Extra's Descent
Chapter 243: Setting the pieces [4]

"Yo, traitor."

"Ha."

Brandon scoffed and met Zed's gaze.

"Everything ready on your side?"

"Yeah, and good work on that recording you've sent. The other heads checked the files, and concluded it wasn't tampered with."

"Did you expect any less?"

"Nah."

Zed shook his head.

He looked around the training hall. It was dark, but the moonlight shimmered down from the windows above.

Eventually, his gaze lingered on Brandon as he went on to say,

"So? Are you ready….?"

"Yeah, I've finished everything on my side, you?"

"About done as well. If this plan of yours goes accordingly, then we might reap control over the syndicate and the entire blackmarket."

Tic.

A metallic sound rang from behind, followed by an audible gasp. Brandon didn't turn around, but Zed's eyes flickered momentarily towards a certain corner.

Without looking at Brandon, Zed asked.

"Friend of yours?"

"Maybe."

"You're quite sly for this."

At Zed's words, Brandon shrugged his shoulders.

"Mori… Ah—Sir Smith."

Link slowly walked towards them, Brandon turned around slightly and noticed the look of disbelief in his face.

"....Sir Smith. I don't think I've misheard. Does this mean you're on our side?"

"...."

However, Zed didn't respond to his question and only looked at him.

Startled by the silence, the pale expression on Link's face told Brandon that Link wanted to run.

"Yeah, he's on our side."

Brandon spoke for Zed.

Link's brows raised and the life in his eyes returned.

"Ah. This is great!"

Then, Link looked at Brandon who's back was turned towards him.

"This is the reason you called me, Mori?"

"Yes."

Brandon scoffed. Turning around, his lips curled into a grin.

"He's on our side. But the thing is…."

"Akh!"

"You are not regarded as 'our'."

As soon as those words left Brandon's mouth, he cracked his index finger.

All of a sudden, threads manifested themselves, filling the entire vicinity as they tightly wrapped around Aqua's neck, legs, and shoulders.

Clutching the threads on his neck, Link tried to break free, pulling the threads away but it was futile.

"Fuck—Kh! You two are—Kh! Traitors!"

"Kind of ironic coming from you."

Brandon walked towards him and cocked his head.

"They'll know about this! The heads won't take lightly once they replace out I'm dead….!"

"Why wouldn't they?"

"Because…."

Just as Link was about to speak, Brandon retrieved his phone from his pocket and showed it to him.

Clicking the play button, the audio recording played for Link to hear.

It was during their confrontation in the alleyway while they were trying to recruit Brandon.

"...."

The exact dialogues and the commotion that occurred during the sniper attack.

It was all played out for Link to hear.

"That recording Sir Zed mentioned…. You…. You recorded us the whole time!"

"Uh, yeah?"

It was for that reason why Brandon was reluctant to specifically voice out his acceptance towards their recruitment.

It could've been used against him, regardless of whatever strings Zed may pull.

"But why! We're supposed to be on the same side."

Then, his gaze lingered on Zed as he continued.

"You're a traitor, aren't you? So are we… So why—Kh!"

The threads around his neck tightened even more, halting his words as blood started trickling down.

Brandon remained indifferent as he opened his mouth to speak.

"You are a means to an end. All of you."

"Fuck you—Ukh!"

Thump!

Those were the last words that escaped Link's mouth as his head toppled on the ground. Blood gushed out from his exposed neck, splattering all over the ground, and staining Brandon's face.

"No remorse?"

"Nah."

Brandon wiped the blood stain on his check and turned around. Meeting Zed's gaze, he pursed his lips.

"Is this good enough?"

"Yeah. You've passed."

The main reason why Zed was here was because he was tasked to supervise the current ordeal.

A task that was given to him appropriately as the highest ranking head.

And for Brandon, since the leak came from him, he was instructed to confirm his alignment.

Killing whoever was deemed a higher–up in whatever stupid revolution the guards had plotted was enough, especially with Zed's testament.

Regardless if Link was a higher–up or not, it didn't matter. Their plans were leaked, and it was all due to Brandon.

A snitch if they want to call it.

And with that, he had now captured the attention of all the heads, slowly receiving their trust.

"So, what now?"

"We wait for the auction."

***

Inside the meeting room.

Twilight Syndicate.

A large round table sat in the center, made of polished mahogany. Eight figures sat in high-backed chairs around it with their faces hidden in shadows.

They were the syndicate heads.

They focused on the table, where papers and documents lay scattered.

The walls were lined with dark wood.

Tick. Tock—

A single clock ticked quietly in the background.

The air was thick with anticipation as silence filled the room.

The first one to have broken the silence was the man who sat in the middle.

The one deemed as the leader of the entire syndicate.

The man behind it all.

Lancelott.

"How are the preparations?"

"There seems to be no issue, Sir Lancelott. The products are all ready, and the invitations have been appropriately sent to the big names of the blackmarket."

"Good."

Lancelott nodded his head.

"Now onto the main topic."

At that, the other heads looked at each other as they all nodded in agreement. Then, one of them spoke.

It was Kael.

"Though there are no issues in regards to the actual event. The guards are without a doubt, all colluding against us."

"Ha. What a bunch of idiots."

The heads went on with their discussions. Lancelott and Zedd stayed quiet as they listened to their exchange.

"Good thing their plans were leaked. Honestly, after working for us this whole time, none of them were even loyal to us?"

"Indeed. It's quite ironic that a newbie is the main reason for the leak."

"Well, it's not just him. There seems to be another one who was aware of it, yet for some reason she stayed silent about it."

"Evangel, huh?"

"Yes, her. Although it's quite understandable. She's a quiet one after all."

Then, they all turned to look at Zed and asked.

"Sir Zed. Did she really not tell you anything?"

After all, Evangel was specifically recruited by Zed, and was assigned as his guard.

"No."

Zed shook his head.

"But it all boiled down to our agendas. If she played her cards wrongly, then we'd have no choice but to silence her."

"True. But still, she could've told you something. You could testify that she wasn't involved, no?"

"Right. But I've spoken to her about it once the leak happened. She had her reasons."

"Reasons being…?"

At that, Zed started recalling her words. As soon as he gathered his thoughts, he continued.

"She had planned on stopping it herself. Quite commendable how she didn't trouble us with the matter."

"Still, the matter is of grave importance."

"Agreed. But you do realize our policy?"

"....."

"....."

"....."

"....."

There were no words exchanged as realization dawned upon them.

Zed continued for them.

"Secrecy. Although it was against us, it wasn't her fault. After all, they're nothing but mercenaries we had personally hired."

"That makes her even more suspicious."

"This entire room is filled with suspicious individuals."

"Haha."

And they all laughed in unison.

But their joyful laughter was broken from the sound of Lancelott drumming his fingers on the table.

It was his turn to speak.

"Kael."

At his words, Kael looked at him.

"Zed."

And so did Zed.

"I'll be taking those two off your hands. Evangel and what was his name…?"

"Moriarty."

"Right. From now on, they'll be guarding for me during the auction."

"Ah… But…."

Kael seemed reluctant to let go of Moriarty. After all, he was the main star of the entire leak.

He was a talent, and Kael didn't want to let go of him.

However, Zed had thought differently as he spoke with no hesitation.

"Understood."

Seeing how easily Zed had accepted it, Kael had no choice as he went on to say,

".....Understood."