The two of them made it to an abandoned ruin in the outskirts of the city. They found a place that could serve as a temporary camp and started to rest. As Asel began to salvage whatever he could of his broken blade, Wing took out the dart Wheel threw at them.
He uncrumpled the pieces of paper attached, seeing that each piece had a different name. One of them had Frogo's name, another with Wheel's, but there was one name that surprised him.
Don.
Going against his curiosity on Don's piece of paper, he decided to open Wheel's note first and began to read.
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I don't have much time, so I'll keep it short.
I always knew there was something special about you two, everyone did. You two didn't need words to convey messages. Just one look and you knew what the other wanted to do. That kind of connection... It's rare. I used to tell myself that I didn't care about it, but I did. I really did. I was so jealous of what you two had, I still am as I'm writing this. You can't imagine how rare it is to find someone you can rely that much on in this world.
I've spent so long hating heroes. Thought that they were blind and reckless, that they never followed through with what they preached. But here I am, dying just like one. Guess it makes me a hypocrite. Or maybe it just makes me one. A hero of my own.
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Wing wore a bittersweet smile as he read his letter. He couldn't count the number of times he heard Wheel's complaints about public figures like heroes who made a living by deceiving others.
"Mind If I take a look as well?" Asel asked him, not waiting for an answer to snatch the piece of paper away from him. Wing watched as Asel's eyes carefully read the paper, his expression as stoic as ever.
As he kept going however, he saw a rare sight. Asel had a genuine smile, warm and gentle. "What a nice way to die." He said, putting down the piece of paper.
"Lets see what's on the other ones," Wing said as he got out Frogo's piece. This time, it was a set of coordinates. No final words, no goodbyes to the world. "Looks like it'll take time for us to find out."
Then they went to the last piece of paper, the one with Don's name on it. This one didn't look like it was rushed, it looked formal. It had a design, with a layer of wax keeping it closed.
Carefully, Wing opened it. At the top of the letter was a message saying that it was meant only for Asel.
"Here," He handed it to him, he didn't want to deny a dead man's wishes. Asel took it, fully opening it before he read. It took a while, taking his time before he finally got his eyes away from the note. He went to the fire they had made earlier and threw it in.
"Why'd you burn it?" Wing asked him. He was curious to know the contents, but also didn't want to pry too much.
"It seems that he decided to pass his name to me." He said, going back to tinker with his broken blade. Wing looked happy for him however, "Doesn't that name come with benefits? Looks like I'll need to start calling you Don"
His eyes twitched a bit at the sudden change, but chose to remain silent. As the two finally begin to rest after the long night, they see the sun rise from the horizon. "Guess it's just us who gets to see another day."
"So what does that have to do with anything?" Wing asked him, bringing their conversation back to the present. "I figured out who caused it. The death of our teammates" Don told him with a serious tone.
Wing sighed, "Didn't it end with the explosion? Wheel died with everyone in the building, remember?" His eyes darkened, the conversation made him remember some unpleasant memories.
"No. It didn't," Don corrected him. "There were survivors. The assassin remains alive till this day along with the one who played the music." He still remembers the melody, the song etched in his brain.
"We had no clue on just how complex the mission we went to was. And if you would just hear me out you'll-"
"Don, can you stop justifying your actions by using the deaths of our friends?" Wing cut him off. "I should've known you would use some twisted logic for justifying your sins." He had hoped that maybe he could get through to him, to change him back.
Guess I was wrong.
He cleared his throat before speaking again, "Let's start. You said that there was a hidden room somewhere down there with its entrance disguised as a wall. Care to explain more about it?"
"You mean the one where I stuck my hand up the wall?" Don asked him. "That was just to distract you. You were always so gullible when it came to leads."
The comment made Wing flinch, "I believed it because it was you." He shuffled his hands, "How about we get a look into your daily life there, what's your routine?"
Wing wanted to know more about what happens down there. So far, Don would be the best witness for them. "Nothing unnecessary happened there, all of it was routine. They wake up, eat, then mine for the day. Once they're done they eat up again then sleep. It wasn't an easy life, but it wasn't as bad as the slaves out there."
"Doesn't change the fact that it was slavery." Wing clarified, making sure that no matter how kind he was to them, they were still suffering because of him. "It also doesn't change the fact that you were a captor."
He got a picture of a pile of broken wooden swords out. "Wonder what these were used for?" He questioned him. "That's not your blood sticking in there, is it?" Wing looked at him disappointed.
"I thought it was Warhound that would be feared by those kids, but it turns out I was wrong. Guess I forgot just how cruel you were." He provoked him, trying to break Don's composure.
He looked at the photo, reminding him of the training he had with Pheo. "It takes a harsh environment to grow a talent, especially if you want them to survive somewhere in the Badlands."
Don wasn't sure whether Pheo made it out, let alone if he's still alive. He believed in his skills however, knowing just how smart he was. Until he was able to find out for himself however, he could only assume.
"Seems that I really can't get through to you," Wing sighed in disappointment. "Do you have any clue about the golden flame?" He asked. And as if on que, Anora's eyes lit up with her own fire, listening closely for his response.
"Was it the one that blew up the entire cavern?" He asked them. Wing nodded in agreement, "Yes, do you have any idea about it?"
Don recalled the moment he managed to escape, the golden flames the only thing that lit up the area for him. "All it did was help me escape. After all, I wasn't able to see."
The response only made Wing more suspicious of him. "Maybe we should investigate the entirety of the caverns next time, not just the explored areas."
"Are you sure you aren't missing a piece?" Don asked. "I can guarantee that whatever it is, it isn't with me." Wing looked at him with doubt, but decided to stand up and leave.
"Stay right there." he told him before leaving the room. He went to the back to see Anora and Ikra, "Any lies?" She shook her head, "There wouldn't be a reason to in the first place. He knows I'm here, it's why he's been answering so vaguely"
"There's no use pressuring him either," Ikra added. "He's been in the game long enough to know how these things go." They ended up brainstorming, trying to find anything that could make Don slip up.
Bang!
A soldier slammed the door open, catching the attention of all three of them. "We're under attack!" He shouted out, putting them on alert. "By who?" Anora asked him as she held her gun firm.
"Should I call for backup?" Ikra asked the two. "Some of the better members are gone right now, now would be a good time for our enemies to attack us."
Wing jolted up, "They could be going after the director." He shouted before running out of the room, pushing the soldier aside. He tried to stop him, but he was already out of the hallway when he looked out.
He looked back at the room, "Um, we're only being attacked by two people." He told them, making everyone else in the room have a confused look on their faces.
"What?"