Red (part 2)

Keith thought for a moment. "Makes sense."

Keith said as he turned and began walking toward the end of the alley. "I'm super hungry! Wanna grab something to eat?"

Before Kite could offer a witty retort, he found himself sitting in a warm, fluorescent-lit diner, drinking a milkshake across from Keith, who was demolishing two burgers like a man starved.

The clink of utensils and low murmur of late-night patrons filled the air.

"Y'know I never asked for your age, how old are you?" Keith asked as he slowed down his eating.

"I'm eighteen, what about you?"

"I'm twenty-four!" Keith said as he resumed his eating.

Kite leaned back, eyeing him. "So… what do you know about this whole Paladin thing?"

Keith paused mid-bite, then wiped his mouth with a napkin. "Not much, to be honest," he admitted. "All I know is that the Paladins were created by Pulsar, and there were six of them. That's pretty much the extent of it."

He reached for his drink, took a long sip, then continued, "Some of the stones got corrupted. Pulsar told me I should find those ones and cleanse them so they can bond with their Pilots."

Kite raised an eyebrow. "Wait. Pulsar told you to find the other stones?"

Keith nodded, still chewing. "Yeah. Problem is, I have no clue where to even start looking."

Kite leaned forward slightly, resting his arms on the table. "I might have an idea of where we could start," he said thoughtfully. "But it's a long shot."

"Anything's better than nothing," Keith replied, pushing his empty plate aside. "So what's your idea?"

Finishing his milkshake, Kite set the glass down with a satisfying clink and leaned back, thinking. "When I found my stone, there was this group of people hunting it down. They were already there, searching, like they knew it was somewhere nearby."

Keith's expression darkened with interest. "Which means they must have a way to track the stones."

"Exactly," Kite said, pointing at him. "They had a system or tech or something that helped them find it."

"Do you know anything about them?" Keith asked, suddenly serious.

Kite shook his head. "Not much. Just that they were working with Legion."

Keith froze. "You mean Legion? As in the Legion—the villain?"

Kite nodded slowly.

Keith leaned back in his seat, brow furrowed. "That's some serious stuff…"

"If only we had a name," he continued, thinking aloud. "Or anything we could trace back to them…"

As Keith's voice trailed off, something clicked in Kite's mind. "My friends," he said suddenly. "They were taken hostage by those guys—maybe they overheard something. A name, location, anything."

Keith's face twisted in surprise and disbelief. "Excuse me? Your friends got what?"

Kite pulled out his phone instinctively, only to see the black screen of death. "Damn it. Phone's dead." He looked up. "You got a charger?"

Keith shook his head. "Not on me, but I've got one at my apartment."

Kite narrowed his eyes at him suspiciously. "Right. Just so you know, if this is some kind of trap, I bite."

Keith rolled his eyes. "Relax. I'm not gonna kidnap you or anything. And you can fly away if something does happen."

"True," Kite muttered. "Alright then, lead the way, stranger danger."

With a sigh, Keith waved for the waitress. She approached with a smile and handed him the bill—with a folded piece of paper attached.

"Here you go, handsome," she said with a wink.

Keith gave an awkward chuckle, glanced at the number scribbled on the paper, and crumpled it as he filled out the check. "I'm not interested," he muttered, tossing it into the bin on the way out.

Kite followed him with an amused smirk.

The two eventually arrived at Keith's apartment building, a sturdy mid-rise nestled between newer complexes. They rode the elevator to the fourth floor, the soft ding marking their arrival. Keith walked to door number 28, unlocked it, and gestured for Kite to step inside first.

Kite took in the surroundings with a raised brow. "Huh. Cozy."

The living room was spacious and neatly arranged. Several comfy-looking sofas circled a low coffee table. Potted plants sat near the windows, and framed pictures lined the shelves and walls. A large flat-screen TV dominated one side of the room.

"Home sweet home," Keith said, kicking off his shoes. "You can charge your phone by that table over there."

Kite nodded and crouched by the table near an outlet, plugging in his phone. As he set it down, his eyes drifted to a framed photo resting nearby. It showed Keith and a smiling girl, both of them laughing mid-hug.

"Yo, Keith."

Keith, now relaxing on the couch, looked over his shoulder. "What's up?"

Kite pointed at the picture. "Is this your girlfriend? 'Cause I couldn't help but notice there's a lot pictures of you two around the place."

The mood shifted instantly.

Keith's face dulled, and the light in his expression dimmed. His smile faltered as he looked away. "Umm… No."

Kite frowned. "Then why do you have pictures of another girl all over your house? I doubt your girlfriend would be happy about that."

Keith swallowed hard and stood, slowly walking over to the table. He picked up the frame, eyes locked on it. "It's… complicated."

"How so?" Kite asked, arms crossed. "I mean, to me, it just seems like you're cheating on her—no offense."

Keith's voice came out in barely a whisper. "This is her… but…"

He paused, throat tight.

"She's dead."

Kite blinked, the weight of those words settling like a stone in the room. He opened his mouth, but the words didn't come.

Keith let out a dry, painful chuckle, but there was no humor in it—just grief. "I guess she's not my girlfriend anymore, since y'know…but sometimes I can't help myself to say that she still is…"

Silence filled the space between them, heavy and uncomfortable.

Kite lowered his voice. "I'm sorry for what I said."

Keith nodded, wiping at his eyes with his sleeve. "Nah, it's cool. You didn't know the story, and I didn't explain it. So… you're good."

Kite didn't respond, just watched quietly as Keith set the picture back down with gentle care.

"I'm gonna shower," Keith said softly, turning away. "You can do the same after me, if you want. I'll grab you some blankets so you can crash here tonight."

He disappeared down the hallway.

"Wait, how'd you know I wasn't planning to head back?" Kite called after him.

Keith's voice floated back. "Paladin powers. I can somewhat read minds. I can't hear your thoughts, so don't worry."

Kite raised an eyebrow, then turned his gaze to the picture frame again. After a beat, his phone powered on. He immediately opened his messages and typed a quick note to his friend.

Yo, listen dude. I know it's late, but when you wake up, can you tell me everything that happened while those guys held you captive? Also, don't worry about me—I'm safe. I'll be back at the motel by morning!

Hitting send, Kite got up and walked to the couch, stretching out under the blankets Keith had left for him. He meant to wait until Keith finished his shower—but before he knew it, the warmth of the couch and the exhaustion of the night caught up to him.

Within minutes, Kite drifted into sleep, the soft hum of running water in the background fading into dreams.