Hideaway

"What do we do now, Cypher?"

"Don't worry, Sir! I've already called for help hours ago," Cypher assured. "He'll be here any minute now."

Later, they began to see a vehicle moving closer to their spot.

"Don't be alarmed, Sir. That's a friend," Cypher said.

An offroad vehicle suddenly stopped in front of them.

"Of all the time you could have called, you really chose today?" the man grumbled.

"I was having a good time at home since I'm on leave at work and suddenly, some jackass decided to call and forced me out of my vacation!" the man yelled. "Nice timing, my friend!"

"Sorry about that," Cypher apologize.

The man then gazes at Darryl and asks, "Who the fuck is this? Your new boyfriend?"

"No, he's—!" Cypher was interrupted.

"Of course, I know who he is. Now, drop the formalities and just tell me what crimes did you do this time?" the man demanded.

"That can wait," Cypher shortly faces Darryl to introduce the man. "Darryl, this is Trevor. He's a friend of mine."

"Sup!" Trevor greeted. "Alright, hop in! Just tell the tale on the road!"

As the three drove away, Trevor started a conversation with Cypher.

"Hey, Cyf! Perhaps, you have that thing now?"

"You know I can't! There is no way I'm purchasing that kind of stuff. How about you buy it yourself?"

"Can't you just order it online for me? Help a buddy out, will ya?"

"Um… no!"

"What a bummer!" Trevor blurted.

"Anyway, would you care explaining what kind of criminal activities I get myself involved with?"

"Sorry about that. You're the only one I could think of to ask for help."

"Yeah, whatever!" Trevor retorted.

"I met him outside the empire one time," Cypher said at Darryl who's sitting in the back seat. "He saved my guts back then and I helped him out when he needed my help... badly needed my help!"

"Hey, stop spilling my dirt!" Trevor complained. "I guess this makes us even now!"

"Maybe?" Cypher concluded.

"Enough about me! How about you spill the beans now!" Trevor demanded.

"Long story short, we're running away because something shady is happening inside. I can't explain the full details but we need to flee."

"What a hanging story!" Trevor remarked as he squints his eyes at him. "It's a good thing though that you got out in time, whatever the reason is."

"Thanks for helping us and for giving us a lift!"

"Anything for my, pal!" Trevor replied. "So, what will you do now?"

"I'm planning to stay low-key at Frealance Empire, maybe for a while as we plan our next move," Cypher concluded.

The car suddenly comes to a halt.

"Why did you stop?" Cypher inquired.

"Wait, you are saying…" Trevor paused.

"What?" Cypher asked as he started to feel anxious.

"I thought we're heading to Craper," Trevor groaned. "That's why you ask me to pick you up at the forest outside Chine City!"

"Uh, no?" Cypher rejected.

"Now I understand why you ask specifically me for help," Trevor groaned. "Of course, I own an offroad vehicle."

"So, you want me to drive you to Frealance through the motherfucking wilderness!" Trevor exclaimed in irritation.

"Sort of?"

"If we're heading to Frealance, why didn't you tell me we're heading in the wrong direction?"

"Honestly, I thought you already knew. Haven't I mentioned it over the phone?"

"If you did mention it, then why were we heading the wrong way? Of course, you didn't, smartass!"

"Well, I thought there's another way you knew so I kept silent."

"You know what, nevermind!"

Trevor whined as he drove off the road.

"Hey, you said I can ask you anything. You said we're pals!" Cypher reminded.

"Yeah! But at least…" Trevor paused as he let his frustrations remain within. "You know what? Just shut up and let me drive quietly or else I'll send you two off the cliff."

As the road gets bumpy, Trevor continued complaining.

"I thought this would just take me a couple of hours," Trevor mumbled. "Ugh, I should have said that I'll be back after 2 days. I hope that vicious woman won't annoy Arthur. Shit, that monkey will surely tussle me when I get back."

"Looks like someone's having troubles with their…. Lover, perhaps?" Cypher retorted. "Did someone finally fall into your lies?"

"She's not my lover, well, not yet!" Trevor replied. "And what lies are you spouting? I'm a man of truth. I'm the pinnacle of truth.

"Yeah, you are!" Cypher retorted.

"I'm still working it out but maybe soon, she'll give in."

"Well, knowing you… um… How do I say this?" Cypher stuttered. "Well, I hope that person will make the right decision."

"She should be pleased to have me. It's hard to find good men like me these days," Trevor declared. "She's playing 'hard to get' though and she hits people in the nuts."

Cypher was about to ask when Trevor interrupted, "Don't even ask!"

"Well, good for you," Cypher remarked.

Darryl then noticed Trevor who keeps glaring at him at the rearview mirror. He didn't bother to say something about that since he's helping them out. Darryl assumed that maybe he was just curious why the leader of Bionic left the empire.

"Yo, Mr. President or something!" Trevor called. "Shit, how do I address you… um… your majesty… fuck."

"No need to address me like that. Just call me Darryl."

"I'll just call you… um… Ryle. Your name is too long to pronounce."

"His name is literally two syllables long. How is it too long to pronounce?" Cypher argued.

"That's alright, Cypher. You can just call me, 'Ryle' if that's what you want," Darryl replied.

"So, Ryle? Are you really sure of what you're doing right now?" Trevor asked. "You know, being out here in the open is kinda dangerous. It's riskier since you are an imperial leader. Do you think what you're doing right now is good for you?"

Darryl gazes at the window as the sun slowly vanishes at the horizon.

"I know what I'm doing is kinda stupid. I know that once I cross the walls of Bionic, the danger would greet me. But I need to face those risks if I want to achieve my goals. I hurt someone and I want to ask for her forgiveness. I kept waiting for her to return but I think she won't. I just later discovered that she's involved in a big mess and I don't know what to do. The DPS declared that they had already met a dead end with her case. They are no longer looking for her. That's why I left Bionic. If DPS won't look for her, then I will," Darryl explained.

"And who might it be? You're girlfriend?"

"No, it's safe to say… she's someone I don't want to lose," Darryl replied.

Darryl saw an odd expression from Trevor's eyes like he was somewhat ridiculing him. It was weird even for Darryl. He feels like Trevor doesn't like him and he is just making small talk.

"Things a man would do for love," Trevor remarked. "Well, just don't get your hopes up. You'll get hurt by reality if it didn't turn out the way you want it."

After 5 hours of trekking an arduous off-road terrain, they finally found the highway leading to Frealance Empire.

"It will be smooth sailing from this point," Trevor informed as he stepped on the gas.

As the night gets deeper, Trevor and Cypher continued conversing. Their conversation is consists of politics, imperial news, and what's happening with their lives. It's mostly Trevor who keeps talking. Trevor keeps sharing about the things this woman does to him. Darryl thought that Trevor and this woman sounds like they have a 'Love-Hate Relationship'. Darryl somewhat felt a bit of envy. He keeps talking about it nonstop. Until Trevor brought out the restricted area topic.

"You remember that weird village?" Trevor said. "That restricted area or whatever they called that place."

"You mean that massive village where a new lethal virus occurred 3 years ago? Yeah, what about it?"

"I heard rumors that something weird is in that place. From what we are told, Stellar put a massive fucked-up dome and sealed the whole fucking village because of some virus shit. A traveler suddenly arrived at the marketplace where I work and began telling crazy stories about the place. He said that he got a chance to get near the area before the security caught him. He said that the whole area beyond the fences became a wasteland. It's been years since I last saw the place but I could never comprehend how it was reduced into that state based on that traveler's story. He even showed us some images and… Geez, those images are really chilling. I'm not sure if those were real or edited but if those were authentic, I wouldn't mind bombing that place and erasing it from the map for good," Trevor said. "Stellar's getting shady as time passes."

"Have you considered the possibility that it might be the side-effect of their measures to eliminate such organism?" Cypher suggested.

"Measures my ass!" Trevor disagreed. "There's something in there that Stellar is hiding. I guess they don't want the world to know how messed up they are. And if you hear his stories or even saw the images, you'll get the chills too!"

"What exactly did that traveler see there?"

"Nothing," Trevor replied with uneasiness in his tone. "He saw nothing."

"And what do you mean by that?"

"He saw literally nothing," Trevor repeated. "Everything around the dome was reduced to nothing. Everything becomes a literal wasteland. He said that he felt like he traveled into another planet. It feels like he was on an alien planet after seeing how dreadful the land became and I couldn't argue more after seeing those photos."

"In addition to that, he also heard howls and growls. It was so eerie and so creepy that he got goosebumps all over his body. And he thinks that it's coming from the inside… inside the dome."

"I just don't understand why the CUE isn't doing anything about that area nor to Stellar," Trevor added. "They quickly send the Universal Affairs Bureau at my workplace after hearing bad rumors about it but they didn't do the same to that restricted area shit!"

"You got a point there. It's kinda weird for the CUE for not doing anything about that," Cypher agreed.

"Fuck, don't tell me they're plotting something," Trevor surmised.

"Let's just hope that they are not," Cypher replied.

After hours of conversing, they finally arrived at Frealance Empire at dawn. As they arrived at the place where Cypher directed, Trevor quickly lends him something after the two get off the car.

"Here, take this!" Trevor said.

"What's this?" Cypher asked.

"You, too, Ryle!" Trevor said as he gave each of them a pink flower pin.

"Uh?" Cypher blurted.

"It's the only color I have. Don't be picky!" Trevor expressed. "Anyway, that's a gift from me. Wear that all the time. Make it more obvious, make it easily be seen."

"Is this some sort of a sketchy coded badge?" Cypher surmised.

"What if I say yes? Would you arrest me, Mr. Officer?" Trevor mocked. "I guess my debt is already been paid off."

"Thank you for the help, Trevor!"

"Cypher, I think this will be the last time we'll see each other."

"Oh... Then, I guess this is a goodbye then?"

"Don't make it weird. It's cringy, you know. Welp, good luck to you two!" Trevor then started the engine. "I hope you succeed being a criminal. Bye!"

As Trevor's presence vanishes, the two started heading towards an apartment.

"Cypher, I've been meaning to ask. Who is that Trevor?"

"He's an errand boy who I met about 2 years ago. He saved my life one time when my car went out of control when I was heading to Craper for some personal business. That was a bad accident I got there and if it weren't for him, I could have died back then. I didn't even get his name that time. I woke up in the hospital after," Cypher explained.

"But why is it like he's the one in debt to you?"

"Well, it's just his nature to be like that. All I did was help him get released when he was arrested in Bionic for entering illegally."

"Why did he get arrested?"

"A week after the car accident, I quickly return to duty. And I heard that someone foolishly entered the empire without any ID for identification. The intruder said that he lost it when he was saving a man from an accident about a week ago but he didn't notice that it was missing," Cypher said. "And I later discovered that it was him. I then gave a testimony that he is telling the truth because what he was saying is true."

"Oh, is that so. But what is that thing he keeps asking you for?"

"Oh, about that. He was trying to purchase something I prefer that you shouldn't know. And since he got arrested, he wasn't able to get what he wanted. He was banned to enter the empire for 3 years too after that whole situation."

"After I helped him get his freedom again, he then declared that he is forever in debt to me. And since that day, we always keep in touch," Cypher then let out a soft laugh. "I should be the one in debt to him. He saved my life. Helping him out was just the right thing to do to the person who saved my ass!"

"Wait, is he, perhaps, blaming me for getting arrested?"

"Why do you say that, Sir?"

"Well, he keeps glaring at me the whole trip. I thought I did something that made him mad."

"Well, I'm not sure. It's been 2 years since that happen. Holding a grudge for that long… only psychopaths can do that."

"Anyway, why are we here at this apartment?"

"We'll be staying here for a while."

The two shortly entered the establishment and began ascending. They then walk into the corridor on the 12th floor. Cypher then knocked on one of the doors. They didn't get any response from the first series of knocks since it's dawn. The person living there must be still sleeping. Cypher continued knocking when someone finally replied.

"Who is it?" the resident of that room asked.

"Ma, it's me!" Cypher replied.

A series of clanks and clicks were heard and the door finally burst open. An old lady came out of the room and immediately embraces Cypher.

"Cypher, my little munchkin!" the old lady expressed with tears of happiness dripping down from her eyes. "I've missed you so much!"

Darryl saw how Cypher's presence made the old lady cry with happiness.

Is she his mother? Darryl thought.

"I'm so sorry for not visiting you for so long. I was planning to take a leave and take a vacation here but—"

"That's alright, my little gumdrop. What's important is you're here now," the old lady expressed as she finally noticed Darryl.

"Ma, this is Darryl!" Cypher introduced as Darryl bowed in respect at Willyn. "And Darryl this is Willyn, the one who raised me since I was a kid."

Was he adopted? Darryl thought.

"Nice to meet you, ma'am!" Darryl greeted.

"Nice to meet you too, Darryl!" Willyn exchanged. "Please come in!"

"Thank you very much, ma'am!" Darryl said.

"You don't have to call me like that. Willyn would be just fine," Willyn said. "And Darryl, please make yourself at home."

"Ma, sorry for coming without notice. It's just we're in hurry this time," Cypher apologized.

"Don't mind it. I'll prepare your mattresses now. You must have been exhausted with your trip."

"I'm totally fine. How about you take a rest, Sir?" Cypher suggested.

"I really need that. Maybe I'll take a quick nap if that's alright?" Darryl confessed.

As Willyn set the mattress, Darryl quickly laid down and fall asleep. Meanwhile, Willyn started to prepare the shower for Cypher.

"Cypher, honey?" Willyn called as Cypher took his towel. "Is Darryl someone you need to protect? Is he part of your job?"

Willyn understands the weight of Cypher's job. She knows what Cypher does and that's why she surmised if what he's doing right now is an assignment or somewhat similar to that.

"I can't risk telling you about it but we're really in a tight situation. Giving him protection, which he needs right now is somewhat… may be part of what I'm doing right now," Cypher explained. "No matter what happens, he is still the leader of Bionic which makes me—"

"Leader of what, Dear?" Willyn blurted in surprise.

"Um... That man who's sleeping in the living room is Mr. Darryl Richard, Bionic's current leader," Cypher enlightened.

"Wait, did I just make an imperial leader sleep on the floor in a mattress in my living room?" Willyn clarified.

"That's right!" Cypher confirmed.

"Oh my gosh! Why didn't you tell me?" Willyn exclaimed in alarm. "How could I make an imperial leader sleep on the floor? I'm the worst!"

"This is exactly why I didn't tell you about it because you'll overreact."

"He's Bionic's leader. Of course, I'll overreact!" Willyn reasoned out.

"Ma, calm down. Mr. Richard won't mind that kind of thing. He's a considerate man."

"Okay, if you say so."

"Ma, can we stay here for a while? We kinda need a place to stay as we sort things out. Is that alright?"

"I'm more than happy to obliged."