A bunch of kidnappers
1043 Words
With the brief exchange, the duo hugged before Vera subtly broke it off.
Deryl tried to move his hands from her back to her waist but a dry cough at that moment caused him to pause.
Shifting his attention to the side, he found a white haired boy standing there.
"... I don't recall inviting you. Who are you again?"
"Marcus Caine, nice to make your acquaintance.", Marcus replied with a curt bow.
"... Marcus Caine?" Deryl raised a brow.
Vera quickly intervened in a bid to diffuse the mounting tension. "He's with me."
"Oh?"
"Mn, I'm looking after him for a bit."
"Looking after him?... Who is he to you?" Deryl inquired as he gave Marcus quite a menacing glance.
"A relative."
"A relative?"
"Yeah, he stayed with his parents in a mountain village, but something happened, so he had to come here to live with us. He's new to the city so I'm just showing him around."
"... Oh, is that so?" Deryl's expression seemed to relax at the explanation prompting Marcus to wonder if he had a thing for Vera.
In any case, he wasn't too interested as he shifted his attention back to Mira.
A quick scrutiny allowed him to note that she was devoid of aura, an essential aspect required for a Martial artist to perform Martial Arts.
Which made him wonder if she was actually the mastermind behind the attack carried out by masked men from earlier.
She did have the motive based on the relationship she held with Vera, but the motive was one thing, the ability to carry it out was another.
So was it someone else related to Mira?... Either that, or she used money to buy them out.
It wasn't unheard of for Martial Artists who are meant to be proud to sell their craft as long as the money was high enough.
In any case, he decided to watch the situation for the time being.
"Are you busy?" Vera asked while giving Mira a side glance.
Deryl pursed his lips before shaking his head. "No, not really."
"Would you like to dance then?"
"Would I?" Deryl's eyes shone with excitement as he grabbed Vera and pulled her to the dancefloor, worried that she'd change her mind if he wasted time.
Mira watched in silence as Deryl was taken away, her expression contorting as she muttered something inconspicuous.
Restraining herself, she rose to her feet and excused herself while Marcus watched her back.
Pursing his lips, Marcus turned to ensure Vera was okay and after that was assured, he turned and followed after Mira.
***
It didn't take long before Marcus returned in disappointment.
Contrary to his initial thoughts, Mira had actually left the club in her car.
Needless to say, Marcus saw no reason to chase after her and so returned to the club where everyone was having a good time.
Vera had a most triumphant look on her face revealing that she knew that Mira had left.
Of course, she was slightly upset that Betty had left before she arrived, preventing her from dishing out a dose of revenge but regardless, she had to be content with her current victory.
With her mission accomplished, she decided to leave since her excitement for the party had long since died down.
Unfortunately, Deryl wasn't about to let her go.
"Oh come on, stay a bit longer."
"I'd rather not," Vera replied as she escaped Deryl's embrace.
"Why not?"
"I had a really busy day and I honestly just want to go home and rest."
"Oh, that's understandable. Should I take you home?"
"That won't be necessary. I came in my car."
"I see," Deryl muttered in utter disappointment.
Letting out a sigh, he was just about to concede to Vera leaving when he caught sight of Marcus standing at a corner, his eyes wandering around the dancefloor.
"Oh hey, you can't go just yet," Deryl remarked as he turned to Vera.
"Why?"
"You brought your cousin to my party and he's just standing over there. Naturally, I have to make sure that he remembers this night."
"...that won't be necessary."
"Oh come on, you can't have all the fun. Let's go talk with him."
Against Vera's wishes, Deryl pulled her along as they moved toward Marcus's position.
However, just then, the lights went off, plunging the club into darkness.
An eerie silence engulfed the building with everyone wondering what had happened.
Marcus, on the other hand, had a frown on his face as he noticed the movements of some people in masks.
"... Three times in one day?" Marcus was left speechless as he wondered what they were up to.
The next moment, the lights came back on and not only Vera, but Deryl as well were nowhere to be found.
Naturally, no one took notice of this, and with the return of the loud music, they quickly returned to their dancing, forgetting the tension that had existed just a moment prior.
Marcus clicked his tongue as he quickly left the club, chasing after the kidnappers.
"Does this really have something to do with that girl, Mira?" He couldn't help but wonder as he rushed through the back door and down the alleyway.
It was too much of a coincidence that after she left, the attackers arrived.
"Maybe I should have followed her but then again… I can't be completely sure this is connected to her."
Quickly adjusting his thoughts, Marcus arrived at an intersection where a black bus was parked.
There, he found eight masked men standing around the bus, four of whom were currently tying up Deryl and Vera.
"What the hell do you think you are doing?... Let me go!... My dad will have your head for this." Deryl threatened as he tried to free himself, but all he got in response was a hit to the back of his head, which promptly knocked him out.
Vera, on the other hand, was terrified, as her body shook intermittently as her hands and legs were tied with ropes.
Judging from the expression on her face, she seemed to have recalled a matter she'd forgotten for some reason.
"I believe that's more than enough," Marcus remarked as he approached the bus cautiously.
- Writer
