Bonds and Betrayal
As Narrated by the Event Keeper
The next morning at Jasper’s house, Jasper stood outside waiting for his friends to arrive. His uncle had even arranged a bus for their journey to the secret bunker. That’s when he suddenly saw his friend Victor approaching with a large suitcase slung over his shoulder.
“What is this?” Jasper demanded. “I told you to bring only a few necessary items. We don’t want to attract any attention.”
“This is necessary,” Victor replied.
“And your friend? Where is he?” jasper asked
“What friend?”
“The one you mentioned yesterday! Is he coming?”
Victor shrugged, his expression a blank wall. “Oh, that. Forget it.”
Jasper exhaled sharply, waving a hand. “Whatever. Just toss the suitcase in the bus and come help me pack my things. My uncle’s almost here.”
Inside that suitcase, Alessandra lay bound, her wrists chafed by coarse rope, her mouth stuffed with a gag that muffled her desperate breaths. Victor hefted the case onto the bus, its thud against the floor drowned by the engine’s rumble. He turned to help Jasper load a few boxes from the house
Not long after, Victor’s uncle arrived and was speaking with the driver about the bunker’s location. Soon, others showed up as well, including Eugene and his mother. After Jasper’s uncle finished giving the driver the coordinates, everyone boarded the bus and the journey finally began.
Somewhere along the route, amid the steady hum of conversation, someone suddenly heard noises coming from Victor’s suitcase. Alessandra had regained consciousness and was desperately trying to call for help, though her mouth was gagged with a cloth.
Eugene’s mother, a slight woman with tired eyes, tilted her head. “Whose bag is that? Do they have a dog in there?”
Jasper glanced over, his brow furrowing. “That’s Victor’s.”
He moved to unzip it, curiosity outweighing caution, but Victor lunged, gripping his arm. “Don’t. There’s nothing inside.”
“There’s clearly something in there! Did you bring a dog? I told you no pets are allowed!” Jasper yelled.
“I didn’t bring a dog. It’s nothing… forget about it!”
“Buddy, if it’s not a dog, then what’s really inside? Let me see!” Jasper insisted.
Curiosity got the better of everyone, so while others restrained Victor, Jasper pried open the suitcase. Alessandra spilled out, her dark hair tangled, her wrists raw, her eyes wide with terror above the gag.
“Alessandra! What are you doing in Victor’s suitcase? Victor—what is this? What did you do?” Jasper demanded.
A commotion erupted in the bus. The driver slammed the brakes, tires squealing as the vehicle jolted to a stop on a dusty roadside. Jasper’s uncle rushed from the front seat to see what was happening.
“Who is this girl?” he asked Jasper, then removed the cloth from her mouth.
“Help me! Please, help me! This freak kidnapped me!” Alessandra cried out, pointing at Victor.
“Jasper! Isn’t he your friend? Did you conspire with him? Did you two kidnap this girl!?” Jasper’s uncle thundered.
“No, uncle, I didn’t know about this! He did it on his own,” Jasper defended himself. “Victor! What is this! What have you done?”
Victor remained unnervingly calm, as if he weren’t in deep trouble. “The world is ending. She’s our friend! Is it wrong to save her?”
“You tied her up and shoved her in a suitcase. This is kidnapping—this is insane!” Eugene interjected. Then, whispering to the others, he added, “He’s not normal. I heard even his father has given up on him, and his mother committed suicide shortly after his birth.”
Upon hearing that, Victor felt a surge of something unfamiliar—blood lust. He longed to overturn the bus and make them all pay for the insult. In that moment, his only desire was to gain the power necessary for revenge.
“We’re wasting time! Jasper, I’ll deal with you later. But this is the end for your friend,” Jasper’s uncle declared.
“What are you going to do to him?”
“We need to continue our journey!”
“We can’t stop because of one little girl!”
People commented in the bus
Without another word, Jasper’s uncle tied Victor’s hands and legs and hurled him out of the bus. Helpless, Victor could only scream, pleading for them to return Alessandra.
“He’s crazy! How could you be friends with such an insane person?” Jaspers uncle scolded his nephew.
“I don’t know what’s gotten into him.” Jasper was just as surprised as everyone else by Victors actions
“What about the girl?” The bus driver asked, “Should we take her home—back to her parents?”
“We can’t do that! She’s coming with us!” Jasper’s uncle ordered.
“No! My parents must be worried! Please, take me home!” Alessandra begged.
“She knows where we’re going! I’m not sure how long she’s been conscious—she must have overheard me and the driver before everyone boarded. Now listen carefully: if you want to survive this war and save your lives, remember that the minute she arrives home, she will reveal the location of the bunker. Is that what you want?” Jasper’s uncle warned everyone.
After that, they set off, taking Alessandra with them and leaving Victor stranded in the middle of nowhere. In that dark moment, Victor vowed to exact revenge on them all—at any cost. But first, he knew he had to acquire the power necessary to do so.
After finding his way home, he headed straight for Fort Vanguard.
“I was surprised when I suddenly got your call. So, did you finally come to your senses?” the general asked his son.
“From now on, I’ll risk my life to serve our country—and our planet,” Victor replied.
“Perfect! You’ve made me proud, son! Hurry! Come with me to One—let’s get started!” the general commanded.
“Yes, sir!” Victor resolutely affirmed.
Then, using his authority, the general administered an injection to his son, and just like that another terror was unleashed upon the world. leaving Cipher and Squadron-x asking only one question; was this boy an ally or a foe?