape. No offense Kyle, I know you're strong but two people make better search for my brother. Nazim and I know Kyle from working with him when we take a little for ourselves. Nazim went for food at the supermarket, but he hasn't been back since. I'll pay you both to find him."
"Don't need to pay me; I'm fine with keeping this partnership alive it helps a lot." Kyle replied.
"What do you intend to pay me with?" Crane asked as he didn't have a partnership like the brother unlike Kyle and the man had bad feeling with the way conversation was going that the boy had placed himself in hot water.
"Are you kidding? My brother and me worked for Rais. You know what that mean? Collecting stuff. That's all we ever did. We look for stuff, we find stuff, we take stuff. Well, we wound up with a lot of stuff. Some of it we'd turn over to Rais. Some of it we kept ourselves-you know, things got too crazy. Not like stealing, but protecting for the future. That's just smart, right?"
"Until you got caught." Now Crane was intrigued how this partnership between Kyle and the brother came to be. If the boy had the attitude he had now when that started, he would avoid people like the plague let alone work with them and if that was the case the man couldn't come up with even the faintest picture of how it started.
"We've still got plenty left. Kyle knows all the locations. Weapons, medicine, money. We've got stashes all over the city. But now Rais' men are looking for us, so I have to be careful going out… So we've got a deal?"
"I'll think about it." Though if Kyle was already going and it very seemed like he did, Crane knew he was coming along.
"It'll be worth your while… I promise!" Osman closed the door again, Crane turning to Kyle.
"I'm going. You said it still needs finishing?"
"Yeah and since you have that look on your face, we'll head to the supermarket afterwards. You know if you figured some business partner of yours was in trouble, you could've told me instead of just running off."
"Whatever" Kyle shrugged with a smirk knowing full well it pissed the man off as they headed back to the dynamite finishing it up and Crane tucked in a bundle for Jaffar.
"You're not going to wait outside, will you?" Crane whispered the yell and voice heard at the door already.
"Nope" With no one outside guarding the door, it was easy to sneak in. Crane picked the lock of the door by the entrance turned to first yielding no Nazim but a few things to scavenge. Kyle let Crane take the lead watching him closely though unknown the man, the boy had a far better idea where to head to. 'I'll have to be careful; it's bad enough already that he saw my eyes glow and my strength with the car slip up. He probably noticed that my eyes don't have that stripy symptom stuff even though I was bitten.' While Kyle didn't feel that it would really change anything if Crane saw more of his freakish attributes born from that day on, it would certainly open up conversation points which the boy did his best to keep limited or shut down. Crane bent down picking up the keys by the corpse found in the bathroom, Kyle suddenly flinching and swaying for a moment as an alarm rang out, the blonde covering his ears without scratching himself with claw adorned left hand, eyes slowly opening again with the snarl on his lips.
"Kyle, what wrong?"
"Shut up Crane, you don't make it better!" 'This is the worst…' Kyle turned his back to the man staggering forward, their eyes landing on an open vent, Crane helping him up before he could bite at the gesture after pulling himself up first, Kyle crawling behind him, the alarm clearly hurting his hearing but the kid pushed on in the vent on all fours stubbornly keeping up with willpower. The vent opened in a hole again, Crane jumping down with Kyle having rough landing but managing to land without any scratches sitting in the water, holding his ears shut for some relief as the zombies darted around the corner at Crane. One immediately received the bullet to the head, Crane feeling bad for the additional noise however guns didn't seem to have bothered him before back with the dynamite. The moment, the shot rang out, Kyle seemed a little less hindered by the alarm actually and struck out with a leg sweep hopping into a squat before being back on his knees, Crane quickly finishing off the infected with a bullet to the head. Four more charged at them, Kyle joining with his machete having pulled it from his back as Crane back up finishing up the hindered zombies rushing past the blonde lashing out at them. The man's eyes quickly darted for the source of the alarm being a fire alarm, spotting the bright red on the wall and shutting it off offering a hand for Kyle to pull himself up on which got rejected by the kid getting up. Crane opened the door right next to him, Nazim quite bloodied slowly getting up asking who he was but quickly recognized Kyle a little bit behind the older one.
"You brother is paying me to find you and Kyle here didn't want to lose a business partner."
"Well, you've definitely earned your money. But Osman is in danger. Rais' men know where he is now. But nothing about you came out Kyle, they didn't even suspect a third person involved. You're safe kid. It's a lot to ask, but could you take a message to Osman? Tell Osman that he's got to get out of there, and that he should meet me at the Red Wall stash. He'll know what that means."
"Alright, I'll tell him. Now, we'd all better get out of here."
"Hey, you gonna be okay on your own?"
"I'll be okay now, you go with him Kyle." Nazim encouraged, the two slipping out the door as he caught his breath for a moment, Kyle's right hand closing tighter around the machete with his eyes narrowing at the parking lot. "Go on ahead, Crane I'll clear the space a little for Nazim. It'll just take a few minutes, I'll be right behind you." Crane didn't like it but knew the blonde would be just fine as long as no other fire alarm would go off and darted away heading back to Osman as the younger Kyle's machete sliced off the first head with ease.
Unfortunately, Crane found himself greeted by Rais' men at the tunnel taking them down from behind a car with his rifle finding more in the tunnel but the second one suffered Kyle's claws to the throat rushing past Crane jumping and pushing off the wall with more agility and speed any thirteen year old should be capable of. His gaze turned back over his shoulder rushing back out as if having noticed something that Crane couldn't telling the man to go further inside and look for Osman who wasn't hard to find.
"Another minute and I'd be a dead man. I thought maybe you sold me out. Where is Kyle?"
"He ran off after killing one of Rais men here in the tunnel. They got to your brother. He talked before I could get to him."
"So Nazim is dead?"
"No, no. He's alright, though you're both short a few fingers now." The conversation paused a moment as Kyle walked over to the two with a ragged old cloth having dunked it in a puddle cleaning the gleaming silver colored claws silently listening in. " Anyway, he says he wants you to meet him at the Red Wall stash. He said you'd know what that means."
"It means you didn't double-cross me. You're a straight shooter, Brecken's guy. You want to join me, Kyle and my brother?"
"Yeah… No, I'll just take my pay."
"Fair enough. I promised you good, this is good. These keys will open three stashes in different parts of the slums. If you can get to them, they're all yours. Good luck, Brecken's guy."
"Hey Osman, let me know if Rais' gets on your tail again I'll deal with it and be earlier so you keep the rest of your fingers." Kyle offered, the last claw almost playfully lifted with a finger shimmering without blood again.
"You know Kyle I've never met a kid like you." Osman chuckled.
"I'm just another survivor." The blonde smiled but all three knew he wasn't just any survivor, Osman and Nazim having seen how infected ignored him. The two bid goodbye and left, Crane glancing to the almost teenager beside him in the tunnel hopping on the bus.
"We're going to stop by Jaffar to tell him about the dynamite. So, fire alarms are your Achilles heel or something?"
The blonde scoffed glancing away. Of course that would come up now and if it wasn't today, it would be just another day. It's not like he'd let Crane see him again after this week anyway, that little flame back by the dynamite had been stomped out and Kyle intended to keep it that way. "It's too damn loud."
"Gunshots are too but they didn't bother you."
"They're different! The sounds aren't the same, a fire alarm hurts and I'm way more used to gunshots."
"Do you have super smell too?" Crane jokingly asked, genuinely curious though as their boots landed on a roof.
"Yeah, it tells me that you stink and your imminent loss to the wheel station too." Kyle smirked, speeding up a little making a sprint race out of the short stretch left, Crane throwing a smile back refusing to let himself get goaded into being mad at him. Or at least refusing to show any annoyance on his face around him. Kid jumped on any weakness in their emotional battle like a vulture.
It ended in a tie, both barreling in, neither bragging and Kyle followed Crane walking over to Jaffar found at his desk. "Jaffar, Rais' men really found something."
"Something valuable?"
"Yeah, is dynamite worth a lot?"
"Dynamite is gold! We could cook you up something special with that. Kurt's a natural when it comes to this stuff."
"Alright… One pack for you, the rest for me."
"Kurt will figure out how to give it some oomph… We'll be in touch!"
Crane turned to Kyle both going out in the sunshine. "Let's drop off the lavender if it isn't completely crumpled yet, it'll be dark soon too."
"Surprisingly it isn't…" Kyle replied, quickly checking the bundle in his backpack. The two headed back but Kyle requested a stop as they came nearby, thumb pointing at pawn shop after a few hops.
"What do you want in a pawn shop?"
"Crane, it's a pawn shop. You can find anything there!" The boy smiled, inside wearing a massive mischievous grin already at the small thought blossoming into a big idea and the poor man had no clue. In fact, the smile the blonde had flashed looked like a curious one from an innocent child. Crane obliged the request, a quick glance to the sky before his gaze wandered back into the street as they slipped into the pawn shop mostly looted. But not quite. And it took Kyle everything to bite down and hide a grin from ear to ears as his hands closed around a violin hidden by the rubble and Crane raised an eyebrow as the boy triumphantly took the instrument, twirling it a little in his hand.
"You know how to play that? Is it even still good?"
"Looks still usable." Kyle tilted his head. "I want it, I'm gonna take it. Let's get back to the tower." Crane's eyes narrowed, Kyle just sounded chipper about going to the tower. That was out of place. From day one, the boy wanted to be away from the tower and Crane. As if having noticed the man's suspicion following him out of the pawn shop, the light hearted demeanor dropped with a glance behind him. 'I got too excited but it won't matter. They will hate me.' It didn't take long back to the tower, the sun bathing the horizon orange as they rushed in and dropped off the lavender splitting the pay. The two Kyles headed to their room, curious eyes glancing to the boy with the violin.
'What is he planning with that?' Kyle placed the instrument carefully against a wall in the cramped space taking off his backpack with the attached rifle and machete. His eyes shifted behind to Crane but just so he could catch a glance without the man noticing putting his own bag down. Sure he had bandages now but he didn't want to use them in front of Crane; the man would want to drag him to Lena and pester with questions on the way. The boy laid down on the bedroll after rolling out the bundle provided by the tower pretending to fall asleep to wait for night. Having had a long day, Crane didn't try to start a conversation lying on his bed and stared at the ceiling before glancing to the boy. 'Sure picked up a bundle of joy, huh? I really don't know if I can make him stay but I have to try.' His mind wandered to being assumed to be the boy's dad back when they had talked to Irwin. Kid must be missing his parents terribly, all on his own with no idea what was happening to him. Crane really wanted to let Zere in on it but had to tread cautiously, certain the blonde had meant it and was quite capable of becoming a ghost. Lying there like that, Kyle looked just like a normal kid with the claws off for once. Kyle was confident he'd never turn… was he really right? It'd be a welcome miracle for sure and Crane hoped for the blonde he was right. The man drifted off to sleep as green glowing eyes slowly opened again unmoving for a few minutes before stealing a glance to the man patiently waiting to be sure that he had fallen asleep. Hand slipped to the backpack having been left open halfway to avoid having to use the zipper before laying down, pulling out the bandages as the shirt came off and the old bandages got unwrapped, a hand wandering to the scarred burnt half of the upper chest with the never healing edges. Kyle pinched his nose a little, rolling up the old stuff although by no means did his wound absolutely reek but to his sensitive nose, it was still a little unpleasant while others didn't even notice. The hands worked fast, wrapping down by memory less on sight keeping an eye on Crane to make sure he was still sleeping. Wrapped up tight in a ball with the clean side on the outside, Kyle stuffed the dirty ones into the backpack for now. A smirk grew on his lips, the shirt sliding over the freshly applied bandages wrapped around his upper chest and the hand took the violin as the green eyes shifted to the stick and string it played with. Covering his ears with construction site ear muffs he had found having tucked them in when Kyle's back was turned for just a second, Kyle gently set it down before ripping the fiddle over the string of the violin screaming out to make ears bleed. Crane snapped out his sleep in a second, leaping up on his bed with his heart thundering in his chest as the violin screeched out horribly sending shudders down one's spine. The scream didn't get a pause, fiddle razed over again with sheer brutality and zero skill, back and forth like a seesaw and Crane instinctively covered his ears as his eyes darted to Kyle turning his head to him with a grin and those emerald green eyes mocking the man encouraging to let rage into his heart. Shouts commenced around them as Crane's apartment buddy was awoken too along with at least everyone in the vicinity, Kyle looking for a moment worried only to continue his violin onslaught but Crane leapt forward noticing the earmuffs and pulled them off giving the boy a taste of his own medicine as the blonde suffered in the last stroke over the violin flopping forward in pain at his own doing. Stomps resonated from the other side of the apartment, eyes flying to the violin beside a fallen over Kyle and the angry man's hands closed around the object as his knee lifted, slamming down the object on his leg busting the violin that might have been already wrecked by Kyle's shenanigans. Kyle stayed down, not just because his own ears were ringing now from the last stroke but to hide his eyes from the angry man stomping back to his bed but it wasn't over yet as Jade swooped in careening around the corner.
"The fuck made that screeching!? People are trying to sleep!"
"Kyle attempted to play the violin." Crane replied, not realizing how scary Jade looked just now and having answered before thinking about the eyes, Jade's narrowing on Kyle on the floor slowly raising his head only to end up in a choke hold from the angry runner. A smile from knowing he was hated now, quickly turned into a frown struggling to breathe keeping his eyes shut so Jade couldn't see them glow.
"Listen up you little punk. One more screech of any sort and I'll personally tie you up at night and you'll be out at the end of the week, got it?" Jade snarled.
"Fine!" Kyle sputtered released from the choke hold but still receiving a slap to the back of the head before Jade stomped off, Kyle grinning to himself despite being hurt, curling back up in the bedroll. 'Can't fix the whole tower coming to hate me, Crane.'
"Aren't you the least bit worried about your eyes being seen?" Crane sighed in a whisper with a hiss but didn't receive an answer, being coldly ignored. With a scoff, the man turned around as the night became peaceful in the tower again.
With morning, came glares from pretty much everyone directed at Kyle beaming like sunshine positively proud and Crane sighed to himself realizing yet again just how hard this would be. The freelance agent's plan was not going well at all and today he found himself knowing he'd be having Kyle along again because the blonde would no doubt play the people in the tower like a fiddle with how mad they were now. Heck despite his massive crush Crane even considered that the boy would approach Jade whenever he could and grate on her nerves until she'd kick him out of the tower despite the promised week. The two bumped into a groggy Brecken with a cup of coffee on their way out, the first stop for the day being the ferry harbor. "Aren't you a ray of sunshine? Good to see you smile here." The yellow wearing man remarked taking another sip of his coffee shattering Kyle's grin much to Crane's amusement, a glare cast at Brecken form the boy which the parkour instructor noticed. "You know it's not hard to figure out what you're trying to do, you kind of snapped that day Crane brought you in right in front of a good chunk of the tower residents. Not gonna stay mad at you kid."
"Oh yeah?" Kyle snarled, grin returning with a dark flicker in his eyes. "Let's see how many violins you can endure, I can do the same thing with any other string instrument I find…"
"You really don't have any musical talent Kyle; I suggest a different hobby for your own wellbeing." Jade warned, her hand placed on his shoulder with a gentle squeeze as his attention had been on Brecken, the cocky grin wiped off in an instant followed by a quiet, "Yes ma'am…" Now everyone else smiled. Kyle feeling Jade's hand leave his shoulder and ruffling his hair with a smile quickly darted away closer to Crane keeping his eyes on the man refusing to look at the young woman. "First stop is the ferry harbor, right?"
"Yeah" With that Kyle was off despite not carrying the satchel and camera which Crane had on him, the man quickly following the blonde after remarking to Jade jokingly that maybe she should be watching the kid and he'd be behaving like an angel.