Ally Life (Title Might Change)

Chapter 8 - The Conflict of the Dogs

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As Martyn, Jimmy, and Tango left Scott alone, the former seemed to notice something on his tablet.

"Hey guys, I need to head out for now. Let me know how it goes with Scott, okay?" The blonde wasted no time in running off.

Puzzled by his friend's reaction, Jimmy opens his comms device to see a new notification.

Rendog fell from a high place

The blaze next to Jimmy huffed. "Well- that would explain the weird reaction."

Jimmy's expression turned to one of worry. "Why did he react that way to Ren's death?" Tango sighs and runs a clawed hand through his hair. "Ren is his king, remember? Of course, Martyn is going to worry about him."

Oh. Jimmy supposed that made sense. He would have been just as worried if Tango had died and they weren't on the same team.

"I hope everything's alright."

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Silence was all that occupied the space of Ren's house when Martyn had gotten there. Ren seemed to have just slipped and fell down a cliff. Nothing to worry about, right?

Ren finally clears his throat, relieving some tension from Martyn's body. "So, you're teamed with Jimmy again. That must be pretty annoying, seeing as it's so repetitive." Shrugging at the comment, Martyn's eyes become clouded with fondness. "Yeah, it's repetitive, but it's not at all annoying."

Ren's eyebrows crease a bit. Since when has Martyn ever acted this way towards someone besides himself? Strange.

"Aren't you worried about him dying so quickly? He was out pretty soon after The Queen of Shadows met her demise last season."."

Martyn leans back against the wall, contemplating Ren's question. "Yeah, I guess it's always a concern. But Jimmy will be Jimmy... Plus, I feel this time will be different. I haven't teamed with Tango before, but from how Jimmy spoke about him last season, I don't think the blaze is gonna let his canary fly away so soon this time. And then there's Scott. It's like he has a sixth sense of danger or something. He has been through tough situations before, and has always found a way to prosper in the end. I'd say my placement group-wise is rather fortunate."

Ren tilts his head, still skeptical. "But what if that luck runs out one day?"

Martyn chuckles lightly, a hint of irony in his voice. "Well, we can't predict the future, can we? All we can do is trust our instincts and our teammates. Besides, Jimmy's not as defenseless as he might seem. He's got skills that surprise even me sometimes."

Ren seems unconvinced but drops the subject. The room is filled with another silence, this time comfortable, until a hushed snort causes Martyn to raise his head.

"What's so funny?"

"Oh, nothing... it's just," a shadow casts over Ren's face, "you speak rather fondly of Mr. Solidarity."

Martyn's eyes narrow, and he shifts uncomfortably on his feet. The unexpected inquiry from Ren catches him off guard, and he stammers for a moment before regaining his composure. "What? What are you implying?"

Ren leans forward, a mischievous yet worrisome glint in his eyes. "Oh, nothing, Martyn. It's just...the way you speak about him...it almost sounds like there's something more there."

Martyn rolls his eyes, trying to dismiss the suggestion with a nonchalant wave. "Come on, Ren, don't be ridiculous. We're friends, like brothers in arms. Nothing more."

Ren smiles sadly, knowingly. "If you say so. But you can't deny there's a certain level of affection in your voice when you talk about him. You've told me before about the rarity of that particular emotion coming from you."