Selena's curiosity was piqued by the young adults retorted heavily as she cussed. Her fingers digging through the edge of the image, immediately noticing this — Selena stood up, snatching the item from her grasp as fast as she could.
"Calm down," she protested, as she held the item in her hand. Her gaze locked on Rubi in deep confusion and curiosity. "And did you know Jason?"
"Yeah," said Rubi as she breathed in. "It looks like it…"
At the wave of emotions, just as her silent strip of breath fell from her lips. She as well, dropped on the chair, her body relaxing as she leaned her back, with her legs crossed at each other.
The situation they are in — yes, it was unbecoming. The coincidence, the implications and the familiarity. She was so caught up to that idea, that she barely noticed her daze twirling everywhere.
Because, she couldn't help but to think she might have fallen on a fixed trap. Was the job set up? She clenched her fingers, her teeth clustering as she looked down.
Rubi's eyes gleamed heavily. Her mind cannot lose composure as she shoots down a weary gaze. Her breathing ragged, then silently she backend.
She was used to jobs that are set up, considering that she had many more hoaxed jobs than safe and normal ones. Recognizing these jobs that Weiss had her running around the city for a lack of reward, or even not paid enough.
If this is one of them, and even without Weiss unlucky choices. She never thought this was hoaxed from the beginning, but as long as she's paid right, screw the antics of fate, she will bypass any system to complete this forsaken mission.
But first, she tapped her fingers on her arm. She needs to find out if this job is really a setup, and if it does, well, let's say, even Rubi has her way of dealing with this kind of situation.
Selena pondered the words that came from Rubi's lip, the irking of confusion was ever so hard to resist as she tried to hold back the need to ask, but in the end, even she couldn't help but to seek the answer.
She darted a gaze of a woman that was about to speak, her lips were half way telling the words when a sheer breeze fell to her stride.
A sharp tone, one that was shaping the very reverberated, skimming behind her, a slight shiver ran through her spine, listening to that clustering — metallic yet gently tapping.
The rhythmic ruckus only serves to be fueled as they continue to ignore it. Now with it getting louder, and louder, as if desperate to enter.
Rubi's sharp instinct kicked in, her eyes sparkled of both jolt and startled, but yet she remained calm.
Which had been different from Selena, the adult in front of her by long years, her body shrieking in panic, her face paling as her complexion. She held her breath, as she heavily turned towards Rubi with the look of desperation.
She knew full well that without the contract, which the client should have agreed first, in a matter of professionalism, she cannot abide by her request for now.
The only thing she can do will have to be a support. "Check it out," she whispered towards Selena, as she silently stood up.
Selena grumbled for a moment before she nodded. Following Rubi's demand, she silently took a step closer towards the door, her footsteps echoing, just enough as pressed her palm on the door.
Just as Selena was checking out the person behind the door. Rubi elusively moved at the counter, her steps made little noise, as she circled around the kitchen island as mutely as she could.
Rubi's hand clutched a kitchen knife at the counter, making sure she didn't make any sound. And then she made a distance, and carefully put the knife behind her.
The ever so loud tapping, the knock that was becoming more surreal had Selena pondering so fast as she looked at the peephole, with her other eyes left closed.
Her eyes widened at the realization, as she recognized the person, but before she opened it. She felt her body jolting, as she noticed a hand laying on her shoulder.
"Jason…?" Rubi asked.
Selena nodded in response. "Hold on, he is an ally," she said, as she held the doorknob.
Rubi tightened her hold on her shoulder, stopping her from opening the door. "Heed my request, and I will get Denise to safety if a case happens," she bargained, her voice dropping low as a whisper, so that the man behind can't hear them.
Listening to the young adults seemingly cold whisper, it didn't take Selena awhile to nod in agreement. "Alright, what is it?"
"Do not tell him I was here, can you do that for me, or the fact that I came?" Rubi whispered quietly as she asked in a request.
She didn't understand Rubi's sudden request, or why she suddenly sounded coldly as she whispered, but knowing that she's gonna prioritize her child if things go off the grid, made her nod at her request, even if she found it odd.
For her, that wasn't important right now. She just wanted Denise not to be found, and she'll do anything in her power to do so. "Sure," she said.
Rubi appreciated her cooperation, before she fell back inside, then she began to hide. Her steps became more silent, as she lowered, but her grip on the kitchen knife remained firm.
When Selena opened the door, a man huffed heavily, his hand holding a grocery pack. "You sure took your time, opening a goddamn door," the man said, as he entered, his steps becoming rougher and rougher as he crossed the hallways toward the kitchen.
Selena sighed and grumbled at his complaint. "You sure hell are annoying for someone who hasn't come home for a month," she said heavily before she leaned on the wall as she watched Jason lay the grocery on the kitchen island.
His eyes then darted at the table, where he found scattered papers and a laptop on the side. "Still on that matter?" He asked as she stepped close at the table, with his hand clutching the paper. "I told you, even with much evidence, The Hags won't stop until they find you… He was desperate…"
She knew he was right, and probably shouldn't be surprised even if she knows that. "For all I care, so long as he never finds he ever had a daughter," she murmured heavily as she looked down.
The case is still heavy, but she was determined, and even if Jason would keep on telling her how useless it is… She won't stop…
Upon listening to the conversation, the young adult behind the corner, had been keen and quiet — illusive like a cat, there was no noise, nor creek as if she didn't seem to be there. Her hold to the knife was swiftly tight as she peeked through the side, with her gaze locked on the man who was standing beside the kitchen table.
She was right, this was Echo… She thought as she confirmed…
One year ago, she met a man, a tall uncle by age, who she would often cross with but never talked to. He was broad, a very suspicious one, but never been incompetent as a partner in an operation.
He called himself Echo, who is a former gang member. The shop really never questioned his identity as Weiss Shop was keen on sensitive information about hunters.
They do not dig deep, rather they remain at one point. That much is the reason, each hunter doesn't expose their background to the hunters. It is also by the shop that protects them under yearly annual contract renewal.
The contract was for security measures on identity distribution. It doesn't cover the hunters ownership and loyalty. Most shops have their contracts, this is to maintain good relationships with hunters.
Now, about a few or more in less than a month. Echo had been acting strangely, he would often empty the job request in the shop, snatching jobs from the other hunters and leaving them nothing.
It's not every time the shop refreshes their job requests, it happens exactly when Rubi needed a job the most. It's like a disguise, designed to be a coincidence.
And you know what they say about that…? Fucking set up…
A few moments later, the young adult silently irked, as her attention pulled back to what was currently happening.
"So, have you contacted the agency I told you about?" Jason asked Selena, who had initially grumbled as she sat on the couch with her legs crossed.
"You told me it was a mercenary agency," said Selena as she leaned back. "Screw you…"
Jason chuckled at her pouty demeanor of having to realize she didn't contact a mercenary agency. "I didn't say that, you just assumed."
He then went next to her and he stood there for a moment as he looked down on her. "What did they say?"
"Nothing, the bartender told me they'll send someone for negotiation but no one came," she responded as she frowned, while keeping her cool, as she tried to keep her emotions in check.