The Risen HODWII

Chapter 25 : Alliance

"We want to ask for an alliance with you," I said. I wanted to be direct to the point just to finish this as soon as possible, whether successful or not.

I sensed the three gang members stop their work, and Blake's eyes widened in surprise.

"The Insigma Fighters asking for our help? That's... surprising," Jake said with a grin. I noticed Coby clenching his jaw.

"What can we get in return?" Blake asked, leaning back in his chair.

"We're asking for an alliance, so if you ever find yourselves in trouble, we're willing to help you in any way we can," Adrian answered.

"That is unnecessary. We solemnly swear not to take sides with others except Tarre... 'til death. We work together as a brotherhood," Blue stated while adjusting his glasses and returning to tapping on his laptop.

"So coming all the way here was useless," Lucas murmured.

"I'm sorry, but we can't help you—" Blake said, but I cut him off.

"What do you want in return?" I asked. Blake shrugged.

"We want nothing from you. We are absolutely content with what we have right now, except..." He looked straight at the wall.

"Except what?" Adrian impatiently asked.

"Never mind. You can't give it anyway, and it has nothing to do with you." He stood up.

"But what is it? Maybe we can help," Coby tried.

"Tch, you can't help, dude! We can only help ourselves," Jacob stated.

Blake looked me straight in the eye. "Who asked for it?"

'Tell them I asked for it.' I suddenly remembered Claire's words, but if I said this... would it change anything? They said we can't help.

"Never mind. Coming all the way here was a mistake; I'm sorry." I stated and turned my back, leaving Blake in confusion.

I sensed Blue pause with his laptop for a moment, but the others continued playing with their cellphones.

"This wouldn't have happened if Claire hadn't recommended them," Lucas said, following me from behind.

"Don't blame my girl, Lucas; you kept insisting on this." My voice was hard as I gripped the doorknob, but when the door was slightly open...

"Wait!" Jacob quickly closed it, blocking our path.

I immediately grabbed my gun, pointing it at him, and the rest of my members did the same with the other Blue Fire Gang members.

I looked at the Blue Fire Gang... all of them had their hands raised and didn’t even dare to grab their guns; instead, I saw smiles creeping on their faces. Curiosity consumed me.

"Woah! We won't hurt you; put it down, yo!" Jake said, his voice a mix of fear and, surprisingly, gladness.

"What's up with those faces?" Adrian whispered, putting his gun away, and I did the same, followed by the rest of my members.

"Let's talk for a moment. I'm so sorry for my rudeness; I never take my eyes off my laptop, except when I'm sleeping." Blue stood up from his seat and approached us, extending his hand with a smile. I shook his hand, but everything still seemed confusing, and I could feel something was off.

"Me too! I was addicted to this Mobile Legends game and got too drawn into the battle," Jake said, scratching his neck.

"Um, earlier I really wanted to face you, but Jake stopped me," Jacob said, glaring at Jake.

"Hey! You agreed and said it was fun; don’t blame it all on me!" Jake shouted angrily.

"Did I say something that changed their minds?" Lucas whispered at me, but I ignored him.

"Again, I wanted to apologize on behalf of my members. They're still immature and need to grow up," Blake said. "And please, make yourselves comfortable." He motioned for us to sit on the couch.

Jake and Jacob stood up and offered their seats.

"Do you need juice? Coffee? Or any drink I can get for you?" Jacob offered.

"No, we don't need it," Coby stated. "They might put poison in it; I think they're insane," he murmured while taking a seat on the couch.

"This is hella... crazy," Adrian added in a low voice as he sat beside Coby.

"You nailed it, dude," Lucas agreed, but he stayed behind me.

"So, um... did Claire send you here?" Blake asked hesitantly.

"Do you know... Claire?" I asked instead of answering him. I knew they had met before when we got captured by them, but I thought there was more to it.

"Claire became our close friend," Blue stated.

"More like a sister!" Jake added, smiling widely.

"How?" I asked, still confused. Blake seemed unsure of what to say.

"We helped the two of you escape before," Blue answered instead. "We couldn't let an innocent person get involved in our activities; that is against our policy. Claire was innocent, so we wanted to repay her for Nicholo's mistake," he continued.

"By the way, where is she?" Jacob asked. I glared at him, and he immediately zipped his mouth.

"She's at Xenon's house," Lucas answered while watching their reactions closely.

Blake turned to me again, but everything seemed dull. "So now... please answer me: did Claire send you here?" He asked with hopeful eyes.

Filled with curiosity, I nodded, and they all smiled genuinely.

"Great!" Jake exclaimed.

"This is exciting!" Jacob added.

"Tell me... what do you need?" Blake asked.

So, I told him everything we were facing and the enemy we would be fighting against. They all listened carefully.

"So right now, you need people and weapons," Blake said, nodding in understanding. I nodded in agreement.

"Well then, I can only offer weapons. Any weapons you need, but people..." He faced me with a serious look. "I don't think I can give them to you as much as I would like to. I need them to guard my facilities and the headquarters."

"It's okay; weapons are enough. We can handle—" I started, but he spoke again.

"But I can offer you my best men, including me," Blake said, smiling.

Jake, Jacob, and Blue stood up straight and saluted, facing me. I was overwhelmed by their actions and willingness to cooperate.

"Cool!" Adrian, Lucas, and Coby exclaimed, smiling.

I nodded, still unable to believe what had just happened.

Claire... how did you make this happen?

"When can we go to your house?" Jake asked excitedly, which made me look at him. I hoped getting them to work with us wasn't a mistake.