Disappearance

Jack said from beside Jason. "That man... that was the Devourer Slayer." 

Jason thought. "The Devourer Slayer? His title is similar to mine." He looked over at Jack and asked. "Who is he?" 

Jack said. "You don't know?" 

Jason replied. "Well obviously not otherwise I wouldn't be asking." 

Jack smirked and said. "He is the SG's second in command." 

Jason said while confused. "Second in command? What is someone like that doing here?" 

Jack shrugged and said. "I don't know. I would have expected him to be positioned at the Western Front." He put his right hand on his chin and said. "But, now that I think about this is a part of the Western Front. So, it is only logical for him to be stationed here in the Old Capital." 

Jason said while confused. "Old Capital? But, this is NYCS1."

A devilish smirk appeared on Jack's lips as he said. "Oh? You don't know?"

Jason said. "Know what?"

Jack chuckled to himself and said. "This is common knowledge, Jason. How strange that you don't know this." 

Jason said again. "Know what?" 

Jack said. "The capital was moved to NYCS0. This is no longer the capital." 

Jason thought with surprise. "There are five sections now?! When was the fifth one taken?!" 

Jack continued to smirk as he said. "You seem to possess a lack of knowledge between now and what occurred two years ago." His smirk changed into a devilish smile as he said. "You wouldn't happen to know why, would you?"

Jason glared at Jack and said. "Are you going to lead the way? Or am I going to have to cut your tongue off?"

Jack said with his devilish smirk. "Oh? You're going to cut my tongue off?" He chuckled and said. "That's not quite as simple as you'd expect."

Jason continued to glare at Jack and said. "Is that a challenge?"  

Jack said. "And what if it was? Have you already forgotten where you are?" 

Jason narrowed his eyes as he looked at Jack and said. "What do you mean?"

Jack laughed mischievously and said as he gestured to the buildings around him. "This is NYCS1! The Old Capital! The city under the protection of the SG!" A mischievous grin appeared on Jack's face as he said to Jason. "Are you really willing to summon the SG here just to fight me again?" 

Jason thought with a worried expression. "Summon the SG?! I'd never be able to leave this place if he came here!" Jason looked at Jack and smirked as he said. "Summon the SG here? Don't you know someone of his status only goes after people that are actually a threat to the Empire?" He chuckled and said as he pointed his right thumb at his chest. "Do you honestly think he'd come here just for someone like me?" 

A slight smirk appeared on Jack's lips. He said as he smirked. "Oh? So, you don't think he'd come?" He grabbed the hilt of his sword with his right hand and said. "Do you want to test that theory?"

A cold chill went down Jason's spine. Jason stared intently at Jack as he thought. "Does he actually know? Or is he just screwing with me again?" 

Jack continued to smirk as he waited for Jason's response. 

Jason turned his back to Jack. He said with his back facing Jack. "We've wasted too much time talking here. I want to leave this place as soon as possible." He looked over to his side at 'Officer Louis' and said. "This place isn't safe." He put his sword back on his back. 

Jack said from behind Jason. "Oh? You want to leave? So, I take it that means you want me to lead the way then, huh?"

Jason turned around and faced Jack. He said rudely. "Obviously! That's the only reason why I'm still here. You're the only one who actually knows the layout of this place!"

Jack laughed and said. "I know. I know. But, before we can go forward we have to go back."

Jason frowned and said. "Go back? Why would we go back?"

Jack smirked and said. "Have you already forgotten?"

Jason said with a confused expression on his face. "Forgotten? Forgotten what?" He looked back and forth between Jack and himself. He said to Jack while still confused. "I have my sword and you have yours. What am I forgetting?"

Jack sighed and said. "Your memory is awful. How did you already forget Thomas?"

Jason said while confused. "What do you mean?" He tapped his right shoulder and said. "Thomas is right here." Jason said as he looked at his right shoulder. "Wait, where did he go?" He spun around and looked at the area around him as he said. "Did I drop him?"

Jack sighed and said. "Did you already forget that you left him at the station?"

Jason faced Jack and said while confused. "The station?" His eyes suddenly lit up as he said. "Wait, that's right! I did leave him at the station!"

Jack face palmed himself and sighed as he said. "This guy."

*****

Jason and Jack walked side by side towards the Lightning Corp building. Jason walked on the right side and Jack walked on the left side.

Jason looked around and noticed that the area still had the same number of people as before. Almost all of the people were in the streets. Some of the people walked through the streets while others ran. Some of the people were in groups while others were alone. 

Jason stopped walking. He looked back at 'Officer Louis's' body and then looked back at the people as he thought. "How strange. Even after what just happened there are still so many people here. Is this a common occurrence in this place?"

Jack stopped walking. He looked over at Jason and said. "What is it?"

Jason shook his head and said. "It's nothing." He started walking again.

Jack said. "I see." He walked by Jason's side again. 

Jason and Jack once again walked side by side as they walked toward the Lightning Corp building. Jason walked on the right side and Jack walked on the left. They both walked toward the people on the streets. 

Jack said from beside Jason. "It's because he is seen as a hero." 

Jason looked over at Jack. He asked with a confused expression on his face. "What are you talking about?"

Jack looked over at Jason and said. "You were wondering why everyone is acting normal, right? It's because of the Devourer Slayer. He is seen as a hero in the eyes of the people." 

Jason looked away from Jack and thought while surprised. "How does he always guess what I'm thinking?! Can he read my thoughts or something?!" Jason looked back at Jack. His surprised expression had disappeared. He said to Jack. "I see." 

Jason and Jack walked across the street in front of them. They passed by multiple people. 

As Jason continued to walk across the street somebody suddenly crashed into his right side. He looked over at who had crashed into him. 

Jason saw a girl with long blonde hair who had fallen onto the ground. The blonde girl wore a black sweatshirt with an orange strip that went all the way down both, the left and right, sides of her shirt. The orange strip was also on the upper arm and under arm of both of her arms. The sweatshirt also had an orange collar. The girl also wore black sweatpants which had an orange strip on the left side of the left pant leg and on the right side of the right pant leg.  

The blonde girl looked at Jason's face and then looked at the sword strapped to Jason's back. She began to move away from Jason. 

Jason reached out his right hand toward the blonde girl.

The blonde girl looked at Jason's right hand with a confused look. She looked at Jason's face again and then looked at his sword. She moved away from Jason again and then quickly got up off the ground. She ran past Jason and Jack as she said fearfully. "I'm sorry." 

Jason stared at his right hand and frowned. 

Jack said from beside Jason. "Looks like she turned you down." He patted Jason two times on his left shoulder and said. "Maybe next time, buddy."

Jason said. "Screw off!" He continued walking across the street. 

Jack laughed and then continued walking beside Jason's left side again. 

Jason and Jack soon arrived in front of the Lightning Corp building. They both stopped walking.

Jason looked over at Jack and said. "Where did I put him?"

Jack sighed as he said. "That fact that you have to ask me where you put someone." 

Jason asked again. "Where did I put him?"

Jack sighed again. He pointed to the side of the street and said. "You put him over there."

Jason looked at where Jack pointed. He saw no sign of Thomas. He looked back at Jack as he said. "He isn't there." He began to walk back toward where he had just come from as he said. "Oh well. If he is gone then he is gone. Let's just go to the blacksmith already." 

Jack made an annoyed sigh as he said from behind Jason. "It looks like he was taken."

Jason stopped walking.