The Disparate One

Chapter 55 - Men

Oxford suddenly woke up early with a heavy feeling. It feels to him that the bed is pulling him down when he tried to sit up. He jumped off the bed and went to the bathroom to take a shower. He grabbed new, fresh clothes on the way to the bathroom. Fier kept himself awake even the sun has begun to rise in the distance. He stretched his joints before walking out of his bedroom. He was greeted out of nowhere by Oxford who appears to have just entered the room, they were staring when Oxford was still holding the front door.

"Morning.", said Oxford when he approached Fier.

"Morning... my beacon has just been deactivated.", replied Fier.

"Fier, I deactivated your beacon decades ago... even before I stole you.", said Oxford with an unsure look.

"Well... yesterday a pop-up said that it has been deactivated.", announced Fier when suddenly they heard Ray's bedroom door opened.

Ray halted in the doorway when he found Fier and Oxford standing in the middle of the living room.

"Something happened...", said Ray when he pulled out the metal bracelet that came off when he was still asleep.

"Oh.", murmured Oxford when he turned around to Fier then back to Ray who is still standing in the same spot. "Hide it in your luggage", said Oxford to Ray then he turned back around to face Fier. "I have a bad feeling about this.", he told the robot.

"Anyway...", added Oxford after he paused and moved to the sofa. "I'd like to talk to Ray, privately.", said Oxford to Fier when Ray came into their view.

Ray remained standing near the door to his bedroom when Oxford started to approach him. Oxford placed his right hand on Ray's left shoulder with a small smile on his face.

"Let's go for a walk.", whispered Oxford to Ray followed by a nod.

Fier was sitting on the sofa, watching when Ray and Oxford walked out of the hotel room. Ray was the first one to step inside the elevator and Oxford followed behind him, he then pressed the button to the lobby room.

"Have you eaten breakfast yet?", questioned Oxford who is standing next to Ray in the elevator.

"No... I just woke up when I told you about the metal bracelet.", replied Ray before he raised his right hand, covered his mouth, and let out a short yawn.

"I know a place where we can eat.", said Oxford when the doors of the elevator opened.

Ray began to walk behind Oxford when they stepped outside the elevator and headed to the exit. Ray and Oxford got greeted by the morning sun when they walked through the doors. Ray was still wearing the clothes that he slept with, he didn't get the time to change. He thought it was urgent.

"So... Ray.", Oxford started to talk again when they walked into a cafe and Ray moved next to him so that he can hear him clearly from the noise. "My daughter told me that you two kissed?", he continued when they sat down.

Rya's heart skipped a beat when he heard Oxford. "Y-Yes.", answered Ray and then he gulped.

"I remember me and my wife made our first kiss.", said Oxford when h raised his left hand to call a waitress. Ray only bobbed his head slightly as he was looking down at the reflective table.

A waitress stood in front of their table with a notepad and a pen, Oxford looked up to the lady while saying, "As usual.", and then the waitress moved away and into the kitchen.

"Aren't you mad?", Ray questioned with a slight stutter.

"No.", answered Oxford calmly when he rested his back on the backrest and started to tap his right foot on the floor.

Ray remained quiet when he decided to move his head around, admiring the doors in the cafe. In just a few minutes, the waitress returned to their table with a tray and resting on the tray are their food. Oxford was staring down at his plate while Ray noticed that some two men are talking in the distance and are wearing a black suit, same as Oxford's suit. He turned his head back to face Oxford so that he won't be caught.

"Do you know those men in a black suit that looks exactly like yours?", Ray questioned Oxford when he grabbed his fork and stabbed it on the sausage.

Oxford leaned slightly just to take a glimpse of the men that Ray is questioning about. He raised an eyebrow when he found that their suit actually is the same as his, he moved his eyes up and somehow didn't recognise them immediately, he's guessing they are new.

"No... I guess they're new...", replied Oxford. "Then... how come I haven't received anything about them?", Oxford added after he swallowed his food.

"Don't ask me.", said Ray before drinking his water.

Oxford told Ray to just keep his head down until they leave the restaurant. Oxford called the waitress while still making quick glances to the two men who are still in the exact spot, they are not talking to each other anymore but they are now looking right at them. Oxford handed the money to the lady when he and Ray got up from the chair and left the cafe without saying a word and not making eye contact with the two men. Oxford immediately called a taxi while Ray stood next to him.

Ray was looking up at the skies, watching a flock of birds flying, when out of nowhere someone tapped his left shoulder. He turned his head and found the same two men standing in just a meter away from Ray. He called Oxford's attention and Oxford responded by turning around and was in shock when finding out why.

"My name is Sil, section eight... we need to talk.", the man on the right approached Oxford by a step and also showed his code printed on his right arm.

"I have never heard that kind of name, and that code does not exist.", said Oxford as he was staring directly at the person's eyes. Even though the code really does not exist, he still memorised it just in case that the system comes back up.

The man squinted at Oxford for a brief moment. He turned around and approached his other friend, who remained standing near Ray.

"You two better keep your eyes open... especially you, Oxford.", said the man, who introduced himself as Sil, before he and his partner started to walk away from Ray and Oxford.

Ray and Oxford watched the two men walk around the corner, leaving their view, before getting into the taxi that has just arrived. Oxford was sitting next to the driver while Ray was sitting just behind him. They kept their mouth shut until they arrived back at the front of the hotel.

"So you really don't know those guys?", Ray let out a question when they stepped inside the elevator.

"No... their code is different than ours.", replied Oxford when he raised his right arm and showed Ray his code, clearly printed with a black ink on the skin.

"An eerie moment.", said Ray when he looked straight, waiting for the doors to open so that he can finally get a shower.

Oxford returned to his family who just woke up. Ray too, also returned to his hotel room, he didn't check on the way to his bedroom if Fier is awake, he just walked straight to his bedroom without making any noise.