The Lost Gift

Ring!

A text message woke Darryl up.

"Ugh! It's still 10 in the morning and yet I have fallen asleep! It might be because I'm fatigued. Good thing my hangover wasn't that bad too."

He grabs his phone and reads the message which was sent by Andrew.

"Hey, eat lunch alright! If I learn you didn't, I will choke you to death with every food I'll bring for you!"

Darryl let out a smile after reading his message.

"Yes, mom! I will!"

"Good! I'll call you later this night. Eat some food alright! You'll become skinny if you don't!"

As he put his phone away, he gazes again onto the window and took a deep sigh. As he enjoyed the beauty of the cityscape, he heard his stomach grumble.

"I guess I should eat lunch now!"

He stepped out of his office to grab lunch and stop in front of the assistant's desk.

"Hey, guys! I'm heading out for lunch. If something came up, just call me. I'll head out now!"

As he started his car, he then looks onto the dashboard and navigates the map. He tried looking for a place to eat. He then came across the Dine-In Restaurant which he recently visited 5 days ago.

"Is it a good idea to go there? To be in public? The citizen must have hated me for what I've done. Maybe I'll just order take-out."

He then drove towards the restaurant. He was about to order through the drive-thru, however, it was out-of-order since there is still no power. So he decided to just order it over the counter. He put on a cap and wears a mask to lessen the chance of people recognizing him.

As he stepped in, he was greeted by the same man from before.

"Good day, Sir! Welcome to Dine-In! I am Francis! Please follow me and I'll guide you to your table!" Francis greeted.

The last time he ate here, Francis was a bit nervous. Today, he is much more confident and lively.

"No, I will just order take-out," he informed.

Francis squinted after he said that.

"Oh, if that's the case, the counter is over there, Mr. Richard—"

"Ho… how did you recognize me?" he slightly took off his mask as he whispered.

"Well, it was just a guess and maybe because I've been studying you for a quite while—"

Darryl was caught off guard after his remark.

"Not in a weird way, Sir! It's just… I've been assigned over a school project about you, Sir. It's more like a biography," Francis clarified. "Well, it still sounds kinda creepy but—"

"Alright, I understand. There's no need to explain."

Francis heaves a sigh of relief.

Darryl observes Francis for a while and he didn't see any signs of bitterness towards him regarding the NTC incident.

"Hey, Francis!" he called. "Aren't you mad at me?"

Francis made an expression of wonder.

"Why would I be mad at you, Sir?"

"Because I messed up?"

He expected Francis to change his view over him but he didn't.

"Well, mistakes are constant, and ignoring the lesson from that mistake is a choice. I am not really in the position to hate you because I have no idea how hard it is to be you, Sir. Well, it kinda upsets me a little but it's already been done. Hating you will not help the situation. I would be mad at you if you didn't learn from that mistake. As long as you learn something from that, I would be happy to give my fullest support and defend you from those—" Francis then leaned closer and whispered. "—hypocrites online."

Darryl felt at ease in his heart knowing that there are still people who believe in him.

"I am so sorry for chatting with you, Sir. It was very disrespectful of me to be so casual towards you!" Francis exclaimed after realizing it.

"No! No! There is no need to apologize. It was me who started the conversation."

"Thank you for your consideration, Sir!" Francis said. "The counter is over there, Sir. You can order your take out from—"

"No, I've decided to just eat here."

"Oh, if that's the case, please follow me and I'll guide you to your table right away, Sir!"

He gained a little bit of faith after conversing with Francis. With that, he decided that it might be not as bad as he thought it would be to dine in. He still settled in a secluded area just to be sure.

As he finished giving his order to Francis, he stares over the window and gazes at the citizens doing their stuff. As he waited, he grabs his phone and expanded it and it became a tablet. He switches the tablet into 'Do not disturb' mode. He then connected his tablet to his watch via a wireless connection. Some of the features in his watch were locked after he was officially suspended. He can only use it as a communication device, a map navigator, and to browse the internet. Internet became limited after the power outage. Only the important services and departments were prioritized to have a stable power connection and the internet provider was not one of them.

His watch is one out of the remaining devices that can access the internet.

He accesses all files related to Diana's case and began studying. He studied the whole case even after his order was served. It took him hours and multiple orders of sundaes, fries, burgers, and beverages as he continues his investigation. Even after those hours of reading all related articles, he still found none.

He was so absorbed in his little investigation that he later realizes that it was already twilight.

"Oh, shit! Andrew's gonna kill me!" he exclaimed as he recalls the food truck event. "Check please!"

As he left the establishment, he checked his phone and discovered that Andrew has been trying to reach him all this time right after switching the 'Do not disturb' mode.

He then received a call from Andrew.

"Hey! I've been trying to call you all this time! Where are you? The event has already started! Meet me at Hummington Street! Head over here before all of these people finish everything! HURRY!"

As he drove over to the said location, he then looks for a parking space since the whole street was closed for the said event.

He parked a little distance away from the event. He then called Andrew to ask for his whereabouts.

"Hey, Andrew where are you?"

"I'm that handsome dude standing in a line at the truck selling burgers."

"You mean that black truck— Oh, wait! I see you now!"

He then joined Andrew's company as he found him in a line, trying to order a burger.

"Hey, you're late! Where have you been?" Andrew grumbled. "Well, it doesn't matter. Go over to that truck that sells takoyaki while I order here. Make mine extra spicy alright? Don't worry, I'll request extra for your burger here."

When it comes to food, these two have the best coordination, teamwork, and instincts. They will order food in every truck and eat everything once they finished ordering and settled down.

The venue was packed with several hungry customers. It's like everyone's here. Three droids and drones are securing the area. It was a good thing they held the event in Hummington Street since its sole purpose was to hold events as big as this. It's crowded and a bit dark since there are only a limited number of lamps that light their dim night.

It took them the whole night to get food in each truck. As they settled at a table outside the battlefield, they have placed all of their obtained preys over the table and started to dig in.

There are two servings of freshly cooked takoyaki filled with diced octopus, tempura scraps, pickled ginger, and green onion brushed with their homemade takoyaki sauce and mayonnaise. There are also two burgers in the table: The Royale Double Truffle Burger, made from root vegetables, foie gras, red wine-braised ribs, and fresh black truffle; And The Indulgence Burger where Kobe beef is the main ingredient, also stuffed with caviar, white truffles, pancetta, and foie gas. They also ordered two servings of Tacos de Carne Asada; a taco with Carne Asada as an ingredient, a dish of grilled and sliced beef rib steak. They also ordered a serving of Pastel de Camiguín: It is a soft bun with yema filling. And they also ordered a serving of Truffle Ice Cream.

"This is quite a lot!" Darryl uttered.

"Don't worry, I brought medicine for heartburn! You're safe with me!"

"Hmm!"

It was already midnight when they finished everything.

"Look at my belly, Darryl!" Andrew said as he exposes his belly. "Look at my food baby! I look like a pregnant woman!"

"No, you look like an idiot showing your massive belly!"

"Don't listen to this man, my baby! It's just he's jealous of your enthralling beauty!"

"When would that special event you talked about, start?"

"Any minute now, I guess?"

It didn't take long when Darryl felt gloomy again. As his expression changed, Andrew came to noticed it. He knows what makes Darryl uneasy.

"We will find them, soon," he said trying to comfort him.

"But what if we wouldn't find them? What if they're in danger? What if they're in distress? What if they need help? What if I lost them?" he mumbled, showing fear and discomfort. "I just can't lose them, man! I can't lose Diana! I don't know what to do if that—"

"Don't think like that, bro. We will find them. We will find Diana and her sister. Let's hope that they are in good hands."

He understands how Darryl feels because he has a girlfriend and he doesn't know what he'll do if she suddenly disappeared without a trace just like Diana.

"You really like her, don't you!" he said.

Darryl gazes at the people around who are enjoying the moment despite the power crisis they're facing. As he watches them, he evokes memories of the woman he loves.

"No, I don't like her," he repudiated.

"I love her," he rectified.

"I love her so much that I don't want her to leave my side. She enlivened my day just by her presence. Her smile and laugh make me exhilarated. She's like my ecstasy," he elucidated.

"What was her reaction when you told her about what you feel?"

Darryl went silent and inclined his head.

"I didn't. I haven't told her yet," he mumbled.

"Huh? What!?" Andrew inquired.

"I don't know, man. What if she doesn't like me the way I like her? What if she changes when I tell her about this? What if she doesn't like me at all?" he stressed out.

"That's the point of telling her. If you wouldn't tell her, you would never know the answer. There would be no progress. That's also the reason for dating, to know if you two are compatible. And besides, we know Diana, she's a sweet and caring woman who will do everything for the welfare of the people she cares about. She will not dump you that instantly. And, didn't Xyreine give you her blessings to court her sister? Come on man, we know Xyreine would never give her sister away like that to someone."

He wants to object but he didn't.

"Do you think I have a chance? Because she only sees me as her boss," he reasoned out.

"Of course, you're handsome, caring, and a provider, that's what the women want," he said trying to boost his confidence. "If I were a woman, I would immediately spread my legs and won't let you escape."

"That's a really messed up logic from you. You kinda sound like a slut, to be honest."

"The point is, you wouldn't know the answer if you don't try seeking it. When we find her, safe, with her sister, you will tell her about this, directly, no excuses," he demanded.

"But I'm not even sure if she'll still look at me in the eyes after what I've done to her."

"I said no excuses, Mr. Darryl Richard!" he exclaimed as Darryl sighed in defeat. "Yes, you hurt her and I am not tolerating you for that. I would even help Diana beat you into a pulp for even lifting your hands to her."

"…"

"I'm serious about that," Andrew strongly meant his words. "I really wanted to beat you up for hurting her but I'll just wait until she returns and then beat you up, okay?"

"Okay," Darryl ratified Andrew's plan. "Don't hold back when that time comes, alright? I kinda deserve that to be honest."

"But for the meantime, take care of yourself. She wouldn't accept your apology and confession if you become scrawny! I wouldn't even have second thoughts to reject your confessions if you look like you're about to fall in the slightest touch."

Darryl glared at him.

"Anyway, change the topic! Have you heard what happened at Watchtower 2, two days ago?" Andrew mentioned.

"Huh? No, I haven't," he said. "What did happened?"

"Well, an EMP exploded in—"

They were cut off from their conversation when the ground started to shake.

"Earthquake!" someone yelled.

People started to panic as it gets stronger.

"Everyone, take cover!"

Many ducked and hid under the tables. Some fell on the ground after losing balance.

"Citizens, please remain calm!" the security droid said. "A magnitude 5.9 earthquake is detected. Epicenter: Droid City, Sector D."

"Analyzing exact location!" the droid began verifying.

"Analyzation complete. Epicenter: Balton Alley."

"Balton Alley? That's near NTC!" Darryl exclaimed.

It didn't take long for the earthquake to cease. As it disappeared, everyone started to fix themselves and started calling people. Some started to head home.

As for Darryl, he immediately made a call to the BEP.

"Was that the EnGen?" Darryl inquired.

"We are currently monitoring it, Sir!" the head of the monitoring team of the BEP replied.

A moment later, the BEP monitoring head revealed their report.

"It wasn't the EnGen, Sir. There was no implication that it was caused by the EnGen. That earthquake was natural."

"Thank goodness!" Darryl sighed in relief. "Keep me posted if something happens."

"Who did you call?" Andrew asked.

"The BEP."

"Oh," Andrew uttered. "I guess we should head home now. The midnight event was canceled after that earthquake. Aftershocks are expected so they decided to just cancel it."

"I think what they did is right," Darryl said. "Yeah, we better go home—"

A kid suddenly appeared and stumbled. He looks scared and tired from running. The boy looks hurt and wounded as he tried to stand up. Darryl decided to aid the boy since he looks so helpless.

"Hey, kid are you alright?" Darryl asked as he lends his hand. "Hey, Andrew!"

"Wait, I think I have a first aid kit in my car. I'll go grab it."

He was awestruck after seeing his peculiar eyes. Darryl then noticed the shivering body of the boy. It looks like he's scared of something.

Maybe because of the earthquake? he thought.

"Are you—"

Darryl didn't finish his sentence when a Security Droid suddenly appeared and pinned down the boy with his face onto the ground.

"Hey, what are you doing to that kid?" he protested.

After he yelled those words, people in the area finally noticed the commotion that just happened. A crowd began to form and a murmur started.

"Please refrain from interfering with the duty of a Security Droid. Any intervention would result in possible detention which may lead to imprisonment."

Darryl understands that the droid is just following its program but for the droid to do something harsh to this little boy is too much.

"Hey, could you at least lighten the pressure you exert? It looks like the kid is in pain," a woman behind him implored.

Darryl doesn't know how what's happening. The boy is in a bad shape.

"ARGH!!!!!"

The boy screamed and screamed at the top of his lungs. Darryl felt discomfort and uneasiness seeing a little boy in pain. But, that concern and worries in his eyes faded after the boy pushed away and rivaled the droid's strength. The boy manages to escape from the grasp of the droid out of mere physical force.

"How?" Darryl mumbled in shock.

The crowd began to back away in shock and fear. He saw their faces made an expression of surprise and alarm after seeing a small boy outpowered a droid.

"Hostility detected! SD-217: requesting for back-up."

As the boy's hand clenched into a fist, a sudden spark of electricity appeared. Darryl was the only one who noticed it since it happened so fast.

"What was that?" he mumbled.

The droid charged towards the boy but he just punched the droid like it wasn't made from carbon fiber. Its head flew off a couple of meters away where its headless body dropped down in front of him. The crowd disperses as they flee away out of panic.

As the crowd fled, Darryl stood up, still shocked and surprised by what just happened.

"How—"

As he slowly returns to his senses, a droid sends the boy flying after connecting a punch onto his face. The boy was sent flying towards his direction which he miraculously dodged by jumping aside.

The three droids guarding the area of the event engaged. The boy started slaughtering the responding droids. It won't take long before the droids activate their tranquilizers.

"Hostility level rising detected: Initiating range weapon installment."

They immediately shot the boy with tranquilizers which he wasn't able to dodge. The boy grunts in pain on each hit but he refused to submit. Instead, he grabs the tranquilizer and threw it away.

Security Drones have joined and started firing tranquilizers at him. They continued firing until the boy is no longer showing any reaction.

"Stop! He might die!" Darryl screamed but it seems like they cannot hear him.

They didn't stop shooting him until he felt the air vibrating.

"What is this?" he mumbled.

He gazes back at the boy and saw a flow of electricity surrounding the boy.

"What is that?" Darryl uttered in perplexity.

As the air vibrates violently, Darryl saw a smile forming on the face of the boy. A stinging sensation was felt. A sudden burst of electricity exploded within the area. It destroyed all electronics including his watch and phone. As electronics exploded, debris started to fly away from the center of the explosion and started piecing the surrounding area.

Unfortunately, Darryl was hit by a metal rod and pierced his left arm. The truck he took cover with started to fall in his direction. Because of the pain inflicted on his left arm, he wasn't able to react instantly which resulted in his right leg being caught by the massive truck. The excruciating pain he experienced was beyond describing as the boiling cooking oil from the truck began to pour down on his broken leg and burned it.

His whole body trembles in agonizing pain. As the oil kept flowing down to his leg, he no longer could feel his leg. It was all numb now but he could still feel the agonizing pain.

His vision starting to become hazy. He's losing consciousness. He forced himself to stay awake and call for help. He wants to scream for help but he can't. All he can do now is take deep breaths. Pulling out the metal rod will be a bad idea. He'll lose blood if he pulls it away. He isn't sure if he'll survive this.

"Am I gonna die?" he mumbled with bitterness.

As he slowly lost consciousness, the truck that crushed his leg was lifted away. He looks up and gazes at the person who was standing in front of him.

It was the boy.

He was no longer surprised about his strength after being severed. The pain is overwhelming him which lessens his awareness of his surrounding.

"You're pretty strong for a kid, eh?" he said. "Is this the reason why those droids chasing you?"

"You should leave now. I deserve to be like this, for being worthless."

Darryl felt like the heavens are punishing him for everything he did. He didn't even have the chance to seek forgiveness from Diana and now he's gonna die.

"Give me your hand."

Darryl gazed at the boy. His mind is slowly getting blank. His vision becomes blurry. Breathing is getting hard for him.

"Just give me your hand, please!"

He doesn't know why the boy wants his hands. Without thinking, he lends his right hand to him. Darryl then saw the boy handing him something. He can't clearly discern what it is though.

"Now, I want you to close your eyes, please."

Darryl shut his eyes not because it's the boy's request but because he is no longer capable of staying awake.

Darryl finally shut his eyes and took one last breath.

Exhale.