A/N: Title change for reasons
Inside the southwest corner of the Animal District, lies a large warehouse being shone under the bright moonlight. On the outside were mundane bricked walls, barely painted and dreadful looking. Though on the inside, it has become one of the many hotspots for all sorts of illegal and depressing activities which suit the need to keep the location as clean-looking as possible.
"Make sure the cargo is secured!!!" An anthromorphic German Shepherd yelled as cages were hastily being loaded into a truck. Dozens of other animals were busy loading in the cargo as others were busy getting into more secured looking vehicles.
Looking at the scene, he appears to be the leader of the place as he clicked his tongue, annoyed at the insufficient pace of his men. As one worker passes him, he suddenly snatches their collar before glaring at them with his face inches from theirs.
"Tell them to move their fucking asses or it's our heads on the master's bedroom wall!!" The canine threatens as his worker shakes his head in fear of getting punished.
"Understand?! Then speed the fuck up!!!" He raised his voice as he shoved the person away before they scurried onto their tasks. The warehouse gets louder as the people scrambled around, fastening their haste.
He growls lowly at the scene before looking down and pulling his sleeves back. His watch was revealed as his eyes focused on the moving hand.
"Fuck..." He cursed under his breath as he cursed looking at the passing seconds.
Meanwhile outside the warehouse, on another building a little further away from all the chaos, a cloaked figure was seen staring down at them from on top of the roof. Their cloak waves under the midnight breeze, clad in total darkness and silence, with only minimal moonlight shining on them. Soon, they walk away, disappearing from sight.
Meanwhile,
The canine hops onto an armored SUV which seems to be beside the truck carrying the cargo. He immediately twists the key, as the engine starts rumbling as a loud roaring noise ensues.
"WE'RE GOOD TO GO!!" A worker yelled from behind as he knocked on the side of the truck twice to alert the driver of the truck.
The canine seeing that they were ready to move, pulls out a walkie talkie before opening his mouth.
"Alright, we need to deliver the cargo without any damages, so the cargo better be fucking dazzling when we reach the rendezvous point!"
"Those in armored vehicles will follow the truck!! Remember, we lose the cargo in any way, it's better if you just slit your throat right then and there, the master's not looking forward to losing any more of his property!!" He mentions that the other people inside the armored vehicles start frowning, terrified of the consequence, should they fail.
"Now, get into formation and move out!!" The canine spoke before his vehicle started moving.
The armored vehicles left the warehouse one by one followed by the truck as the location was emptied in seconds.
As the convoy was en route, the truck could be seen in the middle with two sets of armored vehicles both protecting the front and back.
Discarding the noise made by the group of vehicles, the rest of the night seemed silent.
The canine leader was antsy, as he was constantly tapping his foot with his eyes wildly exploring the pitch black surroundings. The driver besides him noticed his behaviour as he tried to lighten the mood.
"It's okay boss, we're halfway and using the mountain road. Trying to ambush us here would only mean suicide." The driver spoke as the canine turned instantly before glaring.
"Just shut the fuck up and drive... the other branches got fucked by the same people. Whoever they are, they seem to know our every fucking move, they might even be on our asses as of now!!..."
He suddenly looks down before letting out a huge sigh. He calms himself for a while before continuing.
"We just need to get to the rendezvous point as quickly as we can... No distractions... The moment we slack off, that's when our heads get chopped off!!" He rambles on still cautiously about his surroundings. The driver stayed silent at the remark as he continued driving.
"Scout 1, do you read?" The canine suddenly spoke on his walkie talkie.
"This is Scout 1, reading loud and clear!" Another party responded through the walkie talkie.
"How's the road up ahead? Anything suspicious?" The canine asks with concern.
"Road's clean. So far, everything's looking mighty fine!! I doubt anyone will try something with our convoy!!" The other party answered with a relaxed tone.
"Tchh, just don't get distracted... Keep your eyes on the road and around you. Immediately report anything suspicious..." The canine orders.
"Over!" The other party ended their conversation as the canine slouched his back onto his seat.
"Boss..." The driver calls as he grumbles.
"What now?" He asks, annoyed.
"Chill, I just wanted to ask about the rumours.. I'm sure you've probably got some intel from the other branches..." The driver asks but the German Shepherd stayed silent for a while.
He then slowly parts his lips.
"There were a few witness reports, well, I really wouldn't call them that..."
He reveals.
"The other branches said they were infiltrated and annihilated within minutes... but, it's hard to believe that..."
"Minutes?!!" The driver exclaims.
"Well, they must have some terrifying numbers on them?" The driver exclaims but his boss was rather unamused. Instead, he carries an even more worried look after mentioning the rumours.
"That's not even it... one of my buddies said it was all done by one person..." The boss mentions seriously as the driver stayed silent at that information.
"It's impossible but... years back, there used to be this one guy th-
"Scout I Reporting..." The walkie talkie suddenly buzzed. The canine immediately grabs the device before pushing on the receiving button.
"This is Alpha, what's happening over..." The canine immediately answers..
"Reporting on the... bzzzz... trees ahe... bzzz"
"Hello?"
"Bzzzzz... the road... bzzz... bloc... bzzz... there's... bzzz"
There was a series of buzzing sounds followed with the cuts of audio from the walkie talkie.
"Scout 1, you're cutting off, can you repeat?"
This time the series of buzzes ensued without stopping.
"Scout 1? Dammit!" The canine cursed slamming his walkie talkie on the door.
"Maybe it's the mountain range?" The driver commented on the terrible reception but his boss shook his head.
"No... something's not right..." He murmurs when a light shimmer strikes his eye. Bright light begins covering his face, moving around like waves.
On the road ahead he could see two of the armored vehicles in heavy flames with heavy trees on top crushing the metal, covering the road. The vehicle stops immediately as he busts the door open, not believing what he's seeing.
The canine's eyes went wide at the scene before he immediately snapped out of it, snatching his walkie talkie.
"This is Alpha, all teams protect the cargo!! Road is compromised, I repeat, the road is...
BANGGG
He immediately twists his head back to see the cars behind the truck falling over the cliff to the forest below. The crunching of wood combined with eerie sounds of metal scraping completely numbs out the sound of screams.
"Shit!!" He cursed before sprinting back towards his vehicle.
Gunshots could be heard coming from behind the truck but it didn't matter.
He immediately opens the car before grabbing a rifle from the backseat.
"B-boss, what's going on?" His driver sounded concerned as he growled.
"Santa's here!! What else does it fucking look like?! We're being attacked so get YOUR ASS OFF!!" He says before slamming the door closed, putting it closer to his face.
He immediately looks at the driver's still in the truck before giving a signal. Both of them nodded as they left the truck with automatic rifles in their hands.
"Check the back!!" He orders them as both of them nodded before moving in slowly.
Even with all the chaos around him, time seems slow. He could hear his pulses getting rapid, he could even hear his own breathing.
Suddenly, he could hear a couple series of gunshots happening in the back. If continued only for a brief second before stopping.
"Did they get em!?" His driver walks out with a handgun, his legs absolutely shaking.
Suddenly, a shadow covered the area they were in. In a split second, both of them look up to see something flying above them.
The canine's eyes went wide as he turned to his driver.
"Get away!!!"
But it was too late, from the heavens, a ray of green energy suddenly burst towards their direction. The energy crashes into their car followed by a huge and deafening explosion.
The canine not being able to make distance, gets thrown off by the sheer force. He flew before crashing against the barrier of the road.
A sharp course of pain sprinted around his nervous system as he vomited blood. Moving became a pain as his ribs were mutilated from the impact.
He whimpers as one of his eyes bled with no point of recovery. At that moment, all he could do was stare at the destruction that happened in a split second.
Suddenly out of the raging fire, that used to be his ride, a figure slowly walks out. Dark, covered in robe with flaming destruction following him.
The figure walks closer and closer until he is only a few feet away from him.
"You guys are lacking compared to the previous branches... Well, I guess even your master has his hands full at the moment..." The figure commented as he could only look in fear.
"W-who are you?" He croaks, looking at the figure.
A chuckle was let out, as the figure pulls his hoodie back, revealing a familiar face.
"Just someone coming out of retirement..." Zill comments before kneeling down. He inspects the dog as he rubs his chin.
"You're still kicking, that's good... Let's hope you're useful..." Zill mentions as the canine's face instantly fills with regrets at his impending doom.
"I'll get back to you later..." He says before wings sprouted on his back. He lifts off, before moving towards the back of the truck.
As he lands in a flurry of wind, he looks at the measly iron lock in front of him. He immediately punches it, blowing the backdoor of the truck open before climbing at the back.
He lights up his hand with energy as a few cages were seen with small sounds of whimpering all around.
He walks closer as his light shines the content of the cages. His eyes went wide as he sees, multiples of small children of different species stuck inside the cages, hugging each other, all looking at him with a look of fear.
As he walks closer, some start whimpering loudly as they embrace each other the tightest that they could.
Suddenly, they hear the cage lock being broken as their cage door opens slowly.
The terrifying figure in their eyes suddenly ducks down towards their eye level as he smiles at them warmly.
"You kids can come out now..." Zill softly spoke but they didn't budge, still hesitant.
He sighs softly before extending one of his hands inside the cage.
"It's alright, I won't hurt you, I'm here to help..." He says as the children looked at each other before looking at him.
One of them slowly lends their hands as Zill slowly grabs them before leading them out of their cage. One by one, all of them soon left the confined spaces as they made it out of the truck.
As they stepped outside, they were met with a few scenes of destruction. But they didn't focus on that, instead all of them looked above, their eyes glimmering at the sight of the blanket of stars above them. A bright moon shining on their eyes, a sight they haven't seen in a long time.
As Zill finally released the last of them from their cages, he steps outside before freezing in place. All of the children were looking at him, eyes filled with admiration and glee.
"Uhh... you guys alright?" Zill asks them while rubbing the back of his head.
He wasn't used to dealing with kids with these numbers.
"Are you a superhero mister?" One of the children, a small blue coloured lizard stepped forward.
To be honest, he was far from being one. He still has some selfish desires of himself, not really a noble hero kind but he didn't have heart to let them down. Looking at their torn rags for clothes, he sympathizes with them.
"I am..." He shortly answered as murmurs started forming from the group of kids before walking away. Suddenly, he felt tugging on his shirt and it was a small female cat child.
"Are you going to leave us?" The cat asks as he was surprised at the question. He looks back to see all of them with hopeful eyes.
He sighs before carving a small smile. He kneels down before patting her on her head.
"It's alright... some of my friends are going to come and pick you guys up... You guys won't be returning to that terrible place anymore... You'll have a new home... A better one..." Zill answers them as they look at each other, feeling happy as smiles were carved onto their face.
"Thank you mister!!" The cat child exclaims in glee as Zill stands up.
"Now, remember to stay put... that goes for all of you!" Zill asks before turning to the little cat.
"As for you, can you keep an eye on them for me?" Zill asks the cat as she nods.
"Good..." Zill gives her a thumbs up before walking away, slowly letting out a tired sigh. He didn't know talking with children could be so nerve-wracking. He needed to watch his words.
"Mister?" The girl calls again as Zill turns to her.
"Will we ever see you again?" She asks but he doesn't answer. Instead, he flashes his wings before boosting off into the sky. A gust of wind blew around him as he disappeared from sight.
The children could only admire their saviour as the little girl stared at the sky, silently praying to see her saviour again.
Meanwhile, somewhere far off, in an abandoned warehouse, Zill lands on the ground, cracking the floor beneath him before walking. He seems to be carrying something around his shoulders.
"Well, it took you long enough!!" A sassy female voice was heard in front of him as Zill sighs.
"I was delayed, they didn't have much firepower but they upped their armor... If this goes on, our usual strategy won't work!!" Zill answers as she chuckles.
"Oh really?! You know we have mics on each of us right?" Lauretta points out as Zill had his eyes wide, realizing what she meant.
"Dammit!!" He cursed knowing he forgot to turn his microphone off earlier.
"What?! No shame in being a hero!! 'Remember to stay put grrrr!!' You're lucky you saved them, otherwise they'd be terrified!! You're really not good with children..." She laughs at him as he grits his teeth.
"Tchh, just be quick!!" Zill grumbles before tossing the item he had been carrying.
"Don't worry, hero~, I've already prepared everything..." She swooned as she went closer to the item. It was the canine leader from earlier, with his hands tied up and duct tape covering his mouth.
Zill sat him on a chair before stepping aside. Lauretta then yanks the duck tape harshly as the canine yells out in pain.
"So you're the one with the codename, Alpha, trafficking and weapons dealer, am I correct?!" Lauretta asks as the canine suddenly smiles.
"I'm not telling you anything you slu- ARGHHHH!!" He screams in pain as he could feel a sharp pain from his legs. He looks down to see her jamming a knife straight into his thighs. Blood spewed from it as he could only scream in pain.
Meanwhile, Zill sat behind a pillar since he didn't really need to see the situation. It has been like this with everyone for the past three months. He wasn't keen on her style of getting info but they didn't really have any other choices.
She smiles at him before twisting the knife digging further into his flesh and bursting through his bone.
"FFUCKKK!!!" He yells out loud at the pain.
She then stands up, leaving the knife still jammed in his legs.
"Now, if you don't want another knife stuck on your other leg, answer me..." Lauretta softly says in an unnerving tone.
"Grhh, do your worst bitch!!" He spat on her as she lightly smiled as another knife was jammed onto his thighs.
"My pleasure." She beams with her eyes closed.
The horrendous series of screaming continued for more than an hour. Lauretta only managed to squeeze some minor details about the guy.
"Now, working closely with my husband, I'm sure you'll know his current whereabouts!! So, where is he?" This time, her tone shifts a bit darker. The canine stays silent at this as Lauretta starts getting annoyed.
"I... don't know... where he's at!!"
"Don't lie." She warns him.
"Don't worry, you'll end... up... right where he wants you... hehe" The canine grins at her.
Lauretta grits her teeth before grabbing a knife and putting it right above one of his fingers.
"You know who I am?!! You know what I'm capable of!! We'll be doing this all day long if I have to and you'll beg for me to end your life!! So, you better tell me now or-
"Or what... mistress? Is time... running out? All day?" The canine suddenly cackles amidst his loss of breath.
Lauretta didn't hesitate to slice his fingers off as she grabbed his collar.
"Tell me, you fucker!!!" She screams at his face as he only laughs.
"You can't find him. You'll never find him, but... he'll find you, soon!!" The canine grins as he starts chuckling at her.
Lauretta raises her hands high, getting ready to jam the knife and puncture his lungs but her hands were suddenly grabbed by someone.
"That's enough!!"
She looks back to see Zill holding her hands in place.
"Let me go!! He'll talk after I stab him a couple more times!!" She growls as Zill uses his strength to hold her in place.
"Wait, that's enough... he-
"Hehehe... you two look so cute together..." The canine suddenly laughs as Zill turns to him.
"Protector eh? You're acting like some kind of saint after killing all my men? You're just like the rest of us, all dark and gritty inside... a murderer just like her..." The canine spoke as Zill clenched his fist but he knew better.
"Both of you should just give up. It's a matter of time before the leader, finds you, little missy and when he does, you'll be begging for your life... hehehe... You better at least hope your body might be enough to satisfy him one last time before he throws you away like the little slut toy you are... And after he's done with whatever's left of you, your little boyfriend here's nex-
"ARGHHHH"
She scrambles outside of Zill's grip, shoving him back a little as she rushes and pierces a knife through the canine. He lets out a short squeal too tired to scream any further at the pain as his eyes give in. She grips the handle even tighter with both hands before pushing it deeper, feeling it puncture his lungs as blood splattered on her dress.
"JUST DIE!! GO TO HELL YOU FUCKER!!!" She screams at the top of her lungs, gritting her teeth as her eyes are filled with rage.
However she didn't stop, she yanks the knife out, pulling a little meat on it before stabbing it again into his heart. She pulls it out again before stabbing it over and over as her clean dress was now dyed in crimson.
As she was about to stab again, her knife was suddenly knocked out of her hand as she turned to attack the assailant.
Of course it was Zill, blocking her as he crossed her hands and wrapped his body around her.
"Stop! Stop! That's enough!! He's dead!!"
He pulls her off causing her to struggle in his grip.
"Lauretta!!!"
Hearing her name being called suddenly causes her to stop. Her eyes scramble around before realizing Zill grabbing onto her.
"Stop, he's dead..." Zill spoke softly still holding onto her arms tightly.
After a while, he could feel her body slightly vibrating.
"Let me go..." She says softly as Zill slowly releases his grip as she lands on her feet. Her boots clacker before she walks further from Zill. She starts wiping her face which was covered in blood but Zill could swear he heard some sniffing.
She continues to walk further before Zill opens his mouth.
"Where are you going?" He asks her.
"Going back..." She says slowly before disappearing from his sight.
Zill sighs at her before turning back to the gruesome scene.
"It's going to be a long night..." Zill mutters before getting to work.
After a few hours passed, we brought ourselves towards Zill's apartment.
Lauretta could be seen standing on the balcony with her arms resting on the railings. One of her hands holding a cigarette as she puts it closer to her mouth, inhaling the smoke.
Her feet tapping on the concrete, her face slowly plants on her hands as she stares on the streets below.
Her ear perks as she picked up a slight thud besides her. Her eyes travelled slightly and she wasn't surprised to see it was Zill. He always went back using the balcony instead of his door.
"I cleared the warehouse... sorry but, there's nothing about your husband... but the kids are somewhere safe..." Zill mentions not looking at her. Though, he could pick up that she had been crying.
"Whatever..." Lauretta croaks not looking at him.
"You're upset..." Zill points out as she stops. She rubs her eyes before looking at him.
"Why? Is it obvious?!?" She sarcastically asks, taking a smoke.
"It's your eyes... you should get some sleep..." Zill mentions as she chuckles dryly.
"Thanks hero, but I'm not in the mood for some shut eye... just leave me alone, will you?!!" Lauretta asks but Zill didn't budge.
He suddenly lay his back on the railings before taking out a cigarette and lit it up. He slowly inhales the tobacco before releasing a puff of smoke.
"I told you to leave, I don't need your pity hero..." Lauretta growls at him.
"It's Zill..."
"What?" She slowly tilts her face confused.
"My name... hearing you call me hero, for the past three months... it's just annoying... just call me Zill..." He explains, looking at her with a softer look than usual.
"And... I'm not having pity... I'm thanking you!" Zill reveals as she looks confused.
"Thanking me, why?" Lauretta turns towards him.
"The kids... they're save now because of you..."
"What? Why?! You're not even related, why do you care so much about them?..." She snarkily asks.
"It's because I know how it feels to be alone... To live your life without having anyone... Those orphans shouldn't have suffered the way they did, no one should... The fact of the matter is you saved them... Feel free to feel however you wanna feel about it..." Zill softly spoke as Lauretta just stares at him, feeling a little guilty due to her tone.
"You're an orphan?" Lauretta asks as he nods slowly surprised that she catches on quickly.
"I used to be but... I found my family... my real family..." He says reminiscing of his friends from ZPA.
"It must be great having people that care about you... it's a privilege..." She mentions sounding a little annoyed.
"You sound like you never had any..." Zill mentions.
"I told you I don't..." Lauretta growls but Zill just rolls his eyes.
"Yep, you definitely said that before..."
"My dad... my husband... all of them, they used me for whatever they need, and when I'm no longer useful, I'm just thrown away like a sack of shit!!" Lauretta's tone saddens.
"People look down on me... and when I push through, made a name for myself... the killer mistress, femme fatale of the A District and all that bullshit, it didn't really matter..."
"3 months of this... but no matter what I try... he'll always be in my head... looking down at me... laughing, knowing how I have no one... all alone..."
Her slow voice flowed to the night sky as she stared blankly at the stars.
"You're scared of him?"
"No! I'm scared of losing to him..." Lauretta pronounces sternly before slouching forward.
"But... that's just the harsh truth of my life!!" She ends it, looking at the skies above her, sipping on what's left of her cigarette.
"Maybe, but when this is over, you'll sort yourself out... and you're technically not alone in this..." Zill offers a little comfort as she turns at him with a surprised look in her eyes. But she quickly brushed it off before snorting.
"Just go, I hate bleeding hearts..." Lauretta says as Zill lets out a tired sigh before walking inside. Suddenly, she grips her fist tightly before turning back.
"Hey look, Zill..." She calls him by his name as he turns his face.
"I uhh, thanks anyway, for what you said... and definitely thank you for, stopping me back then, I didn't know what came over me..."
Those words reach his ears but the only thing he did was nod with a little smile on his face though it was for a short moment.
"Just go to sleep... It's been a long day, and we'll need the rest before we can start planning again..." Zill mentions before walking inside his room without any further conversation.
"Cold..." She mutters, trying to hold the urge to stick her tongue out at him.
After a few seconds passed by, a slight chuckle escapes her mouth before turning into a full-on laughter.
"Cute..."
She did notice the gentlemanly air around him despite acting so cold around her. She turns back, gazing at the closed door of his room.
"Not bad, not bad at all..." She giggles before moving inside and sliding the balcony close.
Morning soon came, as birds started chirping, perching on buildings. The bright sunny ray, penetrates through the crack of the blinds, slightly lighting up the apartment.
Zill stretches his arms as he cracks up a yawn. He slowly lifts himself off his comfortable bed, denying the urge to sleep a little longer.
As he opens his door, he notices Lauretta who was sitting on his kitchen table, tinkering on some stuff.
"Up early as usual..." Zill mentions as she looks at him.
"I'm used to it..." She replies while maintaining her focus on the set of objects in front of her.
Zill saw that she was tinkering with a Colt gun, filling the bullets with, some sort of liquid. By the subtle smell he could pick up, it was definitely poisonous. A reminder of how she became notorious in the Animal District.
"What's that for?" Zill asks her.
"A side project... I was thinking of giving it to you..." Lauretta looked at him and he was surprised.
"Me?"
"Yeah, I know you suck at using a gun which is why this could be good for you... You don't have to be precise, you just need to hit them... 5 seconds after, they'll bite the dust themselves..." Lauretta says smiling, feeling proud of her capable abilities.
"I don't need it..." Zill replies.
"You can't outgun a mob party, Zill..."
"I can outrun them... they need to catch me first..." Zill says causing Lauretta to slap her forehead.
"Fine... just don't regret it..." Lauretta grumbles before taking something from besides her.
"Hey, can you tell me who this is? Lauretta suddenly pulls up a picture which made Zill's eyes wide.
"Where'd you get that?!" He raises his tone.
"Inside your drawer..."
Zill suddenly snatches the picture from her hands without any warning before swiftly tucking it in his pocket.
"Hey!" Lauretta whines at Zill's action.
"I thought I said to not go through my stuff..." Zill warns, glaring at her only to be met with laughter.
"Alright Mr. Insecure, we've been partners in crime for three months, I think it's time you trust me... I opened up yesterday so why don't you? It's alright, I won't judge~!" Lauretta tries to convince him.
"I didn't force you to do that, Lauretta..."
"Oh, you called me by my name?~" Lauretta teases as he sighs.
"It's better that calling you mistress all the time, it's just cringe..."
Zill rebuttals as Lauretta giggles at him.
"I honestly prefer it more..." She says before he walks away.
"Where you're going?"
"I'm going out for a while, we need some groceries... You stay put..." Zill orders as she clicks her tongue.
"Yeah, I know the drill..." She says irritated.
As Zill's hand reaches for the knob, he suddenly froze when she hears Lauretta calling a name.
"It's Kayla, isn't it?" She suddenly asks as he turns with a vicious look.
"How did you know that name?" Zill asks sternly.
"It's obvious.. No one wouldn't kn-
He suddenly rushes for her before grabbing onto both her shoulders as he glares straight at her face.
"How the hell do you know that name?!!" He raises his voice, staring at her menacingly.
Suddenly, he notices the shift in her expression, looking at him with fear. He immediately realized the pressure he was putting on her arm. His gaze instantly softens as he slowly releases his grip and takes a few short steps back.
"I'm sorry..." He apologize for loosing control as Lauretta just rubs her shoulders.
"It's... fine..." She looks down.
Zill feels a little regret after hurting her like that even though he should know better than to lose control even for someone sentimental to him.
He immediately takes a seat next to her, hunched forward. He then takes a deep breath before opening his mouth.
"How did you know about her name?" Zill asks softly this time as Lauretta shakes her head.
"You'd think I've been living in a fucking cave? She's Kayla, the Star Angel? Top 10 rising stars of Safe Haven? Ring any bells?" Lauretta reveals as Zill puts on a surprised expression.
Suddenly, he slouches back before looking at his ceiling before randomly bursting into a fit of laughter.
"Are you crazy?" Lauretta asks as she was creeped out at his sudden outburst.
"It seems I was worried for nothing..." Zill chuckles.
"So... it's true?" Lauretta makes sure as Zill slowly nods.
"She was my girlfriend, my first love..." Zill says before a sorrowful wave hit him.
"I'm sorry for loosing control, but... I care about her, a little too much maybe..."
"I can tell!" She replies with a hint of snark.
Soon, a moment of silence arrived between the two. A few minutes passed by as they both avoided each other's eyes, neither saying a single word.
"So... you guys broke up?" Lauretta asks him as he shook his head.
"I left..." Zill reveals.
"What why? She's a fucking popstar. I don't know anyone who wouldn't want to get their hands on her!!" Lauretta says before realizing what she said as Zill puts on a sad look.
"N-no, I meant that she's popular and all and, uhh, I don't really get why you would break up with her?" Lauretta stammers but Zill raises his hands.
"No, it's alright, it's not like I don't keep up with her on social media..." Zill ensures that it was fine.
"I had to make a difficult choice, 8 years back when she was starting to sing for a living... I... didn't know if she would be safe around me anymore... I wanted her to be safe more than anything even if it means betraying her love towards me... I had to disappear..." Zill reveals as Lauretta looks surprised.
"8 years..."
Lauretta mutters as she tries to piece the puzzle back together when something suddenly clicked.
"Isn't that when you-
"-Stop being a hero? Yeah..." Zill cuts her off but still confirms her suspicion.
"I'm a coward, I know..." Zill chuckles dryly.
...
"Not really..." Lauretta said as he shots up surprised.
"Look, I don't know much about this, vigilante/hero crap or whatever but... it takes a lot of gut to push forward, especially if you have people around you, loved ones..." She explains.
"Which is why I personally don't involve myself with people, it's better if you don't get attached to anyone..."
"But... I can't say I don't admire what you did..."
She reveals this time putting a warm smile towards him.
"It's hard for guys to show their bravery... even harder for them to admit their weakness which shows their naivety... and you did it for the sake of your ex... That's bravery in itself in my opinion..."
"To be honest, the execution could've been a little better but truthfully, there's not a lot of guys who'd think responsibly like you, Zill... I'm really impressed..." Lauretta suddenly admits as a sudden realization hit her. She looks forward to see Zill, looking at her shocked at her words.
"Hrrmm Hrrmm"
She clears her throat before crossing her arms and facing away from him.
"But it's a good thing that she's not with you anymore. She should've dated someone who's more on par with her status... Not some washed up hobo vigilante..." Lauretta instantly changes her tone, not wanting to admit the fact that she just complimented him. Zill could only shake his head with a smile.
"Thanks Lauretta, that means a lot..." He says as she grits her teeth.
"Don't rub it in..." She mutters grumpily.
"Then, I'm heading out... Appreciate the talk..." Zill chuckles as he stood and went back to his door.
Again, it felt like De'Javu when she stops him once again in his tracks.
"Zill, after all of this is over... are you... going back to her? Make amends?" Lauretta asks as he ponders on it for a while.
"I, don't know... I guess I'll cross that road when I come to it... Why?" He asks her back.
"... It's nothing, I'm just curious..."
She answers still not looking at him.
"Alright, then... I'll be back in a few hours..." Zill says as he exited his house as the door shuts behind him with a click.
Meanwhile, Lauretta was still facing away from the door as she was biting her lips, with a look of regret flashes on her face. Her hand desperately grasping and pinching on the other. She tries to close her eyes and shake her feelings off before looking outside towards the balcony.
"Why... why him?" Lauretta mutters as she could feel her heart starting to pump. A warm feeling crawling over her skin when she thinks about him. It was a moment of confusion and clarity at the same time for her. Someone who's not used to this orchestra of emotions.
Outside, Zill could be seen walking towards a grocery store, quite a few block away from his house. He sighs along the way, thinking about the words she said to him. Somehow, the words just rang across his mind constantly, like a melody in his ears. It meant something special to him. As he reached the glass door, he sighs before slowly taking a step inside the premises.
Across the premises, on a road further away, a car could be seen with someone peeking out of it with a pair of dark green binoculars on his face. His sight was set directly at where Zill just entered before he puts the device away and took out his phone.
"Master... we found him... should we move out?" The person asks.
Somewhere, in a dimly litted office. The entire room was themed with dark colours with only a candle to light up a fraction of the desk which was in the room. From behind the desk, there was a white fox, wearing a black tuxedo and black slacks who was on his phone. This was none other than the master of the Animal District, Lauretta's husband.
"No, not yet..." He then took a puff from a big cigar as he stands.
"It's still too early... keep an eye on him for now and report back to me... we'll make our move soon..."
"Alright, Master!!"
The person on the other side hung up as the white fox put down his phone. He then strolls alongside his desk before taking a picture of him and Lauretta at their wedding.
"You shouldn't have run from me, Laurey... you should've just accepted your fate..." He chuckles manically before putting the photograph directly above the fire as it starts to burn.
He then releases it, as the picture swayed slowly to the ground, burning up in the process.
"Now, you can't blame me for what's about to happen to you... and him..."
"No one's going to stop me now!"
His wicked laughter filled the room with a tone of insanity and obsession. Soon, the greatest challenge that Zill faced will soon reappear. This time, what will he do?
A/N: Hello, I hope you enjoyed, and I'm sorry if this is still SFW. I'll make sure to make the next one with a lemon. I'm just trying to develop something before going for a lemon cause I didn't want it to be just fuck and move on. Like I mentioned previously, this series will be a sort of one shot and a proper fic combined.
Do also check this out at the official series Hero X Villains: A Zill Story, out now.
Though, I hope you do look forward towards the next chapter and more after that. Enjoy and bye2.