Secrets We Tried to Hide

Chapter 5

Heat couldn't wait any longer. If he wants to have the meteorite for himself, he has to do it by force.

"So you think purple boy and crab lady are working together? What made you say that?" Nepper picked up an old coca cola cap bottle on the dusty ground. Despite the garage having a single flickering light, it didn't illuminate much the entire room. It was a hot sunny day and here they were, in a dirty old garage behind the Sun Garden.

Heat nodded and made his way through the pile of junks. "Instincts. Ever since the day I blackmailed her, she's trying to distance herself away from me." He sighed and got almost tripped by a wire.

"Hmm." The guy threw the cap bottle to his direction, which landed right on top of his head and bounced off to the ground.

"Hey—" Brushing off his hair, letting the cap fall on the ground. "Well, what are we doing here anyway? It's pretty hot in this place you know…" The boy fanned himself with his hand, but it didn't work. The heat was too much for him.

Nepper crouched down and pushed a deflated soccer ball with three of his fingers. "To arm yourself for tonight's fight." The ball moved a little and he kicked it to the side to clear his path. "Ah, here we are." Just when the soccer ball stopped in a corner, it bumped into something that made it clatter as it fell. When Nepper turned back to him, he was holding a crowbar.

Heat sweated nervously while letting out a small laugh. "There won't be any fight."

"There will." The other guy sounded convincing.

Placing his hands on his hips, he then shrugged and closed his eyes. "Nepper… don't say it like you're so sure about it. You're making me nervous." Heat glanced to his side as a tiny nerve wracking grin formed.

"Or are you a close combat type?" Nepper continued rummaging through the boxes that were full of broken toys, bolts, and nuts. "Here." He threw him a screwdriver and casually caught it with one hand.

"I can't hurt a girl. You know that." Slowly placing the screwdriver on top of the wooden table.

"Well this time you will, and you'll make history with me." There it goes again, that insane handsome smile. "And what happened to the Heat I knew from Chaos? I'd like to talk to him."

Heat suddenly felt like he was being surrounded by warm, fuzzy sparkles that came directly from Rome. It was unbelievable. He stood there, frozen like a statue while Nepper was waving a wooden stick to get his attention. No good. The lad was completely in a different world. He was flying somewhere else together with his soul.

"Hey." Nepper snapped his fingers.

"Oh hey. What?"

"I said come here."

"Oh." He immediately went to his side and found his friend staring directly at an old rusty children's bike. The bike had glittery; girly stickers pasted everywhere that definitely caught their unwanted attention. "Must be Fumi-chan's." He guessed. Well, it had to be hers, no doubt.

"What if I told you it was Wheeze's?" Nepper said in a deadpan expression.

Heat was about to say "are you kidding me?" when he saw how serious his face was. And these were those times when he didn't know if he had to laugh or not. It was a crucial way of making good guys suffer. So he lightly slapped his forehead and forced a cute laugh.

"Right. Oh, why didn't I think of that? Haha…!" Folding his arms while he continued humiliating himself to the next level.

"No, I was joking. It's mine."

There was total silence. Until Heat burst out in loud laughter, echoing almost everywhere.

"OH GOD NEPPER? Why didn't you tell me?!" Heat patted his back thrice that made him glare at him.

"The stickers aren't mine. Quill probably stuck them there… since me and Nero had the same bike before. She hates him. Worst possible enemies." He knelt down in front of his old bike and examined it. "Why do small people hate each other? Instead of fighting over who's taller, why not glue themselves together to make one giant Dwayne Johnson?"

"Well, Nemuro's kinda cool with her I think."

"They hate each other. And that's not the latest gossip around this orphanage." He crawled forward, reaching for something underneath and when he got back up, he was holding a small pocketknife. Nepper went back to the table and put it beside the screwdriver and all the things they had collected in an hour of scavenging.

Heat scanned what was on the table and there were five things. A screwdriver, a pocketknife, a cutter, a half-shattered beer bottle, and a baseball bat. Basically, things you can arm yourself with during a zombie apocalypse.

"I'll go with the pocket knife." Crossing his arms while glancing at Heat.

"I am not going to kill anyone here. I refuse to kill someone, especially when it's someone from the orphanage." Frowning back at the lad whose eyes were shining with intenseness.

"Then tell me. How are you going to threaten her?"

"There are plenty of other ways like taking someone as a hostage. Simple as that."

"But that's not how I do things. I have a different way of settling things. Simple and fast." Nepper took the cutter and tried slicing it to his finger. It was sharper than he expected. After seconds, a few blots of blood came out of the cut and began dripping down his thumb.

Heat handed him a piece of cloth hanging on one of the boxes. "Yeah but sometimes there has to be a plan."

Nepper got the cloth and wrapped it around his finger. "There is a plan." He lifted the baseball bat and made a full power swing. It whooshed in the air after Heat backed away just in time. The guy gave him an evil grin and relaxed his arm. He handed him over the weapon that he was holding. "Remember, the ball should always hit the bat."

Someone kept ringing the doorbell in Mach 20 speed. Fuuko cursed and took off her headband, throwing it at the door angrily. "Yeah yeah comin'!"

As soon as she swung the door open, she was greeted with a mad rich girl who had two Gucci bags with her. Dropping them to the ground and tackling the girl into a tight hug.

Maquia's hair was down all the way to her hips. Fuuko hasn't seen her bring down her hair ever since she met her. She thought a wealthy princess was suffocating her. Her Chloe cologne smelled like fresh powder that made Fuuko sneeze. But that's not it. Maquia was wearing a little silver tiara on top of her head.

"Who knew 'ya were a princess? Please tell me Sega's your manservant slash peasant slave." Fuuko fixed her tiny tiara and beamed a smile.

"Oh shut up!" Maquia pulled away and placed her hands on her waist with her fists balled. "Maquia was so worried about you! Maquia thought something happened! Really, really bad and Maquia didn't know what to do!" Leaning her upper body while pouting like a baby.

"'Ya didn't answer my question." She frowned, chuckling.

"Sega will soon be my prince." Replying with her eyes being sparkly and merrily clasping her hands together.

Oh right. That's why your prince charming ran away from me. Looks like I'm the peasant now.

"Well, make sure 'ya get somethin' like a ten feet vanilla cake and there has to be a crab croquette in the buffet or else I won't go." Fuuko winked at the girl.

Maquia let out a hearty laugh which made Fuuko's heart melt for her best friend. She remembered the days when the three of them would stay in the couch, telling jokes and lame ass puns. Cheesy punchlines and some nasty old stories from their non-existent parents.

If it hadn't been for her sweet laugh, she would've felt bad for herself. Being completely sucked into the pit of darkness, feeling nothing but immense jealousy and hatred.

Maquia held her stomach and waved her hand in front of her watery eyes. "Maquia hates crabs! You know Maquia's allergic to them."

"Then I guess I won't go to yer wedding then." The girl smirked and flipped her blonde hair.

"Rude. We won't have our best woman then! That's a shame… Getting a replacement is a pain in the ass too." Trying to fake a sulking face. She covered her face with both of her hands. "Maquia's too afraid to ask Ulvida. She's too scary."

"Oh, my~ Is our bride cryin' all of a sudden? Now that's no good." Fuuko clicked her tongue and approached the pitiful girl. "There, there. Prince charmin' will arrive soon and he'll save the day. He's not goin' anywhere." She wrapped her arms around her and gently patted her head. Then her face turned hard. An expression that everyone was far too familiar with. The face of abandonment. "He's not gonna leave 'ya, never."

Maquia kissed her cheek and happily hopped off to the living room. "You don't have to tell Maquia that. He's mine after all."

Fuuko's eyes widened while still facing the door. The moment she turned around, she found her spinning around and bobbing a curtsey to her direction. Her face softened for a moment, then changing into a bitter and meaner expression.

"Fine then, I'll go to your wedding." She raised a brow while slightly chinning up.

"How wonderful. Maquia is so pleased and you better come in your prettiest dress. Or else Maquia's gonna drag you out of the ceremony and scold you. Maquia's best friend should be as gorgeous as Maki."

"Ah, there's no need. I might come home together with your prince charmin' if I do that. But don't worry, I'll wear somethin' much more extravagant."

Puffing her cheeks, she made a hmph-ing sound. "Just because you have big boobs."

"I'm kiddin'~ c'mon. I'll just wear my spandex uniform since I have nothin' else to wear."

"Then what?"

"Then I'll go an' crash your wedding." Fuuko gave her a flying kiss as she winked. But then, she shook her head afterward. "Haha, as if I'll do that to my best friend. No way in hell I can." She added, waving her hand.

"Ohh," Maquia covered her mouth with one hand. "Don't tell me you want to have my prince Fuuko, hmm?" Moving closer to the blonde girl with a very teasing smile.

Fuuko blinked.

Maquia's playful grin grew wider.

A hand slowly landed on the cute girl's forehead. Carefully, she ruffled her silky, blue-green hair.

"Only princesses get to have their own prince."

"I do have a plan and I'll do it my way. If you have any problems with that, then have it your way."

"Is it too much to have blood on your hands? Pft. When will you grow up?"

"No one will be killing no one tonight. But it will be nasty. Unless…"

Heat's words echoed somewhere in the very corner of Nepper's brain. It sounded distant and tiny, but it sure made its way through his mind, through the tiny gaps on his ear canal that went straight up to his brain.

He played with the knife he found back in the garage, pointing it in between his fingers.

"I don't care what methods you use. As long as I get what I want." He spoke and swiftly threw the knife that accurately hit a doll's eye.

"Don't let me down Shigeto, or I'll let you down."

He doesn't even know why he was hiding. All he knows is that no one should see him. So he has to be fast and silent while sneaking out. Was this even sneaking out? Actually, he just needs to visit Fuuko to see how she's doing with Maquia. It kind of bothered him and he was slightly getting anxious.

Metron opened the door and dashed as quietly as he could when someone shouted something behind him. A loud greeting that made his heart cease.

"Just in time for the party! You're here to see Maki-chan too?" Heat showed his bright, genuine smile with his arms extended on both sides. "Then let me escort you."

You're the least person I wanted to hear that from!

"You wanna see her too?" Metron closed the door, doubtfully staring at the lad. Heat's grin remained as he nodded back.

"Mn, she's part of my family. And even though we played for different teams in the past, we still came from the same place. Isn't that right?"

Oh, man. Metron was getting the creeps. Yes, this was his normal self yet it seemed… extremely odd. Being far too nice and just way too kind. You two are not even close!

"Right, right. Haha," Metron faced his lower right side and scratched his nape. "Yeah, totally forgot that you two knew each other. Could you umm… tell me, since when did you two become the closest buddies in the world?"

"…Oh. You never knew?" But he started marching towards their place, even making his eyes smile with brightness.

"Hey wait up!" Why does he walk so fast? "So tell me, when?"

And in a matter of seconds, they arrived in front of the door. Heat knocked twice and even rang the doorbell just to make sure. It was also strange that he was wearing his Prominence uniform. Usually, he would wear his own clothes. Shirts that had some lightning logos all over or some words that were printed in bold, from foul language to casual, everyday words. It varied from his choice. Every day, the guy had a different shirt. But it was only this time when Metron noticed that he was wearing an old uniform of his.

"Hmm. Probably when we were kids. I wouldn't really say that we're really close, but we do talk to each other. It just doesn't seem like it." Coolly shrugging.

Metron didn't mean to snicker out so loud. "I thought your childhood best bud was Burn?"

"Mn, him too."

"And even the headband guy?"

"Headband guy has a name." He inserted both of his hands inside the pockets while patiently waiting for someone to open the door. "It's Netsuha Natsuhiko. But I don't think he likes it when you call him by his real name. And 'Nepper' is way easier to remember."

"Now aren't you the friendly type? ーOi, open up the door!" Pounding endlessly. "I don't think anyone's even here."

Crypto, make sure you look at the peephole beforeー

"Who is it?" Fuuko opened the door and both guys looked at her. Metron's face looked horrible at that moment. Like a bus had hit him. Then the poor guy backed away, pointing at Heat with his eyes. The blonde boy waved his hand at her eagerly.

"We're here to welcome back your friend." Heat showed a cheeky grin, checking if Maquia's inside. Fuuko glared at him and closed the door a little, making the gap thinner.

"Whyd'ya bring him here?" She faced Metron.

"He said he wanted to see her."

"Party's strictly for Epsilon members only. C'mon Mutou."

Metron stepped forward when Heat smiled sadly, scratching his scar. "I was supposed to be a part of your team."

"Really?" Metron stopped in his tracks, completely getting his full attention. Apparently, Fuuko pulled him by the back part of his shirt and laughed mockingly.

"Nice try but wasn't it Rean?"

He mouthed her name, trying to recall who the girl was. Rean? Until Mutou finally knew who they were talking about.

"But we had some sort of a problem. None of the girls wanted to leave the team. So technically," He parted both Fuuko and Mutou away, making a path for himself. "I am one." Fuuko wanted to stop him, but he made his way inside.

Metron grabbed her arm. "I don't know what's happening. He suddenly showed up. You know what this means." Whispering softly in her ear before they entered.

"We need to get tha' bastard out of here."

Just then they heard a shrill scream that surprised them. When they ran to where Maquia was, Heat was holding her. Squeezing her by the neck, not letting her go. Maquia couldn't breathe. In fact, she was having a hard time trying to say something. Nothing was coming out from her mouth except for short painful gasps. Although Heat's arm was being scratched with long, sharp nails, he never showed any signs of pain. He stood there, squeezing her by the neck tighter as they came closer.

"Oi!" Metron shouted madly.

"Let her go 'ya filthy son of a bitch!" Even for Fuuko, it was too hard not to raise her fist.

"Woah, woah. Everybody calm down and just hand it over." Heat said it as gently as he could, with the same endearing look on his cool, good-looking face. He extended his palm. "Don't make me wait."

"Yeah, you calm down Heat." Metron replied, his eyes examining the entire room.

"Nope. Not the thing that I'm looking for."

"The darn thing doesn't exist Atsuishi!" Fuuko roared like an untamed lion.

"Still not the thing that I'm looking for." Staring at Maki's face as if he was actually observing a face of a marble statue.

Metron's eyes became ten times larger. "Wait what?! So… he…?" His head went back and forth, looking at Fuuko then to Heat with perplexed eyes. There seem to have been a tiny click in his brain, but he still couldn't figure out what it was. But there was something. Like a piece of information that had been buried under and kept hidden.

"You see, little miss pretty here is having an affair with your boyfriend. I saw them four times already." Heat continued to talk just beside Maquia's ear. "Talk about having sex with the wild elf himself, tell me Fuuko, did it feel good?"

Hell was rising. The true hatred that she felt for this guy became clearer. Her blood boiled in her veins and cartilages. It only took her a second to shift back to the meaner and darker Crypto. The one who threatened and tried destroying numerous schools. The person who loved seeing other humans suffer from how frivolous they were.

Badump.

Suddenly, everything around her became slower. Time stopped all of a sudden. She could see it; she can see every little movement.

Badump.

Fuuko inhaled deeply.

Badump.

As she opened her eyes, her body screamed nothing but malice. Pure destructiveness took over.

And that's when all hell broke loose.

Fuuko charged and grabbed anything near her, which was a glass on the center table, and aggressively threw it at Heat. He let go of Maquia and docked to his left, rolling behind the chair. The glass shattered on the wall, the shattered pieces raining down on Maquia. Fuuko didn't mean to do that, but at least the guy let go of her. If not, he would've probably snapped her neck the moment she attacked.

"Mutou get Maquia!" She shouted and got pushed hard when Heat kicked the single seater couch to her when she wasn't looking. Fuuko fell back down on the ground and almost bumped her head on the wall. "Mutou!" She screamed louder, but there was no one there at the door.

That pussy! He ran away!

Just then, something fast hit Fuuko's cheek. "Ugh! What theー" This time she caught a glimpse of the flat, disk-like thing that was being thrown. Grabbing one of the magazines that were just a few inches away from her reach, she covered herself with it then it landed pretty hard on her. It smashed the moment it came contact with the ground. She realized it wasn't frisbees, but plates.

Fuuko stood up, still dazed by the pain on her cheek. "How manly. Who throws some fuckin' plates to a girl's face?!" Glancing at every direction, her eyes caught him.

Heat locked the bedroom where Maquia was screaming on top of her lungs, forcing to open the door. The doorknob kept on rattling insanely and they started to hear her sobbing.

Heat took a quick look on the door and smirked a little. "She's gonna be fine." Then he faced back at Fuuko. "As long as you give me the meteorite right now. Oh, wait. Never mind. My patience is wearing thin."

The boy ran forward and jumped on air like he was about to punch her. Fuuko flipped the center table with all her might and Heat collided with it. He fell on the floor, his hand on his head as he winced.

When he opened his eyes, he knew it was going to be painful. It had to be. Fuuko punched him twice and he kicked her so hard that she flew to the side, knocking the television aside. His nose was bleeding all thanks to She-Hulk.

Though he could smell his own blood, he still smiled and laughed to himself. "Can't believe you punch like a nine-year-old." Letting it bleed down to his mouth and chin. He wiped it with his arm and stared at the wet blood that was on his uniform.

"I'm gonna… slice yourー"

Heat furiously kicked a soccer ball at her at close range. She wished she could have moved just a little so it would have hit her thighs instead of bulls-eying the center of her abdomen. Of course, it hurt so badly. Especially when it's a boy. Second, when he's just seven feet away from where she was slightly hanging on the dented wall from the immense impact.

The feeling was grueling. She felt her stomach being squished and darted with a massive needle that had poisonous venom from a cobra. She coughed out some blood, splattering everywhere.

But Heat wasn't done yet.

He approached the girl and gently wiped the blood off her face using his sleeve. "Sshh. It's okay."

Fuuko fell forward, but he didn't dare move. He let her body fall on the ground like a lifeless corpse. Yet he knows that she was still conscious.

He kneeled down and rolled over her body. She was too weak to be a threat; her fingers were the only parts of her body that were still moving. Faintly moving.

"But before I go, we have to make sure." Eying the little, circular thing on her chest in the middle. "Do you understand?"

Her eyes were terrifyingly angry.

Why was she in this position? Why was she the one being beaten around here?

The thought sent her landing another punch just under his jaw. It wasn't that strong to begin with, but the punch sure did piss him off. When he turned to look back at her, he held her by the hair. Restraining her head movements and decided to strike the round thing on her chest. It broke and her entire upper abdomen felt extremely excruciating. As if her lungs had stopped functioning and all her muscles were induced by some kind of a drug.

Fuuko choked out more blood and then her vision faded away to blackness. Letting her sleep from her distress.

Heat saw nothing inside the crushed, tiny circle that was part of her uniform.

His head fell backward, shutting his eyes and sighing in dismay. "Metron." Quietly mumbling as he slowly retrieved a pocketknife from his behind.

Nepper…

He was all he could think of. The moment this chaotic riot had started. Ever since the guy accidentally kissed him one time.

An accident that he will never forget. He couldn't forget the kiss. How could he?

Metron left his room open with the speakers loudly booming around the apartment. Redfoo's New Thang was playing, one of his favorite songs of the week. He couldn't decide which one was better. The song GDFR sang by Flo Rida or the previous song mentioned.

He also knew that he would probably be the reason why their neighbors might have a heart attack. And today was the day they will depart to the undead world.

He thought it might be a pretty good distraction.

The alien was pretty quick on his feet. He sprinted all the way to the playground even before Quill could see him.

Oh, Crypto… I'm just doing what I have to do.

It had been months ever since he wore his old Epsilon uniform. Honestly, he thought he looked sexy and gay at the same time. Everywhere was just so tight, like the clothes itself were eating his skin. Tightly clinging on every part of his body, especially down under.

Some others threw and burnt their uniforms in the fire together with things that brought back gloomy memories of their pasts. Almost everyone disposed of it. Except for a few people like him, Crypto, Io, and Keeve.

It was very unusual for Io to keep it, but no one bothered getting it from him.

Crypto's case was a bit different. She didn't have many clothes to begin with, so that's all she has and a bunch of hand downs from Coach Hitomiko and if lucky, from Maquia and Keeve.

Keeve has a weird, exotic and extrinsic fashion taste. The girl said she has to have those and that it made her body shape look miraculously stunning.

For Metron, well… he just couldn't stand seeing it in the garbage bin. He had to keep at least one and now he was wearing it.

But he knows this would really get everyone's attention around town. Not to mention, Coach Hitomiko will soon get rid of it when she sees one. They were not allowed to wear it. That was the rule everyone had come up with. Now three of them were breaking it.

Crypto, Heat and him.

I'm still a good guy. I'm a good guy. I'm a good person.

Metron had to think of positive things. He had to take control. If not, he will be devoured alive by the meteorite just like before.

But when he arrived near the seesaw, his senses tingled. Like his entire body could feel whatever was around him. He started seeing clearer. Eyes darting everywhere and his body felt like dashing around the city.

The stone was at its work.

Swoosh!

Metron knew better. All thanks to the aliea meteorite that he was wearing, he was quickly able to block it with his foot, without breaking a sweat.

Resting his foot on top of the ball as it landed on the ground, he warned him. "Cut it out Heat. You don't wanna get hurt."

And just like that, Heat hopped down from the Monkey Bars and lightly brushed his shoulders. "Seriously, people don't get it do they?" The boy charged straight to him. Metron waited for their collision, bracing himself for the impact. The blonde guy ferociously bumped his shoulder to his, leaving the other blocking with all his might.

Heat stole the ball and lifted himself up in the air. Together with the ball, Metron was damn sure a hissatsu waza was coming after him. And there was no escape. Unless, he jumps higher than him and counteract it with his Meteor Shower.

But will he be able to do it?

Metron used the seesaw as a stepladder and elevated himself with much force. Adrenaline was surging through his veins. By the time Heat was on his final position before he could kick the ball, he grabbed his arm and pulled him, stepping on his shoulders and lifted himself even further.

"Meteor Shower!"

Huge sized rocks that left him restless on the ground were instantaneously smashing the guy. A whirlwind of dust appeared as an aftermath, blurring both of their visions. Heat coughed and had trouble adjusting his eyesight.

One thing Metron did notice about him was his constant urge to fight back. It was too difficult to reject the ominous feeling. It was engulfing him.

He felt like giving in.

Little by little.

And so he did.

His eyes glowed blood red that that was the first thing Heat saw as the dust began to dissipate. Two demonic marbles of death staring right at him. And at that moment, he was assured that he was in possession of the meteorite.

Then a wicked grin formed in his face.