“Déjà vu,” Taro grunted, leaning on Nole’s left side. Although the bullet had hit him square in the leg, the boy had refused to express his torment. Nole deduced that either Taro had a high tolerance for pain or he just really good at hiding it; much like he was hiding the pain in his shoulder and the numbness in his right arm.

“Focus on moving.” Despite learning of Taro’s innocence, Nole didn’t know how to treat him. After falsely accusing him of murdering Murphy and nearly stabbing him during their encounter in the alley, he was feeling an overwhelming sense of embarrassment and guilt.

It all made sense to him, even why Taro abandoned Betty and the other runners. In the grand scheme of things, he’d been protecting them. An image of Caden and Suri flashed in Nole’s mind, reminding him of the people he was living to protect. For so long, he’d wanted to improve their way of living. Nothing was ever good enough; they always needed more supplies. It never occurred to Nole that his flawed idea of protection was the very thing disintegrating the relationship between he and his siblings. Although Taro’s abandonment was justified, Nole’s daily, long-lasting excursions weren’t.

Clenching his teeth with every step, he longed to see them. For so long, he’d taken solace in his role as older brother for the sole purpose of redeeming his uselessness nine years ago when his mother passed away. Despite encouraging his siblings to move on and celebrate their mother’s memory, he’d done the opposite.

Even though he wasn’t as open about it as Caden, he too, had become fixated with his mother’s murder; constantly attacking random gang members with the bogus excuse of them deserving it. In reality, it had been a subconscious vendetta. When he lost Caden, everything changed. Although he was skeptical, he’d accepted Asteria and the Para gang’s assistance as long as it meant getting Caden back safe and sound.

“Sorry,” Taro apologized as his right leg buckled. Readjusting his stance, Nole led him through the lobby as Tom restrained Ryker. When Asteria and Marco burst through the main entrance, she looked petrified. Not saying a word, Taro lifted his free hand and pointed behind him, much like a hitchhiker looking for a ride.

As Marco led Asteria to Hadley, Nole couldn’t help but be impressed with Taro’s determination. After seeing how he’d handled Ryker the other day in the alley, Nole no longer had any skepticism for Taro’s abilities. Despite being exceptionally skilled in combat, he didn’t have the malicious aura like Ryker or arrogant derision like Zane.

Sidetracked by his thoughts, Nole hadn’t noticed Taro’s shaking. Tracks of sweat poured down from his wavy blond hair and he was panting heavily. Nole had no knowledge of medical diagnosis, but if he had to guess, it looked like Taro was at the cusp of going through shock. The red blotch on his pant leg grew larger and the hue deepened to a maroon color.

“This is bad, we need to get you help right now,” Nole urged, nervously hastening their pace.

“I don’t think I can move on it anymore,” Taro expressed in a coherency impressive for his current state. “I can’t…” he cut himself off by collapsing on the ground. Although he was still conscious, he could barely keep his eyes open. The grip on the injured leg tightened until his fingers were digging nearly an inch into his skin. "I'm sorry, Nole."

"We're almost there," Nole urged. "Just a few steps mo-"

"No," Taro interrupted. "I'm sorry... about Murphy. I'm, I'm so sorry." When Taro rubbed his arm against his face, Nole assumed it was to wipe away the sweat, but the reddened and bloodshot eyes told him otherwise. "It was my fault," he sniffled, unable to meet Nole's eyes. "He saved me. When Caswell showed up, he gave me his research, and saved me. I should've stayed. It was my fault."

Hearing the details made Nole feel as though he'd gotten punched in the stomach. He knew Taro was telling the truth; that was Murphy, through and through. Helping people right to the end, even if it cost him his own life. 

“It wasn't your fault,” Nole stated, using his left arm to lift the boy steadily to his feet. "Everyone's waiting for us outside. You know, I never delivered that message you told me that night in the alley. Didn't you want to tell Valerie something?" Speaking her name seemed to reinvigorate Taro, as he inched forward quicker than before. Nole reminisced over their first meeting in the alleyway. The details were the same, but the circumstances had changed. Taro wasn’t a stranger anymore. Whether Nole liked it or not, he owed him his life; not only for saving him, but also for convincing the Paras to help.

You’re not dying on my watch.

Pushing the front doors open,  it sounded as though the scuffle was dying down. With Tom’s newly arrived army of Paras and Maddox’s rallying Enforcers working together to apprehend the remaining Pents and Quads, the fighting slowly dwindled.

Upon clearing the entrance, a few people called out to Taro in congratulatory voices, but he paid them no mind.

Scouring the area, Nole found them huddled together; Suri reconnecting with Caden and catching him up on all that had happened in his absence; Olivia listening intently to Betty; and Valerie tending to an annoyed Zane’s reopened wounds. Catching sight of them exiting the station, Maddox hurried past them, rushing to get to his partner’s side.

“Nole!” Olivia called after noticing them. Her excitement turned into horror when she saw the extent of their injuries. Thankful for the distraction, Zane pointed Valerie in their direction, and she was immediately awe stricken upon seeing them.

When Nole finally got within range of the group, he carefully lowered Taro to the ground. Along with creating massive stains on his shirt, the sweat patted blonde strands of hair against Taro’s forehead and temples. His pale complexion and peaceful expression almost made Nole think he’d slipped away, but shallow chest movements proved him otherwise.

Valerie was the first to rush over, first aid kit in hand.

“Are you okay?” she asked frantically, referring to his bloodstained shirt.

“I’m fine,” Nole replied, clenching his right shoulder. “He needs help. There’s a bullet in his right leg.” As soon as her eyes fell on the patient, her body became paralyzed. “Hurry,” Nole urged, shaking her out of her shocked state. It could’ve been due to fatigue, but her hands trembled vigorously and she clumsily dug through her kit.

A pair of scissors cut down the seam of Taro’s pant leg, uncovering the bloody mess of his injury. The bullet had hit him squarely on the thigh, about two inches above his right knee.

“I-,” her voice shook as much as her hands, “I’m not g-good at removing b-bullets.”

Seeing Valerie’s astonishment, Olivia entered the scene.

“Taro,” she whispered. Realizing Valerie’s evident uneasiness, she called out to Betty for assistance. “Taro’s hurt!” she shouted feverishly. With those two words, most of the crowd stood still. All of the Para’s within proximity turned their attention toward Olivia and Betty moved hurriedly toward them.

“Valerie, hand the kit over to me. I think I should handle this,” Betty instructed calmly. Unlike the rest of them, she was level headed and didn’t falter while maneuvering the medical equipment. When she uncovered the gauze and a forceps, much of the Paras nearby looked away. After he thought about it, Nole wasn’t very surprised by the reaction. From what he’d learned, the Paras were a fairly nonviolent gang, so they weren’t used to the bloodshed and gory injuries other gangs were accustomed to.

While searching the group, Nole noticed Suri’s head poking out of a gap between two Paras. As Betty diligently worked to treat the injury, Nole attempted to retreat from the scene and, but Valerie stopped him.

“Let me see your shoulder.”

“Later,” he sighed, “I have to see them.”

“Now,” she argued. The stern look in her eyes told Nole she wouldn’t budge. The nerves from seeing Taro’s injury were clearly gone, so he knew there no getting out of it. Relenting, Nole down away from the scene of Taro’s treatment, Valerie began tearing away the fabric of his shirt. “How does it feel?” Hesitantly, Nole told her it was numb, but there was minimal reaction. “Yeah, it cut into the muscle,” she confirmed. Not skipping a beat, she dabbed alcohol in and around the wound, sending an immeasurable surge of pain coursing through him.

Although they weren’t too close to Taro, Nole couldn’t bring himself to exude the agony he felt as Valerie stitched him up. Being coherent enough to follow through with Ryker’s capture, follow Tom’s orders, converse with Nole, Taro was without a doubt, the strongest guy he’d ever encountered. Shuddering at the discomfort of disinfectant and a few stitches would be an insult.

In the distance, both Caden and Suri seemed highly interested in what was happening, but when they caught sight of Nole and Valerie, they scurried over.

“Hold on, give me some space, guys,” Nole suggested, tilting his head toward Valerie’s working fingers. Suri groaned in response, but Caden stared horrifyingly at his older brother’s injury. “I’m fine,” Nole smirked, reading the guilt on his brother’s face. “Just a scratch.”

Keeping an eye on the commotion before them, he noticed Zane, who remained far from the rest of his companions. Although he maintained his distance, his unmoving gray eyes conveyed his genuine interest. It seemed as though even Zane was concerned for his rogue comrade’s wellbeing.

“Is he going to be okay?” Suri inquired, following Nole’s line of vision. He felt Valerie’s hands linger momentarily, but she remained silent.

“I don’t know,” he replied.

Silently, Nole observed his siblings. Despite their respective ages, Nole thought they looked older than he’d remembered from the last time they were all together. His brother’s shoulders looked broader, and his hair seemed longer. Similarly, Suri appeared much taller.

“Caden,” Suri chided to both her brothers’ surprise. Elbowing him, she prompted Caden to speak up, and after a long pause, he did. Nole noticed Caden’s jaw clench. Suri persisted, cocking her head swiftly to meet Caden’s avoiding gaze. The abrupt turn made the locket around her neck dance. Smirking, Nole reached out to them and wrapped his left arm around their shoulders.

“It’s fine,” Nole sighed, bringing them closer to the side Valerie wasn’t working on. Encouraged by Suri’s giddiness, Caden unexpectedly accepted the hug and swung his arm around his older brother’s.

“I’m sorry,” he murmured, tilting his head downward. Shocked by Caden’s apology, Nole smiled to himself and ruffled his little brother’s long blonde hair. Stuck in the middle of the extended embrace, Suri became noticeably restless, but Nole refused to let go until his brother had stopped weeping.