I know it's gotta go like this, I know
Hell will always come before you grow
Trouble found me, trouble found me

NP: Imagine Dragons, Roots

As I climbed back into the Rubicon, I handed Vincent coffee and sandwiches. He took it and ate in silence.

I stared at my reflection in the side mirror.

"Honestly, I'm hoping against hope Carter's not it. But then, I don't think I would feel any different if it were anybody else."

Vincent put down his sandwich and heaved a sigh. "I'll handle the messy bits. All you have to do is reap."

He said that like it was no big deal, but his eyes betrayed him.

"No," I shook my head.

It bothered me how we both could talk about murdering someone so calmly like this. Even if it was to save the world.

"There must be another way, Vincent. I don't even know what this Blessing does. How can God ask us to kill someone in exchange for help? It just doesn't make any sense."

There was a wistful look in his eyes when he stared at me for five whole seconds. Oddly, he was smiling to himself.

"What?"

"Nothing," he replied, starting the engine. "Just now, you sound exactly like the old Aramis I know."

"I told you," I retorted. "I'm still me. I really hope we don't have to resort to that. But if we do... I'll be with you."

He began to object but I cut him off, making an effort to smile.

"No can do, Master. From now on, it's going to be"—I moved my hand in a horizontal line, across the imaginary signboard in front of me—"Vince and A, all the way."

Carter and Vincent weren't exactly friends. But knowing Vincent's astounding tendency for self-blame, I wasn't going to let him suffer alone. Not anymore.

Suddenly, a soft laughter broke out from him. "Did you come up with that tagline?"

"I was going to apply for a patent, actually," I muttered snidely.

He was about to poke fun at me when I heard Alex's voice through the Diviner's link.

"It sounds like you two are having fun."

Vincent composed himself, cleared his throat and said, "Alex, what's your status?"

"Amyr and I are still in Centralia. No joy. Perhaps, we will be in luck tonight. We did find indications that separate group of sentries were ambushed in two adjacent areas. My theory is that Legion is hiding within a half mile perimeter of the old church."

Vincent threw me a look. "I think we have a prospect for the offering. Do me a solid and look up someone in the Archives for me. See if a Carter Applegate's due anytime soon."

"Copy that."

"HQ to Eagle One. Eagle One, do you copy?" It was Amyr this time.

"How come you get to be HQ?" I butted in.

"You get to be Eagle One, Noob, so quit complainin'," he snickered. "Tell 'ya somethin' funny, though. Just found out, Alex can't drive for a billion bucks. Almost wrecked the Jeep in ten seconds."

It made sense. Alex seemed to have trouble concentrating for long periods.

"Not that funny," I answered. "Tell you what: turns out, I'm already twenty-six. Missed seven birthdays. Funny, right?"

"Nah," he groaned. "You're twenty-six and still a virgin. That's what's funny."

"Ha-ha. Jerk."

"If I don't try to act like a jerk sometimes, I'll be too perfect and everyone'll hate me. Maybe we can do somethin' about that little problem of yours when you get here."

"Can't wait." I injected all the enthusiasm of a sloth in my voice.

"Don't say something you can't commit to, Noob. I might just take you up on that."

I felt a sudden jolt run down the back of my neck. That was when I noticed Vincent glowering at me.

I heard him say, "Everyone in this link's hearing everything you two are yammerin' about," in a low tone that sent chills down my spine although his lips weren't moving.

Three whole seconds passed before I realized he was talking to me through the link.

"Every last bit," Hector snorted.

"Loud and clear," Vladimir affirmed.

I cut off the link and let my forehead slam on the dashboard. My face felt like it had been set on fire. I wanted to cry. Had this strange urge to punch someone, a.k.a. Amyr.

Exhaling sharply, I composed myself, tapping my cheeks, wiping the sides of my eyes as I did.

"Not like it matters. Ha! Focus on the mission, Aramis. Okay. I'm focused." I turned to Vincent. "What do we do next?"

Narrowing his eyes at me, he scoffed, "Quick recovery."

"I wasn't called Stone-Faced Witch for nothing, you know."

He started to say something, glancing at the rearview mirror before whipping his head like he had seen a wraith. When that seemed inadequate, he frantically got out of the Rubicon and ran across the street, to a narrow alleyway.

When I caught up with him, I saw nothing there but dumpsters and stray cats.

"Sonova—" He kicked a garbage bag, running a hand through his hair. "What the hell is he doing here?"

"Who was it?"

"Cairo! I saw Cairo standing right here!"

"Are you sure?"

Clenching his teeth, he walked past me, looking left and right. Through the Link, I could hear him contacting Vladimir and Alex. We searched the perimeter and ran aimlessly around the block but found no trace of Cairo.

With every passing minute, I could feel Vincent's panic grow.

"Are you sure it's Cairo, Vince?" It was Vladimir. "Sharifa seemed sure that he's hiding here in Romsdalen."

"Yeah? While you're freezing your butts out there, he's out here stalking us! And I still haven't changed my mind about Sharifa. Don't trust her."

"Harsh much," Amyr butted in.

I placed a hand on Vincent's shoulder. "Now is not the time to be pointing fingers, Vincent. Especially without proof."

He didn't respond, but I could tell he wasn't going to rest his case easily. I still couldn't imagine that the frail and unassertive Sharifa would be capable of stealing the Master Scythe, attacking us in Centralia and most of all, letting Legion escape. It just didn't make any sense. What would she gain out of it? Irvine was killed, too. She must be devastated. He seemed to care a lot about her.

"We'll head there as soon as we can, Vince." Vladimir's voice sounded defeated, weary.

"I'm afraid that might take a while, Vladimir," Alexis joined the conversation. "The nearest passable Door to your location is France, in Pierre's mansion. I will have the flight pre-arranged and perhaps, hack a satellite to determine Cairo's location—"

"Why'd you need a freaking satellite for, Alex?!" Vincent growled. "Cairo's here. I'm positive!"

Alex took a few seconds before answering. "For now, Vincent, focus on the offering. Be wary. I'm tracking your coordinates. Amyr and I are joining you soon."

Once the link had been cut off, I asked, "What now?"

"Look for Cairo," he answered, seemingly distracted. "Squeeze out some answers. Use force if necessary."

"Let's split up then. We'll cover more ground that way."

"No!" he yelled, his hands balled into tight fists. Closing his eyes, he tried to control his breathing before grabbing me by the shoulders. "No, Aramis. It's too dangerous."

I saw a flicker of fear in his eyes.

"Y-you're overreacting, Vincent."

"I'm n-not overreacting." He quickly let me go. "Didn't you just say that it's going to be... 'Vince and A all the way' from now on?"

A smile involuntarily curled my lips.

"I can handle Cairo by myself, Vince. Besides, I can always call for help," I reasoned out, pointing at the Diviner's charm on my earlobe. "It's not like I'll run off to another realm."

"That's not what I'm worried about."

"What then?"

"H-huh?"

"What is it that troubles you so, Master? Please enlighten this familiar and it shall be prevented at all costs."

Vincent's jaws tensed alternately before he spun on his heels. "Stop talking like that."

I giggled under my breath. He sounded like he was getting so mad but was trying not to. At least, it was easing his panic.

"By any chance, is my choice of words not to your liking, Master? If so, I beg your pardon."

"Ugh, do what you want!"

"Yay!"

"If I Link to you and you don't answer you're dead! You hear?"

"Roger that."

I couldn't shake off the smile on my face even as Vincent and I split up. It got me wondering how long I could keep being his familiar, his buddy. How long would it take for me to break and start ruining everything again?

He already went through a lot of suffering because of me in the past, just so I could keep my life. Asking more would be selfish.

With these thoughts, I wandered the streets, not really paying attention to direction. I didn't expect to find Cairo anyway. For some unknown reason, I really didn't want to.

But then, sometimes, we get what we don't want.

I was passing by a school, deliberating if I should go see Carter tonight when I saw Cairo across the street. He just stood there looking at me, waiting.

Without second thoughts, I walked up to him, mechanically summoning my staff. I stopped a few feet in front of him, the staff almost fully-formed.

For a while, none of us spoke. Then, he narrowed his eyes and took a step closer.

"It is you," he said, his hoarse papery voice almost swallowed by the breeze.

I took him in— that boy I had always hated and blamed for everything bad that ever happened to me, that scrawny boy with pallid, square face, curly black hair slicked to the back of his head, purplish bags under his reproachful eyes. And all the hatred I had for him in the past seemed to have faded in seconds, replaced by an unsaid guilt, buried under hundreds of years of estrangement.

I couldn't speak. Much less breathe. Before I knew it, my staff had already dissipated into frozen mist.

For the first time in a long time, I saw him smile.

"I knew it was you."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Happy White Day minna~! For all of you who were waiting for updates and actually researched what White Day is, congratulations! Now you can add it as one of the most awaited holiday on your calendar! FYI, White Day is celebrated in Japan, exactly one month after Valentine 's Day!

As this was a short update (been buried neck-deep with work lately) I'll update again in a couple of days. So there. Happy reading!