There's No Love In the Deathzone (BL)
Chapter 621: Side Story 1. The Twilight Zone - 3

Chapter 621: Side Story 1. The Twilight Zone - 3

"So you’re finally leaving?"

Ron tilted his head at the couple visiting the Borderland, emphasizing the word ’finally’. Everyone had left the former Deathzone starting a week ago, but Zein and Bassena seemed like they had no intention of doing so. Of the original operation members, they were the very last to leave the place. He even started to make a bet with Agni on how long those two would stay inside.

Unfortunately, both of them--who bet never and a month--lost.

"We have a lot to take care of up there, especially if we plan on staying here in the future," Bassena shrugged, prompting Agni to click his tongue.

If you’re going to stay there in the future, why leave at all?

Ignorance of the bet being made behind their back, Zein pointed at them with his chin. "Speaking of staying, what about you guys?"

"We? The government’s slave?" Agni smirked sarcastically. "Obviously, we have to wait until they decide what to do with this useless Borderland."

With no more Deathzone to be watched, the Borderland Unit became no more than a barrack for jobless workers tied by contracts with nothing to do. Agni had to work hard keeping them inside the confines of the Borderland’s wall until the decision was made--especially because a handful of them were criminals.

Knowing how their government worked, however, he knew it could take a long time. Their only hope was for Radia to push things quickly.

But Bassena brought in a bitter horizon.

"They will probably move the border to the sea," the esper muttered.

It was a realistic outcome. Just like in the Southern Kingdom, there was a limit to the safe zone the Great Tree could maintain. Especially because, unlike the Southern Kingdom, the divine beacon spawned on the continent, not the island. Sooner or later, some monsters from the beyond would cross over, and dungeons could still appear on the far end. If the Eastern Federation wanted to do business by the sea, keeping the water safe was paramount.

Naturally, when the time came for them to create the sea border unit, the first choice would fall to the current Borderland Unit’s member.

"They can do whatever they want, but our contract ends with this unit," Ron scoffed and crossed his arms. From those hardened eyes, they knew this man would not compromise on this.

Not after pushing Zein to the green zone and fighting in the reclamation project.

Zein tilted his head. "What if it’s not?"

"I’ll use my reward point for that," the scout said with disdain.

"Or we can just run," Agni shrugged. "Sometimes my cigarette fell into strange places; who knows if it’s going to fall into the cabinet one day."

Bassena laughed in response, but Zein could tell that the berserker was serious. He would probably light himself on fire to burn all contracts and personnel lists, saying that it was a drunken mistake and bid goodbye before any assessor could say ’but’.

He looked at the scout, who looked rather proud of his husband, and asked them. "What are you going to do after you’re free?"

Agni raised his brow and pointed to himself. "Me? Haven’t you heard that I’m just a luggage carrier?"

"Heh--might as well. You probably know nothing about the outside world after rotting here for tens of years."

"Like you’re one to talk."

"No, that’s why I always let him do all the planning," Zein pointed at Bassena with his thumb, smirking.

Ron chuckled and stroked his chin in contemplation. "Well, we ought to renew our passports first..."

"Ooh, adventuring abroad?" Agni clapped his hands. It was apparent that he really didn’t think anything about their next step, leaving everything in Ron’s hands.

The scout sighed and shook his head. "I don’t think someone like you can stay still without going inside a dungeon at all, so let’s just go to ones abroad as a change of scenery."

"Mister Khan, even the one in Eastern Federation would be a change of scenery," Agni smirked.

"That’s true, but let’s just change it completely--go big, big!"

"Well, I’m just a luggage carrier anyway."

Zein chuckled and prayed that these two could just do anything they wanted to do. It was what they deserved after spending their precious youth here. Well, Ron anyway. He patted the scout’s shoulder. "Whatever you’re doing, just keep in touch."

Ron smirked and patted the hand on his shoulder back; fingers tapped on the band circling Zein’s ring finger. "Well, we’ll at least go to your wedding."

"Congrats, I guess? Or should I say ’finally’?" Agni arched his brow, grinning.

"Coming from someone who spent more than a decade before doing it?" Bassena snorted.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever--just give us a holler when you have the date."

"Oh--make sure to tell us at least a month before since we don’t know where we’ll be at," Ron added.

"Pfft--make sure your commlinks at least have a signal then."

"Eh--we’ll try our best," Agni waved his hands.

They had been without commlinks for years, so they were still getting used to it. Especially after the Deathzone had gone and they could access the interlink--it was rather hard catching up with fifteen years’ worth of technology.

Well, they had more years ahead of them to learn it slowly anyway.

Ron looked at Zein and Bassena, who made it all possible. He pulled the guide into a tight hug and whispered sincerely. "Thank you."

Zein, who was no longer allergic to hugs, patted the scout’s back lightly. "Thank you for giving me a push too."

It was an end to their short farewell, and after promising themselves to keep in touch once again, Bassena and Zein went inside the waiting helicopter that would bring them home.

Watching the aircraft disappear into the bright sky across the Redridge plains, Ron muttered quietly so that only he and Agni could hear it. "Just one more step."

Agni smiled and took the scout’s hand in his, holding on tightly. "Yeah, one more step to freedom."

* * *

"Imprinted?!"

The newly engaged couple’s first destination was, of course, the elders of their ’family’, who were no longer staying in Mimera, but in the lakeside house. Aside from the elder of the Iron Shield, Lucia’s friends had also been staying there since two years ago. Zein had told them about his visit, and the rest of the Ishtera Household had gathered there.

They were originally going to announce their engagement, but the elder was more focused on their imprinting. Bassena unconsciously stepped behind Zein as the elder’s eyes bulged. The others swiftly put his oxygen mask on, as the old man had started to wheeze.

"It’s not that big of a deal, isn’t it?" Bassena muttered behind Zein, holding the guide’s shoulder in defense.

"What do you mean it’s not a big deal?! Cough--"

The esper grinned sheepishly as Zein flicked his forehead. But to be fair, Zein didn’t think the reaction would be this big. Perhaps because he used to make his own decisions without anyone questioning him. But he realized now that he had a big family, even if they were not bound to him by blood.

"Well, it was something done to save Young Master’s life, so you shouldn’t be so agitated," Senan said calmly, which made Zein almost burst out in laughter. He still remembered how much Senan cried devastatingly when Zein told him about it before. "Master Roan and Miss Lucia also--"

"That’s why!" the elder slapped the armrest after done coughing. "He shouldn’t do it like his parents! He should do it properly! Properly!"

Zein chuckled. "I was already planning to do it anyway," he shrugged. "It’s just a matter of doing it earlier by a few weeks."

If they weren’t already, Zein would probably ask for it after Bassena was done proposing on that cliff. Needless to say, Bassena was giggling bashfully like a schoolboy, and the elder looked like he was getting a heart attack.

Amidst the excitement, the two aunties hugged Zein and congratulated him--both on the imprinting and the engagement. The youngsters followed after, looking enthusiastic about having another party to blast and teasing Cohen about finding someone next after being dumped last time because he was no longer a police officer.

Well, despite the elder’s incessant rambling, it was still a merry gathering to celebrate the end of the Deathzone mission. None of the Iron Brigade ended up as casualties, so they celebrated their good health and better future.

After all of that excitement, Zein pulled Bassena away before the elder caught them and bombarded them with more speech. Laughing, they escaped to the small path outside, flanked by blue hibiscus bushes. They walked leisurely under the starry sky, to a patch of land surrounded by blue hibiscus. A softly glowing garden lamp shone above two graves, illuminating the words carved upon the marble stones.

With a smile on their lips, Zein and Bassena crouched in front of the graves, conveying their new, deeper bond to the four precious people in Zein’s life. When they were done, the guide held Bassena’s hand and smiled.

"Let’s tell your mother next."