The City - PewdieCry

9: More About Cry

The evening had set upon the city, and I sighed as I finished what was left of my dinner. I brought the little dishes back downstairs, placing them into the sink and heading back to my room. I was used to spending my evenings alone, secluded from the stares of everyone else back in the safety of my personal space. Somehow, despite my presence in this gang being counted for over a week now, the stares and whispers were still there; still just behind me as I walked away. Cry wasn't making anything easier on me.

I wasn't the only one who had caught his glance under his mask, his eyes fixated on me. Whatever he was looking for in me, whatever reaction he wanted, I was hoping that he would stop. It was forcing questions to bubble within the other soldiers, and I had already been beaten for not being able to give an assumption for the leader's favoritism towards me. I had no idea what he wanted, but that answer wasn't enough to feed the curiosity that everyone except for Michael seemed to have obtained.

I paused, looking out the windows and doorway simply to listen to the others behind me. Sure enough, Cry's name was passed around more than once, and I felt my jaw lock as they began picking fun at the masked man. Cry was nice, and maybe it had been just to me, but I was appreciative of even that. I was new to all of this, the outside world had been so different, so peaceful. This wasn't something that I was used to, and Cry had taken me under his wing the whole time. His favoritism, at this point, was only costing me.

I turned, watching as everyone else cleaned up and headed up the stairs for the night. Michael had long since returned to his room with his second in command, discussing what had happened the day before yesterday with Cry at The Dump. They were very suspicious of the masked man's actions, saying that he normally would have fought with everything he had to take the gunpowder from them. They were thinking every reason as to why he hadn't fought them off, and I too wondered why Cry hadn't tried to take it from us. Gunpowder was everything in this city. Little pockets of gunpowder from years ago are still found around the city, in areas that people don't frequent. Search missions were getting desperate before we would have to move outside the city to keep our supply in stock. Guns and gunpowder meant power here.

As I headed to the stairs to return to bed, I noticed one of the higher ranked soldiers still sitting in one of the chairs at a table. He was smoking a cigar, and was lost in thought as everyone else left. Most higher ranked soldiers were quite arrogant and haughty, but I had seen this man before. He was nicer, wiser, something a bit more mature than the others, and one of the most observant members of this group. He went by the name of Covert, which had to be an alias for the word itself was merely an adjective. He glanced over at me, did a double take, and then motioned me over. Frowning in confusion, I made my way to him instead as he put his cigarette out.

"Word is you've earned the watchful eye of Cryaotic," he said, focusing on putting his cigar out completely and avoiding eye contact.

"It would seem that way." I mumbled, rubbing the back of my neck sheepishly. Covert turned his hazel gaze on me, one that was both intimidating and intrigued.

"Do you know why?" he asked, and I froze. He asked the same question that those of my rank had, and they had pummeled me for my answer. I was weary to respond, but Covert didn't look angry or suspicious of me. It seemed like a question asked simply out of curiosity.

"I have no idea." I responded finally. "People don't believe me for that, but whatever interest Cry has in me, its not making things very easy." Covert nodded, returning to smashing his cigarette in the ash tray.

"He didn't have a very easy beginning either, you know." I barely caught the words from his mouth as I turned away. I froze, and looked back at him. He felt my gaze, and after a moment turned to me. He rolled his eyes and let out a loud sigh. "You're going to ask about it, aren't you?"