There's No Love In the Deathzone (BL)
Chapter 664: Side Story 2. Dance of Flame and Shadow - 23

Chapter 664: Side Story 2. Dance of Flame and Shadow - 23

At first, he was angry. Reasonably so. He left without saying anything to anyone, just wanted to get as far away from the Unit as possible.

It was only after he reached the nearest orange-zone town did he wonder why he didn’t just go to the Deathzone? He was sure that damn Uncle would react in some way and get him back again.

But Ron entered a coffee shop to have a meal, a cup, and time to think about stuff, and realized entering the Deathzone was a stupid thing to do. He would just look desperate and childish, proving Agni’s point. Besides, even if the berserker picked him up again, he would probably strap Ron inside the logistic truck heading to this city.

Nothing would change, really.

After finishing that thought, Ron scoffed and used his rage energy to leave for the association and see if he could get his old job back. Surprisingly enough, he did. His short resume of ’working’ in the Borderland Unit actually worked in his favor, especially because it set him ahead in the scouting field--thanks to the harsh practice and Esther’s mentorship for those three months.

His thought was simple; Agni kicked him out because he was still a ’kid’ in the berserker’s eyes, someone who lacked experience in the real world. The berserker kept saying he shouldn’t waste his youth in that place and whatnot. Fine. In that case, he shall go out and pile up experiences. He would get a job and go around the world. He would spend his youth with so much fulfillment and climb the Tower as much as he could muster.

And when he came back, that damn Uncle wouldn’t have any reason to kick him out again.

Because, as days went by and his rage subsided, he could not believe anything that uncle said. No feelings? He might be a ’kid’, but he got more awareness than Agni in this kind of thing. He was a scout, for fuck’s sake--he would be damned if he couldn’t see that hesitation and slight tremble in those dark eyes as the berserker lied through his teeth.

No feelings for him were absolutely bullshit, and Ron wouldn’t give up just from that lie. After all, it wasn’t like the berserker would go anywhere. He would be there, chained in the Borderland.

If there was something Ron worried about...it would be the repeat of what happened to his father.

While he knew Agni was more cautious and not as compassionate as his father--which increased his survival rate--he still wrote a letter to Esther under an alias, asking the senior scout to give him an update from time to time.

And then, he focused on his work.

Steadily, he built experience. Working with the association meant he could be sent anywhere on the continent, so that worked for his ’seeing the world’ resume. He took about any work the association could offer without discrimination so, once again, he could slap Agni Khan in the face with his resume. Thanks to that, he got a great reputation within the association, and was given access to the best training so he could climb the Tower.

He passed the fourth floor five years later, and found his ceiling. But then again, Agni was a four-star, so Ron had reached his goal. He would try to climb the fifth floor just to be petty, but he knew it would take him at least another five years--that was if he focused on training and not doing any mission.

But he didn’t want to waste too much time and lose his chance again--like how he lost his father.

The berserker was still very much alive, but he didn’t want that Uncle to forget his face. Esther refused to say anything about Agni except for whether or not the man was alive--he reckoned it was to keep things fair. But she did say something that disturbed Ron: how Agni thought Ron would meet better people and forgot about him.

How ridiculous. It was so ridiculous that Ron wanted to come back that second to smack the berserker’s head.

How could he meet other people and forget about that old man if everything he did was fueled by the thought of confronting that man? It wasn’t like he didn’t try--at the start, when he was still angry, he tried hooking up with other people in the neutral zone. But every time things were about to get intimate, he would be reminded of Agni.

No one--no one managed to make him forget about that brash, son of a bitch berserker. And it wasn’t for the lack of trying, whether on his part or others, who also tried to pursue him.

And it was hard, longing for someone who may or may not want him. But he couldn’t forget the warmth, nor the heavy scent of leather and tobacco; a spicy, burning scent that only belonged to the flameheart berserker and none other. Of course, he admitted that the berserker’s connection with his father contributed to his growing feelings, but Ron knew himself enough to know that his feelings had nothing to do with replacing his father.

"Did that uncle even have a mirror? What part of him looks like Father, huh? Which part of his personality is similar to him?" he hissed while packing his belongings again. "If I’m going to look for Father’s replacement, I’d look for someone actually similar, you dimwit!"

And with that, after six years, he left the association for good, no matter how much they coaxed him to stay, or how much benefit they tried to offer. It had been long enough; he had visited all four countries and seen the world, he had several pages of resume, and he had become too lovesick to spend another year or even month not being able to see the berserker’s infuriating mug.

He was rather getting annoyed than heartbroken.

A week later, he arrived at the Borderland. This time, there was no ban. He knew Agni had lifted the ban after he got angry that first time. But he also asked the staff at the main headquarters to not tell the 04-2 Captain about his identity. Smuggled a pint of high-quality alcohol for that and it worked.

Letting that uncle find out and activate another ban? Not on his watch!

So he went with five other espers that were sent to Unit 04-2 as new personnel, with him as the last-minute ’extra’. No Unit would refuse an extra. This time, he came through a proper channel, so his contract was made by the headquarters, not the Captain--meaning, if Agni wanted to kick him out again, it would have to go through the main headquarters.

Coming through the proper channel also meant he had to sush anyone who recognized him, including a smirking Esther, and being led from the entrance to the Captain’s office at the top of the watchtower.

Oh--he did not expect it, but he felt rather giddy.

The door opened, he entered the last, and stared at the berserker who looked even older. For some reason, his hair was darkened instead of reddened, as if he was losing his strength. His beard, also dark, had become longer and unkempt. Ron frowned slightly as he saw early wrinkles at the corner of the dark, cold eyes. Those eyes, perusing the folder given by the main headquarters staff leading them there, seemed to pause for a bit.

Ron thought he saw those eyes shaking, but the esper in front of him moved slightly and covered the view. When he could see the berserker again, those eyes returned to their cold state, enough to make the newcomers flinch.

Ron wanted to pretend that the berserker looked miserable because of him, but it might as well be because of the Deathzone situation. Actually, that was more likely, so he held his judgment. He just wanted to see what kind of reaction Agni would have, but...

Honestly, it had been disappointing. The Captain called their names one by one and made a note in their resume, telling each of them where to report afterward.

"Someone will meet you down there to give a short tour and show you the dorm. That’s it," he dismissed them just like that, and Ron felt a mixture of annoyance and fascination at how the berserker acted like he didn’t recognize the scout as he followed the others out. "Not you, Ronan Hertz."

Ron clenched his jaw and froze when he heard his name uttered in that low, hoarse voice again. His heart almost dropped and scattered into dozens of butterflies.

The other espers looked at him weirdly, but he merely shrugged and closed the door. He took a deep breath and put on his best cynical face. "What is it, Captain?" he asked in a sneer while turning around. "Are you going to kick me out aga--mmph?"

Ron blinked as he found his back pressed against the closed door and the end of his sentence disappeared behind a pair of burning lips covering his. He gasped for a second, lost in thought for a second, and in the next second, he grabbed the rough face and kissed back.