Hey Guys! Another chapter for you and I hope you enjoy it! Sorry for the extremely slow updates but real life is kicking me in the butt ;) I'm now a full-time college student and was elected to become a Senator At-Large in SGA. Plenty of work comes with that and I even have office hours! Crazy huh? Anyway, I'll stop talking now and let you enjoy the story!

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As Darek was walking back home from his shopping trip, a wave a delicious smelling food hit him. It actually made him pause for a second in surprise because he couldn't believe anybody in this area could afford something that delectable. So, Darek was completely baffled when he reached his house which turned out to be the origin of the smell. He numbly pushed open the door to find Omega sitting at the table eating a mouthwatering piece of meat with veggies on the side. However, his attention soon focused on a plate of the same amazing looking food across from Omega.

He slowly made his way to his seat, aware of each small step he took, and sat down a little numbly. He looked up at Omega in confusion and wondered if this was for him because this couldn't possibly be another gift. Omega watched as a dumbfounded Darek made his way to his seat in bemusement. He was looking forward to all the times he planned on getting that look from him, and Darek didn't know it yet, but he was going to have that look many times.

Omega decided to take pity on the man and said, "Are you going to eat?" Omega smirked at the slight shock on his face and actually chuckled when Darek picked up the fork and just stared at his food. Just to tease him further, Omega said, "You use the fork to stab your food and put it into your mouth." Darek halfheartedly glared at Omega, not being able to put much effort into it, before cutting himself some juicy steak.

Omega smiled as he watched Darek's eyes flutter closed as Darek's taste buds sang in joy. He could tell that Darek hadn't had any flavorful food in a long time so he felt really good about allowing Darek to enjoy such a simple meal from him. They ate in silence for the next 10 minutes just enjoying the meal, albeit, one more than the other. As they finished up, Darek said, "Alright, so if you can make sure guards stay away from the house or warn me ahead of time, I can start constructing the guild's layout. Can you do that?" Omega simply nodded.

"Good." Darek cleared off the table and spread out parchment while Omega started to walk to the door. Darek said over his shoulder, "This should take a few hours so I'll see you then." Omega waved behind him and yelled, "Gotcha!" Darek turned around and got to work making his plans while Omega took position outside, hidden to those around him.

~~~Three & Half Hours Later~~~

Omega had to distract a couple of suspicious individuals who looked like they were snooping around but otherwise had no problems. Darek, meanwhile, was inside and surprised by how much he remembered of the base. He was able to fully cover the entrance level, three quarters of the second level and a quarter of the third level.

Darek didn't know when Omega was coming back inside since it passed three hours so he walked outside and looked around for a second. When he didn't see Omega, he went back inside and decided he would just have to wait for him. However, only seconds after he went back inside, Omega also entered. Darek was a little surprised that he didn't see Omega if it only took him a couple of seconds to see him, come out of his hiding place, and then make it to the door.

Darek just shrugged and was surprised that he was already getting used to Omega's ways. He motioned Omega towards the table with spread out maps and information sheets so they could go over his plans. "So the first floor is comprised of offices, the new recruit information center, and other smaller organizations that make up or help the guild. There is a certain ventilation route we could take to get around everybody without being seen or heard which would deposit us at the end of the hallway next to the stairs. Once the coast is clear, we can jump out and head down the stairs deeper into headquarters.

"Here comes the trickier part. The second floor is pretty much where all the members hang out and plan their heists. So, we'll have to be especially careful not to be seen. If we are lucky, we could get by without being seen but I doubt it. So, we'll have to play it by ear when we can dispose of certain people without being seen. However, there are plenty of side rooms and closets on this floor to hide bodies so I don't think we will have to use your abilities.

"The third floor is the records department and where I suspect the leader to be. I haven't seen any stairs that lead down but like the map represents, I have only seen a quarter of the level. This is the level where stealth is key. How good are you at throwing knives or darts or whatever long range weapon?"

Omega replied, "I have practiced throwing knives for many years and am unlikely to miss up to 50 yards away." Darek was actually a little surprised at that level of skill and was definitely glad to have Omega with him. Now that he actually thought about it, he was technically the strategist in this arrangement while Omega was the muscle. Which was quite funny compared to four inch height difference.

Darek nodded and continued. "Good. I don't think many people walk by each other on the third floor but I know quietness is a key component to their security. If there is too big of a sound they will check it out so we will have to do our best to keep quiet as we deal with the guards."

Omega nodded and said, "Sounds like a plan. So I'll study the map for a bit to become familiar with the layout." Omega looked at the map and asked a couple questions about some of the markings. Darek explained how the dots are the guards located around the base while the thinner lines are the doors.

After feeling pretty confident about his memory, they started hashing out plans. Omega said, "So we can attack tonight as they most likely already found the dead assassins and sent more after you. This will take out a good chunk of their men that would have just been lazing around the area. We can use the west entrance since they will most likely stay around the east side. It shouldn't be too hard to enter the base if we wait for someone to open it and silently follow him inside."

Darek pretty much agreed with that plan so he said, "Well, let's get prepared and leave tonight." Both of them smirked slightly in anticipation of the night and couldn't wait to get started. The rest of the day went by slowly just like every other day does when waiting for something.

As dinner approached, Darek and Omega could be found sitting at the table enjoying a beverage before the night raid. Omega noticed Darek kept discreetly looking at him like he was debating on telling him something but couldn't make up his mind. They talked most of the day and got to know each other better but nothing significant was purposely discussed.

To start the ball roiling, Omega initiated the conversation after it went into silence. "So, Darek, what made you choose to come to Valos?" This wasn't too personal of a question but apparently he struck a chord in Darek when he stiffened. Omega looked a little confused and wondered if he somehow guessed what Darek was debating talking about.

Darek rubbed the back of his neck and let out a deep breath. "I actually came to this planet to escape in a sense." He looked at Omega trying to figure out how much he could tell. He felt like he could trust Omega but he had never told anyone about this. However, it looked like Omega was starting to trust him more. He now only had the mask on with the cloak around his shoulders instead of hiding his whole face. He could see messy black locks and thought it actually suited his personality nicely.

He shook his head and focused back on the task. "Before I came here I was part of an army. We were a pretty talented group and fought well together. However, during one of our missions, I was on my own clearing at a slave area when I came across an enemy. He taunted me a little bit and accused the army of doing things that go against what we fought for. After I disposed of him and went back home, my thoughts kept going back to what he said and it really got on my nerves.

"So, I decided to look around and prove that he was lying. However, instead of finding nothing, I found some of what he was talking about. At first I couldn't believe what my eyes were seeing and I denied it vehemently for a while. Soon, though, I came to terms that there was a faction of the army that dealt in illegal dealings.

"I grew angry at them that they were using me to help fulfill their deeds. This lead to my greatest mistake: I got into contact with the enemy." Darek hung his head a little bit and waited for Omega to leave or start yelling at him for his betrayal. However, when he looked up, Omega was still sitting there waiting for him to finish his story. With renewed spirits of Omega giving him a chance, he continued.

"After months of planning, we set up a trap for the army. I was walking along the hallway of the enemy base before the army got there when I overheard a conversation between the leaders." He paused for a second to take a breath. "I overheard them bragging about what a good find they had in me and basically laughed at how naive I was to believe false documents in the archives that one of their spies placed.

"I admittedly went back to where the army was supposed to land to warn them. However, they must have figured out it was a trap and that I sold them to the enemy and they came prepared. I quickly turned around and barely escaped with my life and left on a one of the enemy ships.

"I later found out that the entire base was decimated and destroyed down to rubble. They didn't even look through half the building before one of the elites who came with them blew it up. I guess they suspected I died in the building since there weren't any search warrants out for my arrest so I was lucky."

He finished telling his story and kept his head down waiting for Omega to leave or attack him or anything really. The last thing he suspected was for Omega to ask a question. "Do you regret it?" Darek paused for a second trying to process it before he came back to himself and guessed he should probably answer. "Yes." He looked up just in time to see Omega nod. "Would you change your decision to help the enemy?" Darek stared at Omega in confusion thinking that was pretty much the same question but decided to just answer it. "Yes."

Omega nodded his head and got up. Darek hung his head again thinking that Omega was going to leave now but all Omega did was say. "As long as you regret it then I don't see what's got you so down. Nobody was hurt any more than a regular raid on a base and it even sounds like they came even more prepared than normal. Also, with you setting up the trap, many of the enemies probably didn't prepare at all thinking your trap would take care of the army. All in all, I would say that while what you did wasn't good, good did come out of it in the end. I'll go make some dinner real quick and we can eat before heading out."

With that, Omega walked into his tent and started 'cooking,' leaving a dumbfounded Darek still at the table. Darek stared off into space thinking over Omega's words as it slowly started to sink in. He never thought about that even though he became a traitor to the army, they still were able to overcome the slight and turn it into their advantage. A great weight all of the sudden lifted off his shoulders as his guilty conscious went away.

It only took Omega a couple of minutes to come back out with steaming plates of delicious food. They ate in comfortable silence for ten minutes until Darek couldn't hold back his question anymore. Darek swallowed his food and said quietly, "How can you be so forgiving? I betrayed my companions. Aren't you worried that I would do the same to you?"

Omega looked up and studied Darek for a couple of seconds before answering. "The main reason is that you regret your decision and you would take more care to gather the facts before making another decision like that. Also ... I had a friend who did the exact same thing as you."

Silence descended upon them while Omega was lost in thought. "His name was Luke and when I first met him, I immediately liked him. He accepted me into his group right off the bat with a smiling face and you couldn't help but look up to him. I was, of course, younger than him at the time. He became like a mentor to me and taught me battle skills that I still use today.

"As life went on, I went on many quests and a very powerful enemy rose up to try to kill my family, which is quite big with many cousins. So, naturally, we fought them to save our family. We soon found out that Luke betrayed us and joined the enemy. He wasn't completely without his reasons because most of our family are powerful people and complete jack-asses." Omega said with a small laugh.

"At the final battle, I fought against Luke and the leader of the enemy side. The battle was stressful and extremely difficult but I had some help. In the end, Luke woke up enough to see his mistakes and sacrificed his life so we could win the war. While what he did was wrong, he made the right decision in the end and I believe that if he was still live, he would have stuck with his family from then on out.

"That is why I can understand what you went through and accept that you made a wrong decision, understood why you made that decision, and will plan accordingly for those situations in the future."

Darek just sat there trying to comprehend someone like Omega. The way Omega was looking at him was like he had complete trust in him even though they just met. It actually made something stir in him that hadn't stirred since joining the army. The drive to do his best and make his commander proud to have him under his wing. It was amazing that he would feel that way just barely knowing Omega but he felt that way and he was going to act on it.

Darek smiled at Omega and said, "Thanks." They both finished their meal with small smiles on their face before preparing for the night to come. They each felt closer to each other than before and a new level of trust began to form. They each shared a major event in their lives and are now closer because of it.

~~~Midnight~~~

Omega and Darek made their way over to the guild's base and waited at the entrance for a guard to pass through. There weren't any guards on the outside so no one would run into them or even see them. They only had to wait 30 minutes for a guild member to pass through with two hidden figures following him inside.

Darek quickly led Omega to the vent they talked about and gave him a hoist up and getting a helping hand in return. They crawled through the vent for 20 minutes going side to side, up, down, and diagonal until they reached the staircase. Darek silently lifted the vent gate and slightly lowered his head to see into the hall so he wouldn't catch anybody's attention.

Luckily, there wasn't anybody in the hall so they quietly jumped down and headed down the stairs. They now took great care to check around the corners before heading down the many hallways. A few times they had to go into a side room when they heard people coming. While Darek was actually quite nervous about being caught, Omega was actually looking ahead by filling the air with more water vapor, so they really weren't going to get caught by surprise.

They only had to take down one of the guards and quickly stuffed him into a closet before moving on. As they made their way down to the final level, at least to their knowledge, still silence permeated the halls that even their soft steps made slight noises. They both gave each other looks and they knew that it would be impossible to navigate these halls while also taking out guards without making a single noise.

Omega came up next to Darek and told him that he was going to freeze a wall to block off people from coming down or escaping. Darek watched as Omega placed his hand on the wall and was impressed as a milky blue ice wall formed. He could no longer see the other side and he bet that noise wouldn't filter through either. He gave Omega a small smile and continued their journey.

The first guard they came encountered was in the second hallway and Omega had to stop Darek from turning the corner too fast without looking. He only got a strange look from Darek but it quickly turned into a slightly suspicious one when Darek looked around the corner and saw the guard. Omega really wished he didn't have to reveal that he knew a guard was up ahead when he shouldn't have been able to but it was either get caught by evil guild members or gain suspicion by someone he was coming to like. Of course, he chose his friend which he might actually reveal more about himself and his abilities after this.

Omega gave Darek a slight nod saying he would explain later before setting himself up at the corner. He pulled one of his knives off his chest strap and marginally looked around the corner. The guard was 20 feet away and had armor covering everything but his ankles, hands, neck, and face. Neck sounded like the best option so he waited for the best shot. He also froze some water on the tip to make sure his aim was true since he hadn't thrown a knife in a long time.

He only had to wait five minutes for the guard to shift a little in discomfort thus revealing a slightly larger portion of his neck. A swift throw later and the guard fell. Omega may or may not have blood bended to make the body have a softer landing. They both quickly, though silently, walked over to the guard. Omega made the blood go back into the body and the now dead body stand up straight. After taking water from thin air and burning a bit of his clothes, he made some glasses and stepped back to view his work. They were about to move on until Omega remembered his jaw idea and froze his teeth together. That would have been a dead giveaway if a guard saw that.

Both Omega and Darek nodded their heads in approval at the life like guard standing in the hallway. They both hoped that no one tried to talk to him or their plan was going to go quickly down the drain. After that, they stealthily made their way through the hallway and were surprised to not find any guards. Omega was actually wondering if they were going the right way or something until a hand stopped him from moving forward.

Omega immediately stopped and gave Darek a questioning look before looking around to find out why he stopped. After coming up blank, he watched Darek as he walked a couple of steps forward and pointed towards the ground. Omega came up beside him and didn't see anything out of the ordinary. He guessed the tile was a slightly different color shade but when slightly pushed with water vapor nothing happened so he didn't think it was a trap or anything.

Darek rolled his eyes and stepped up beside him to whisper in his ear. "This is a basic hole trap just with extremely advanced technology helping out. If a certain amount of weight is put on the tile then a wide section of the floor will disintegrate making you fall and setting off an alarm." Omega looked closer and tried to find a crack in the design so he could push water inside to see how it was made but he couldn't find a single flaw. He had to give them props at that and just nodded at Darek to show he understood and was thankful.

They continued on for over an hour trying to navigate the halls and had to kill seven more guards until they finally found a door that had two tough looking guards. They both grinned at each other knowing they found something important. Omega held two knives in one hand and lined up his shot. The next instant had two guards on the ground and two men with growing grins of anticipation.

After fixing the guards, they confidently entered the rooms and stopped short at what was inside. They apparently walked into a very lavish office with nice furniture and old dusty books decorating bookshelves. Plush rugs decorating the floor and a grand chandelier hanging from the ceiling just went over the top in Omega's opinion. However, what really surprised them was the nice looking man counting gold coins and filling out paper work behind the desk. The man looked up from his work and all three stared at each other in surprise before he leaned back and steepled his hands under his chin.

"Well, hello their gentlemen. How may I help you?" The man had a slight, charming smile that held had a sharp edge to it that reminded them that this important person wasn't someone to take lightly. Both Omega and Darek were still trying to figure out who this person was until it clicked for both of them. Darek slightly showed his surprise at figuring him out but that was all it took for the man to further the conversation.

"As you've apparently just figured out, my name is Guild Leader Vesperus. Now, I am quite curious as to why you are here and how you got here. Since I haven't got a notification from my guards I'm guessing that I don't have guards anymore. Anyway, why don't you take a seat so we can talk." Vesperus said with an amused eyebrow which irritated Omega with his personal disregard for his troops. However, it honestly didn't surprise him that the guild leader didn't care.

Omega looked at Darek and gave a small nod saying Omega was going to let him handle the conversation. They both sat down on the two chairs facing the desk and Omega listened while Darek talked. "So, just to make things clear. You are the leader of this guild, correct?" He got a nod in answer. "Alright, just to sate your curiosity, yes, you have no more guards on this level. At least, the way from the stairs to here and a little extra since we didn't know the way." Omega looked at Darek wondering why he was saying they killed all of them but he 'said' he was going to let him handle it so he stayed silent.

"Next, to put it into simplest terms, we're going to kill you." That sentence took both Omega and Vesperus by surprise and silence settled before Vesperus burst out laughing. Now Darek was confused as to why he would be laughing at the moment which was the opposite for Omega since he had seen it many times before during his assassin days.

Once Vesperus calmed down, he said, "I have to give you it to you guys. Getting to this room is no easy task and the guards stationed were some of my best. However, I think we can agree that a working relationship between us could be much more satisfactory. I can tell both of you are highly trained assassins and I would gladly hire you. And adding to the incentive, I will pay you twice as much as whoever offered you money for this job. They don't make assassins like they used to and I believe working together will help you reach your full potential."

Darek was once again surprised that Vesperus was trying to buy them out but, once again, Omega had heard it many times before and let it wash over him. However, what caught Omega's eye was the slight twitch of Vesperus' left hand towards the underside of his desk and made sure to keep a close eye on it to prevent further problems.

Darek's mood went to disbelieving and incredulity before saying, "You want to buy us out! What kind of assassin would switch jobs right in the middle of it. Even if we were hired assassins I wouldn't be bribed to change allegiances. This is the end of the road for you ... so, any last words?" Darek smiled charmingly at the man while Omega was shaking his head. Omega knew the next steps the leader was going to take and was quick to action.

Vesperus' hand shot under his desk but found that his arm stopped moving an inch away from the alarm. Switching tactics, he tried to retrieve his gun on the right side but found that he couldn't even move that hand. He then tried to stand but his knees wouldn't bend and his feet were stuck like glue. Of course, the next step was panic since there was feasible escape.

Darek jumped as he say Vesperus reach for something but stilled when the guild leader also stilled. He waited to see if he would move or stand up but all he saw was increasing levels of panic. However, they weren't doing anything to him so why would he panic? Unless ... he looked over at Omega and saw him focusing on Vesperus. It shocked him to see that Omega was actually controlling Vesperus without touch and was even more surprised that he didn't feel threatened or scared. He trusted Omega not to use his ability on him so he continued as if they planned for that to happen.

"As you see, you are in a predicament with only one option, die. So, without further ado and on behalf of the people, I relieve you from office and find you guilty of the crimes you committed and sentence you to immediate death." With that, he unlatched Omega's gift and threw it at Vesperus, embedding it deeply into his head.

Omega let his hold go and watched as the body slumped over on the chair. It had been a while since he killed an evil ruler and, honestly, he kind of missed it. Not exactly the killing part but the liberating feeling that he was helping society. He sighed and stood up before looking around the office. He pulled out a little bag that he got a couple of years ago that had the ability to hold more than it looked before gathering anything that he thought was valuable.

He retrieved the gold from Vesperus' desk and also any rare books that interested him. After finishing up with a few miscellaneous items, he put the bag up and turned towards Darek who had a slight frown on his face.

Once Darek saw he was finished, he asked his question. "You could control me right now if you wanted to, right?" Omega looked at Darek and saw no reason to lie to him so he answered honestly. "Yes." Darek nodded and asked, "Why didn't you tell me from the beginning? We could have gotten through the halls much quieter without the guards even falling."

Omega was a little surprised that he didn't see any anger on Darek's face, only curiosity. "When I told you about my blood manipulation abilities, I saw how uncomfortable it made you feel and I hoped to tell you about my full capabilities once you fully trusted me. I have no intention of ever using that ability on someone unless I'm really mad at them or it needs to be done. Other than that, I chose not to use it. Sometimes, of course, it is quite a temptation to just control a person to kill themselves to make my job easier but I don't believe that is fair. I have rules when I fight people whether they know we're fighting or not. And, actually, I did use my abilities to soften the bodies fall."

Darek smiled at Omega and chuckled a little. "Yeah I wondered why I only heard a thunk instead of metal skidding or something. Anyway, got any other cool powers you're keeping from me?" He said it in a teasing tone and was actually surprised that Omega actually nodded his head. "You've got to be kidding me! How do you have even more power! You already can control people for Chaos sake. What else can you do?!"

Omega chuckled and created two home cooked meals on the desk. The dumbfounded expression on Darek disappeared as his stomach growled at the delightful aroma of the food. "Um, I think we should take a late night snack break before moving on. What do you think?" They both openly laughed together and started eating.

After pilfering through the entire office and finding a hidden door containing priceless jewels, they excited the office and swept through what was left on the third floor. They gathered all the important documentation about cash flow and government officials before heading back up to the top. They surprisingly didn't run into anybody until they needed to slip past the guards by the door into the city. When they finally reached their house, they both agreed to go to bed and talk about the heist in the morning so each fell into a deep sleep after the stressful night they just had.

~~~

As the weeks flew by, word spread that the leader of the guild had been assassinated in his office and the people working closely with him were frightened. Whenever one of them would try to take control of the now vacant position, the candidate would wind up dead not too long afterword so anybody that was smart stayed far away.

Without a leader for the guild and with many members scared for their lives, the guild fell apart, giving the actual government a chance to seize control. It was also made easier since the fall of the guild inspired many citizens to take up arms and drive out any corrupted officials or guards.

After a few months, the government was slowly garnering influence and the people started to gain life again. Omega and Darek stuck with each other the whole way and worked together to topple anyone trying to rally troops to take over the government. After one such mission, they were actually spotted from afar, gaining them the name Companions. They actually liked the name and so did the people. So, they became known as the Companions, Saviors of the City.

The news tried to speculate who they were and what class they came from but, of course, they were nowhere close. Luckily, the people didn't care about where they came from and the government didn't either so they never were given arrest warrants for the murders they committed. It was an unspoken agreement that as long as they didn't murder anyone for the people or government, the government would look the other way and claim that they have no news on their whereabouts and are 'looking' extensively for them. Even though their definition of looking is with the naked eye during the daylight hours.

For the next year and a half, Omega and Darek's friendship grew into brotherhood. Omega even completely shed his cloak and mask at one point so his brother could know what he really looked like. They always had each other's back and learned to fight together on the battlefield with fluidity and expertise. They never left a single enemy standing and no one saw them while fighting. They became complete unknowns in the city and that was how they liked it.

However, all good things must come to an end for Omega as his second year ended. He knew that he stayed a year longer than he planned to but he enjoyed his time in Valos with his brother. Omega talked to Darek many times about his constant moving and different adventures during his life. So that was why when Omega talked to Darek one day and told him he would be leaving to go onto his next adventure, Darek wasn't surprised and wished him good luck and also forced a promise out of him to visit again.

They spent their last night together partying in the middle class section of the city and bid each other goodbye the next morning. As Omega mist traveled back to Vinesta, he sighed at the sight of his home and went inside. It had been a long time since he had been back to the familiar forest and it brought a comforting feeling to him. After putting up his stuff, he went straight to bed to regain energy. As he laid in bed, he wondered what his next great adventure would bring and if it would be just as good as or better than his time with Darek. As his brain slowly shut down, he only hoped it wasn't going to be worst.

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How did you like it?! I hope it was worth the wait and once again I would like to thank everybody who has stuck with me even with my slow updates. I just want you to know that even if it feels like I will never update, I will sooner or later so have faith my friends that my fingers will keep typing. I'll end it here so I can actually get started on my homework so ... Bye!

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