A Sharpening Shield (1)

As the sun slowly sets on such a chaotic day, Ethan stares out of the car window holding the recording pen in his hand. The airport creeping in from the distance fills him with a mix of anticipation and anger. From his understanding, anything recorded on this device will automatically be sent to Bryle, but since the battery life is only thirty minutes, that's how much time he has in order to expose the Johnsons. 

He wants the Johnsons to suffer. He wants to see their downfall up close and personal. However, he also wants to return to Lily's side. He wants to see her smile.

That's why he has decided to finish this quickly and cleanly.

-- One hour ago –

"What means can I interrogate them with?" Ethan quickly asks without giving Lucario time to pause.

"Any" is all Lucario responds with before heading out of the training hall.

Hearing that one word plants a sinister smile on Ethan's face. All those years of recurring nightmares that the Johnsons have caused has finally met a day where they can be repaid.

Ethan looks over his shoulder and finds Ryan fidgeting in the back, looking as if he had lost his master. "Ryan, join me," Ethan suggests while approaching the anxious shadow.

Ryan stops playing with his fingers as if nothing happened as gazes down at the boy who looks like he is going to set the world on fire. "Why should I join you? You aren't my boss."

"Your boss has been taken to a safe place which means that you don't have anything to do. Help me take revenge on the Johnsons."

Knowing this feeling too well, Ryan sets a hand on Ethan's shoulder and violently shakes him. "Get a hold of yourself!" Ryan demands, almost tearing Ethan's arm off of his body. "Ms. Lily wouldn't want you to be like this. Remember your purpose."

Not immediately but slowly, the sinister smile dissipates like a freshly killed flame. Ethan almost became so consumed by the sudden thought of revenge for his trauma that he tried to use Lily as an excuse to recruit someone.

Taking a step back, Ethan closes his eyes, trying to calm himself down. He's very much aware of how boiled his blood is right now. He's also very much aware of how necessary it is for him not to lose himself to his boiling blood.

"Ms. Lily wouldn't want you to do something that you might regret," Ryan mentions in passing before walking out of the training hall.

An image of Lily emerges behind Ethan's eyes after hearing what Ryan said. Her smile and laughter is like a blanket on a stormy night for Ethan's rapidly beating heart, causing him to finally come to his senses.

Knowing what he must do, he heads out of the training hall and into the main house in search of Billy.

"Billy!" Ethan calls out after discovering him in the garage with Dennis.

"What's the problem?" Billy responds, not looking up from his tablet.

"You're the leader who is coordinating with the reconnaissance agents from the Meyling Food Court, right?"

Not sure where the conversation is going, Billy shifts his eyes past the edge of the tablet and over to Ethan who is standing in front of him. "Yeah, I am one of them. What about it?"

"Since Jianqiao is busy protecting Lily, I need you to be the one who can patch me in with one of the agents so that we can get a plan together."

"You will be meeting with them before your interception of the Johnsons. There isn't a need for you to get patched in."

Tipping the edge of the tablet with his finger, an increasingly annoyed child leers up at someone who could break him like a twig. "I need to get patched in. Now."

Equally as annoyed, Billy begins to say something but gets stopped by Dennis.

"I've heard about you from the others," Dennis laughs as he ruffles the top of Ethan's head. "You're just as spicy as the stories. If you want to get patched in with the agents, you will have to talk with Bryle. He's the one who sought up the communication link. You can find him in his room on the second floor of Ms. Lily's wing of the house. Fourth door on the right."

More motivated than ever, Ethan rushes back inside of the house and up the stairs, only stopping once in front of the fourth door of the hall. With a deep breath, Ethan lifts a hand to knock on the door when he suddenly hears "Come inside" from the other side of the door accompanied by a click. Ethan twists the handle and slowly opens the door, exposing an oddly clean room for a hacker.

"I've been watching you, so I knew you were at my door," Bryle comments, munching on a bag of chips. His deep set muddy green eyes peek through his messy yet surprisingly washed bangs as he turns to face Ethan. "I've already sent a request to the plane that's bringing the agents in. If they agree, you can talk to them."

"You've been watching me?" Ethan questions as he continues to examine the room the further he enters.

Tapping a button on the side of his desk, the door that Ethan left open quickly shuts and locks itself. "I've been given the honor of watching over Ms. Lily from the shadows through the cameras as well as taking care of her body. Everyone she talks to. Everyone she interacts with. I research them to ensure that they deserve Ms. Lily's time and attention."

A bit shaken, Ethan approaches Bryle. "Then what about me?"

Bryle looks Ethan up and down before turning back to his computer. "Ms. Lily seems to like you a lot, so I've given you lenience. I was also one of the first people in this house to know about what happened to you which is another reason for leniency. I give you props for your bravery and bold nature in this house. It's not easy for someone to live under this intense protection."

"Leniency doesn't equal approval," Ethan concludes with a sigh. "I guess I'll accept leniency, though."

The two guys don't really say much after that. Bryle doesn't have much interest in Ethan while Ethan has more interest in Bryle's room as he continues to look around. It isn't long after when Bryle receives a message from the plane bringing the agents in.

[We have just landed. You can come to the airport early to meet with us.]

"Do you have the recording device that I gave the boss?" Bryle asks after reading the message.

Checking his pockets, Ethan pulls out the pen that he kept clipped on his shirt pocket. "Yeah, I got it."

"You should head to O'Hare International Airport immediately," Bryle advises after clicking the button on his desk to open the door. "The agents have landed and requested to have you meet with them immediately."

Saying a quick "Thank you", Ethan once again rushes out of the door and to the garage. "Billy, I need to get to the airport now."

Without much of a fuss, Billy points over to a spare car that isn't being packed with supplies. "Have Angelo take you there."