"We gonna go at Veronique. One of you will go to the future and convince Veronique to be on our side. Giles will go with him to guide him. Meanwhile, we in the past will–"

"I'm out of this, I will take care of Evelyn," Slaine said.
Valorie turned towards Axel, "Fix Asselyum and Jimmy, practice your moves, we'll need you. Giles and I will keep in touch, once we've won Veronique, I'll teleport us to the future and we'll rescue Ben,"

"...This plan has so many potholes that I bet Africa's roads run smoother than that plan," Lupin said.
"Wait–Aren't you being racist?" Jimmy asked.
"Just because I mention Africa doesn't mean I'm dissing black people,"

"Did you just say black people?" Jimmy gasped, "Note that this man was offensive towards a person of colour,"
"God, what a Karen,"
"RACIST!"

"Karen is not a race," Slaine said.
"It's a species," Lupin said.

Valorie looked at Lupin, "Lupin, you should go to convince Veronique,"
"Me? I can barely hold a conversation," Lupin said.
"We need someone with a brain and a good face. That way you can easily seduce her,"

"Love makes people do crazy things," Giles said.
"I can't do it," Lupin said, "I'm not good with girls. Haven't talked to a girl for like...five years now."

"Your mom?" Jimmy said.
"Funny," Lupin faked a smiled.
"Oh come on, you just need to seduce her!"
"I'm as seductive as a cabbage," Lupin said.

"It is decided. Lupin will seduce Veronique,"

"You are deaf I guess," Slaine said.
"No, he's just a little stupid, not Jimmy level of stupid, but yeah," Lupin said.
"SHUT UP!" Valorie shouted.
"Come on guys, don't be so rude to Valorie!" Jimmy said.

Valorie passed a battery to Axel and he went inside Slaine's room to fix Asselyum. Meanwhile, Valorie went to the garden and stood before Lupin and Giles. Giles hugged him gently, "Meet me again, okay?"
"I'll try my best," He said.
She smiled, "I love you,"

He rolled his eyes and then they began shining bright electric blue. She walked back. A portal opened before him and the year was set. Lupin clenched his eyes and lightening fell on both of them until they disappeared.

Valorie fell on the ground and his eyes began bleeding. Slaine and Jimmy ran towards him.
"Valorie, are you okay?" They picked him up. He stood on his feet and rubbed his bloody eyes. They had lost their blue colour and turned black and dull.

"...I... I can't see anything. Everything is dark, where am I?"
Slaine and Jimmy looked at each other. Jimmy hugged him and he shivered, "Who–"
"Its fine, Valorie. We are here,"

"What do you mean? Why can't I see–Oh...So, it's over for me?" He asked.
Slaine looked away.
"Wait–No, not yet. How will I bring Lupin back without my eyes? I can't control the time machine!"

Valorie fell on the ground, desperately trying to see, "No, I must have a little bit of vision left with me. I can still–"
"Valorie, it's okay. Stop–"
"IT'S NOT OKAY!" Valorie shouted, "Why am I so useless," He cried tears of blood, "I miss Lucifer," He snorted, "I miss him so much," He pressed his ears, "Shit...I'm hearing voices again!"

Jimmy was constantly consoling him but he was just breaking down...Just like Evelyn. He was just like Evelyn. Slaile suddenly realised, he never asked Valorie how old he was.

Valorie was crying his heart out like a child. Slaine looked at him.

"You are a failure as a parent,"

'Why do I feel like...'

Slaine slowly walked towards him pressed his head, Valorie looked up at him,

'Wait–Was he jealous?'

"Haven't you realised by now?"

"Realised what?" Jimmy asked.
Slaine remembered a thirteen-year-old, looking at children his age walking home with their parents.

"That it hurts either way,"

. . .

Valorie sat on a chair in the moonlight. His eyes were covered with a bandage. Slaine entered the room and stood behind his chair with his hands pressed on its back.

"I lost my family at a very young age," Valorie said and Slaine looked at him, "XDROIDS ate them up in front of my eyes, they even ate my limbs but I was saved by Asselyum. I remember looking at her fighting those monsters and I felt so powerless.

I was in love.
But not a romantic love, I was in love with that strength to protect whatever you want to. I asked Asselyum to take me to Ben, he made me an ANDROID.

That was my rebirth.

I met Giles in a mission, she was wounded and about to die. So, I gave her a part of me that now keeps her alive. And since she has a part of me in her, we can talk to each other through our mind.

I was the strongest until Lucifer came along. We fought together. I wanted to save my motherland, and my new family. And I did. I always wondered what after all this ends. Will I have somewhere to go?

When my time is up, have I done enough? Will they tell my story?"

Slaine looked at the moon and stood quietly.
"Valorie, how old are you?" Slaine asked.
"I'm twelve," Valorie said. Slaine closed his eyes,

'As I thought

They are all kids

Kids who didn't have a childhood and were forced into a war of adults
Fighting for other people's lives
Other people who hate them

He's not a hero
He is just a twelve-year-old boy
Playing a strange game
And the only option to win

Is to not play'

. . .

Lupin ran after Giles on the rooftops, "Hey!" He panted as he ran, "Stop dude! Do I look like an athlete to you? I'm tired–"

She grabbed his arm and jumped down a skyscraper. They landed on a metal roof. She quickly sprung up, "Did you hear that scream?"

"Yes, I'm the one who screamed," He looked at his legs and then turned towards her, "Have you considered murder?"

She smirked, "Considered?"
She looked at the castle in the fog, "We can't stop. It'll be morning soon. I prefer doing dark deeds in the dark,"

She ran away. He got up to run after her but felt a strong sting in his leg. He had sprained his ankle.

"And that's why kids, you don't jump from skyscrapers," He got up and felt a gun at the back of his head.
"Don't look back, raise your arms," It was a woman's voice.

He raised his arms.

"Put them behind your back and lie down," He did as told. She sat on his back and wrapped them in shackles. She asked him to get on his knees and so he did. She stood before him. He looked at her. She had a hoverboard on her back and her velvety straight, long and white hair reached her belly.

She held a gun in her left hand while she checked his pockets.
"Our hair matches," He said, "You're an albino too?"
"Shut up. What is this?" She pulled out a pen.
"I don't think it's that to recognise, trust me," Lupin said.
"WHAT IS THIS?!"

"Its an instrument of great resilience used by the chivalrous knights of the west,"
"WHAT? I knew it! You are terrorists! This is in my custody now,"

"Well, if you keep it with yourself, you grow facial hair," Lupin said.
"Then why don't you have any, you femboy,"
"It hurts, doesn't it? When a man looks more feminine than you,"

She kicked him on his groin and he fell on the floor, "UGH! WHAT WAS THAT FOR?!"
"If I'm hurt, you'll be too," She smirked.

"MY PAIN IS FAR MORE THAN YOURS!"
She threw the hoverboard down and pressed the gun on his head, "Get on the board now,"

Giles stopped and looked back, "Lupin? Dang, don't tell me I left him there and he's still resting," She began running back.

"This is why I like working alone,"

-To be continued

Lupin Kuznetsov
5500 Rebellion