Code Collector

"When did this happen?" Allen asked. They were now in the hospital, outside of the Intensive Care Unit where Jeremy was. Allen was pacing in front of Gwen who was crying and Gary who was sleeping.

"Just now," Gwen replied. "I received a call from the office and they said that the Phantom Cunt attacked him."

"Was there any proof?" Allen asked, to which Gwen answered by showing him her phone.

On the screen was a CCTV footage outside of a neaby building. The camera was pointed at the direction of the alley in which Allen and Jeremy were talking.

The footage was ten seconds long and it shows the Phantom Cunt leaving the scene. He appeared out of nowhere, and then was running in the streets, panicked like he had done something wrong.

Similar footages of different buildings were also compiled by Gwen, and the videos looked real. If you weren't there when Allen's memories were resurfacing, you would also think that the Phantom Cunt was running away after doing something heinous.

It looked like he attacked someone. 

"When I catch that fool, I'll kill him with my own hands," Gwen growled. "How dare he attack a police officer? I knew a guard who died because of his poisoning and now he attacks the one who's most capable of catching him? I can't believe this."

Allen couldn't believe it too. The videos shown looked believable, and as the man behind the persona, he can't defend him. It will be too suspicious if he tries to defend the Phantom Cunt, and it might jeopardize him.

The anger and bitterness he was feeling right now, he can just swallow it and keep it to himself. He wasn't done with his deal with Jeremy, and before that deal was finished, he can't die. Not on Allen's watch.

It was midnight when Allen had another agenda in his long list of agendas. He was going to find Chen, and he will make him pay. There was no other person who had grudges for Jeremy apart from the man.

He was in the rooftop when he took his phone and took a deep breath. He typed the numbers in his phone and dialed it. A few rings later, the other line picked up, prompting the boy to speak.

"Hello Jack?" Allen said. "You left a rat in the camp."

"Oh, reall?" Jack smirked through the phone. He took a couple of seconds pause before talking again. "What rat escaped my eyes, eh boy?"

"I see you lost your accent," Allen joked. He wanted to take the joke back after ruining the serious mood between them. He couldn't help it though. He was used to talking to Jack so casually that he lost sense of respect between them. "I-I'm sorry—"

"Enough with the drama, boy," Jack said. "What it is that you wanted to tell me? Name the rat and I'll personally go there."

"Chen," Allen didn't hesitate to speak. There was a moment of silence between them. He could only hear the steady breathing of the old man on the other line, him not knowing what he was feeling right now. "He had a scar on his face. He's big, scary, and wears a suit and a pair of sunglasses."

"There's only one Chen in the streets," Jack whispered. "And even I don't want to be messing with him."

"I–" Allen stopped himself. He felt weak the moment Jack spoke those words. The old man was his last chance of redemption for what happened to Jeremy. If Jack was scared of Chen, then there's no way he shouldn't be.

Even the aura of the large man alone was scary. He was only able to bear the sight of him because he needed the information being exchanged by the two. But in actuality, with his current power, he's no match for Chen.

"That was…" Jack continued, making Allen snap from his thoughts. "That was before I founded Verta Carta."

The boy's mood was lifted. The fear that was lingering over him vanished and he could exhale in peace. Of course, Jack could handle Chen. The old man was a force to be reckoned with.

Chen had an aura that was terrifying since he doesn't hold back when exuding his potential. He was there to show off and he wasn't going to stop showing off. Jack on the other hand was a leader of a gang capable of infiltrating the information of a camp. That's an information with a military-grade security.

Verta Carta wasn't just any gang after all, and it's leader wasn't just a leader. He was a powerful commander.

And he was allies with Allen.

"To be honest, I was part of his gang before," Jack continued. "It was his father's gang, Yuan, and he just inherited it. I was best friends with Yuan until he died a year ago. That's when Chen took over and f*cked the entire gang up."

"What did he do?" Allen couldn't help himself but ask.

"Too long to speak on the phone," Jack said. "Where are you right now? I'll come and find you."

Allen told Jack the hospital Jeremy was in. The old man agreed to meet him there in the morning and told the boy to get some rest saying, "The young should get as much rest as they can. When you're old, you can't rest just as easy. You might die suddenly."

Perhaps it was fate that moved the two closer together. Jack knew Allen's identity and he didn't even bother telling the police, nor anyone else. He was the first person Allen could trust and he hopes that the situation would stay the same until the end.

Allen walked over to the door of the rooftop when he saw Gary leaning on the railing. He tilted his head to the side and got closer to the man who was closing his eyes.

"What are you doing here?" Allen askee, snapping Gary awake from his sleep. "Oh, sorry. Did I disturb you?"

"No, it's just—" Gary paused. He massaged his forehead and shook his head, seemingly to clear his thoughts. "Jeremy's friends came. Gwen is with them now."

"Jeremy's friends?" Allen asked. "Who?"

–

"You?" Selena pointed Allen. "But I thought you were from our camp?"

"I was originally from here," Allen lied. "I was just in your camp because I brought something over to a friend."

"Oh," Selena formed an O with her mouth. "Okay then."

"You know each other?" Gwen asked, pointing at Allen then at Selena.

"We briefly exchanged words back in our camp," Irene answered. "We believed Kyle hypnotized him."

"Hey," Kyle growled. "You just didn't believe that I made a friend. You're both so insecure by my friendliness."

"Who's insecure?" Irene scrunched her face. "Who would want to be friends with you?"

"So, you're not my friends?" Kyle touched his chest and faked a pained look. "I cannot believe this."

"You seem to be a joyful bunch," Gwen smiled. Her eyes were still puffy but the tears that she shed for her colleague had long since dried. She looked like a mess, but her beauty still was present.

Her dark red hair was slightly messy after the running and the crying, her full lips were swollen from her constant biting, and her skin was dried from dehydration. Allen snapped himself from his thoughts after seeing Gwen pale a bit.

"I'm gonna go get you some water, Gwen," Allen said. He excused himself from the group and searched the building for a vending machine. "Mind telling me why you're following me?"

"Mind telling me why you were staring at Gwen the whole time?" Gary retorted, making Allen scoff and roll his eyes. He saw the rectangular machine that made him dash towards it.

"And why are you avoiding the question, huh?" Gary caught up to him, smirking while leaning on the vending machine. "Are you perhaps guilty? I caught you red handed, Dante."

"Why are you even pestering me?" Allen sighed. He inserted his coin to the slot and selected a bottle of water. "I think Gwen is beautiful, but who wouldn't think that."

"I would," Gary smirked. "She's the perfect package after all. But I don't think of her as a woman. Just a little sister."

"I think of her that way too," Allen said.

This made Gary snort, making Allen quirk his eyebrow up. "What?"

"She's older than you," Gary chuckled. "How come she's your younger sister?" 

"She's my sister, whatever," Allen groaned and left Gary alone at the vending machine. When he returned to his group, he handed Gwen the water and sat beside her. "Are you okay?"

"I just need a bit of rest," Gwen said. "Can I go home for a bit? I'll just take a nap."

"You can sleep in the room," Kyle said. "We already prepared the ward for Jeremy. There are three beds there, so you can rest on one."

"Perfect," Gwen said with a yawn and stood. With one last look of the door of the ICU, she left to find a place to sleep.