29 Chapter Twenty-Nine: Robin Hood (1/2)
As the man slowly walks inside, the crew watched him closely as he approaches Vivi's desk. There, she's still working on a gun model.
”How's the progress coming along” he asks, ”I don't really know how long custom made guns take to finish, but I'm hoping it'll be soon. I have something important at hand”.
”First, let me see your military ID again” Vivi says.
As the man pulls out his ID and hands it over to Vivi, Siran moves so quickly and quietly that it seems as if he simply teleported behind the hooded man. The hooded man did not yet realize that Siran was behind him and pointing a gun to the back of his head already.
”I have some important questions” Vivi says.
”Yes, very important questions” the man hears Siran say from behind him. The man froze but showed no signs of wavering. ”And you'll need to answer them as honestly and accurately as possible if you want to leave alive”.
Vivi stands up slowly and says ”Whoa, slow down there. Let's not go from zero to one-hundred so quick. Let's start with the easy questions. Your last name, Hood, are you related to Garreth Hood in any way?”.
”Yes” the man says. ”Unfortunately so”.
”In which way?” Vivi asks with a stern face.
”He's... my father” the man replies.
”So this ID isn't fake then?” Vivi asks.
”No, it's a fake all right” he replies with a smile. ”I'm not in the military. It's a close replica though. Sometimes it even fools officers in the military”.
”And what about the military's actions?” Siran asks, still holding the gun, ”do you know anything about what they're doing? How they're doing it? Maybe something about a recent source of power or anything like that?”.
”Why do I get the feeling Siran isn't telling us about something?” Finn asks, still sitting on the couch.
”Power?” The man asks. ”No... I don't get to know about what goes on in the military. I already told you, I'm not one of them”.
”You're directly related to one of The Mages” Vivi asks, ”but you don't know shit about what's going on?”.
”Not really, no” the man replies. ”I don't exactly get along often with my father. Not often enough to know what they're up to... well, actually, we don't get along at all. Er- we kinda hate each other”. The man starts scratching the back of his head, thinking, as he talks. ”Okay, I'm actually trying to kill my dad, and that's half of the reason why I'm here”.
”Wait a minute” Siran says as he thinks for a couple seconds. ”What?”.
”What part of that doesn't make sense?” The man asks sarcastically. ”I'm trying... to kill... my dad”.
”Then why go with the military alter ego?” Vivi asks.
”Duh-” the man scoffs, ”it's called a cover. I'm not even old enough to join the military yet”.
”What?” Vivi asks as she visibly grows more angry.
”Even if I were old enough” the man continues, ”I wouldn't join. I'm not exactly the patriotic type. Especially since I don't even like Omnia or its military at all... actually, that's kind of the opposite of patriotic, isn't it?”.
”Kid...” Vivi says as she caresses the bridge of her nose in frustration, ”what the actual hell?”.
The man looks down at Vivi and sighs. ”I'm actually planning on finding that group of outlaws” he says. ”Whatever they were called... something stupid if I remember correctly”.
”The Six Guns?” Siran asks.
The man snaps his fingers as of coming to a discovery. ”Yeah! That's it!” He says.
The crews just remains in their places, waiting in this awkward silence. Vivi gestures her hand to the rest of the people in the room. ”Congrats” Vivi says. ”Found 'em”.
The man facepalms and slowly looks over at the couch. As their eyes met, Finn nervously waves at the hooded man as the rest of the crew just stares in confusion. The man then turns back to look at Vivi. ”No...” he says. ”No no no no no, this can't be right”.
”Ta-Da!” Vivi says sarcastically, briefly waving her hands in the air to make light of the moment.
”How old even are you?” Siran asks.
”16 years old” he responds.
”For the record” Vivi says, ”I honestly had no idea today would be this awkward. But also, out of curiosity, what is your first name? It only shows your fake rank and last name on the ID”.
”Robin” he replies.
”Robin... Hood?” Vivi asks.
Robin sighs deeply and says ”Yep”.
”And there goes any tension in the room” Finn says, then laughs.
”Why did you seek us out?” Siran asks.
”Well” Robin says, ”I WAS going to see if I could help trade intel with you guys in exchange for helping me with my personal vendetta. But now I'm not so sure”.
”Intel?” Siran asks.
”Yeah” Robin replies. ”I may not know why or what The Ly'Lum is doing, but I do know how The Ly'Lum works. My dad wanted me to join, obviously, and kept forcing me to learn about military life. He grew disappointed in me after I declined twenty too many times”.
”How many times did he ask you to join?” Rose asks.
”About twenty” Robin says.
”Strict man, huh?” Siran asks.
”Yeah” Robin says, ”although I'd use more explicit words like asshole”.
Siran finally lowers his gun and sighs to himself. ”What the hell is this conflict coming to?” He asks himself. ”He's a kid... A KID”.
”A kid” Robin adds, ”that was taught and trained to be a soldier without ever actually becoming a soldier”.
”But still-” Siran complains.
Robin interrupts Siran with a sigh of stress and says ”Look, do you want more help or not? I came all the way out here from The Omnium Guild just to get shit rolling, but your crew seems so... so...”.
”Underwhelming?” Alex asks.
”Strange?” Finn asks.
”Misfit?” Zia asks.
”Unorthodox?” Holly asks.
”Yes” Robin says. ”All of those things”.
Siran sits down and asks ”I don't buy that you came here only to help us kill your dad. There's another reason, isn't there?”.
Robin pauses for a moment and finally says ”I need somewhere else to be. Somewhere with protection”.
”From whom?” Vivi asks.
Robin looks right at Vivi without saying a word. ”Right” Vivi says, ”your dad”.
”That bad?” Finn asks.
Robin takes off his hood, turns around and reveals a large scar on the back of his head that was visible because hair would no longer grow there. ”I have more if you want to see them” Robin says. ”Like on my back, my arms and stuff”.
Siran rubs his forehead as he thinks for a moment. Finally, he says ”I can't stand seeing stuff like this”.
”Scars?” Alex asks, ”Because I thought by now you've seen much worse”.
”No” Siran says, ”not scars. Domestic abuse”.
”Aww” Finn says, ”Siran has a soft side”.
”Stuff it” Siran says. ”It's just that I've experienced that kind of stuff before”.
Vivi cocks her head to the side a little as she asks ”But didn't you mention that you don't have a family?”.
”I don't anymore” Siran says.
The room fell silent for a moment. ”Oh give me a break!” Siran says, ”I didn't kill them. Also, we're not talking about me here, this is about Robin”.