24 Dreams Of You And Me

78) Trouble, Let's Play Again

"Your intellect may be confused, but your emotions will never lie to you."
-Roger Ebert

***

Alyssa was grunting hoarsely.

Levi was leaning against a wall, studying her when his phone rang.

Robb the Robber calling...

"What?" He answered the call and walked out.

"How's she?"

"Not so hot.." He sighed and looked back in the room.

"Well, Crystal and Rachel found a way to locate the Garden and I'll need your help with it."

"I'm the last person to be around Crystal."

"We need the location. I don't think she minds."

"Uh.. okay. So you're all coming back here?"

"Yes. Text me the address."

"Alright and hey, what about your brother?"

After a second of silence, Robb spoke, "I'm working on that."

Before Levi could reply, he hung up.

He went back to Alyssa. "Robb's coming back."

Alyssa didn't respond.

"You know, I've noted that in front of him you act as if you don't care. You call your aunt by her first name, never ask about his siblings but I also remember you were one who trusted him easily the first time-"

"Look what that got me." She chuckled dryly.

"Yeah but you cared about him. You told me he's your brother and you trust him. You asked him about his life and your aunt. You've also defended Victoria in one of our arguments. At that time you called her Aunt Victoria. All this shows you care about family, Alyssa. Even if you've never met them."

"I used to.."

"Robb gathered two more ingredients for us. He's coming to arrange the final one too. Because he's your family and he doesn't wanna abandon you. Alyssa would do the same."

"So he got the fruit." She smiled.

"Yes."

"Did he happen to mention.." She breathed in deep. ".. that I was the one who helped him get it?"

"You weren't. Crystal was." He frowned.

"Oh, Levi, you innocent soul.." She laughed a bit but it turned into a coughing fit.

"What do you mean?"

"No one is good, Levi. Everyone's got bad inside them.. Robb wasn't helping out family, he was helping out himself.. I, he and I had a deal. He selfishly wanted to resurrect Rachel... you remember her, don't you?"

"I thought you were weak enough not to plot dirty schemes."

"Oh, I am. I'm so weak.. that I'm speaking the truth..  feels foreign.."

Levi's eyes roamed around the red symbols. They seemed to be working. Days under their influence was enough to kill a spirit. Alyssa being a soldier, was not dead but close enough, there was no way she was immune to it. Even a soldier is fundamentally a spirit.

"Why'd you help him?" He asked, believing her.

"Open the gates.. to Earth.." She huffed out.

"He wouldn't do that."

"Ask him yourself when he's here." She smirked evilly. Satisfied, to have been able to plant a seed inside Levi's head against Robb.

"Fine."