Chapter 136: Brothers and Spies
Seeing Killian looking around confused, the doctor smiled at him.
"Maybe your brother wanted you to rush along and see him. You are twins, are you not?"
Killian stared at the doctor with lidded eyes. It should be obvious that they were twins at the point. He rubbed his face.
Since arriving at the academy, Keith’s behavior had changed from the cold detached younger brother he had gotten used to.
For one the texts had become frequent and he became someone Killian always found around him.
He didn’t know what caused that change, so he couldn’t trust it.
He dropped his hand from his face, turning to the doctor. "What is the bill like?"
"Those are covered by the academy. No worries." The Doctor looked at the file in his hand, then spoke to Keith.
"I also don’t think you would’ve been unscathed if the outcast is a water type. Lightning and water don’t mix, interchangeably."
Keith faced the men, and he smiled faintly at the man’s concern. "I have a stronger output than the average lightning user. He would’ve been the one at a disadvantage."
Killian agreed internally.
The Doctor left them with a promise that he would claim Keith sustained minor injuries so he could rest till his next match, by evening.
Killian dropped on a seat beside him. The only sounds were the quiet hums of the AC hanging on the wall. The silence between the brothers stretched for almost two minutes.
"Did you just want me here with you?" Killian asked his brother.
It really seemed that Keith had no reason for asking him to come here.
As Killian expected, Keith stayed silent.
Killian couldn’t shake the thought that there was another reason Keith needed his presence other than the ’just needed his brother with him’ excuse everyone was trying to sell.
He whipped out his phone and sent a text to his leader, George. There was no better person to talk about fighting outcasts than the Warden, titled Serial Killer.
"Have you... um." Keith cleared his throat.
Killian looked his way, then returned his eyes back to his phone. He adjusted his posture, leaning towards his brother. "What is it? Speak up."
"Did you meet with anyone suspicious here?" Keith said quickly. "I didn’t know how to say this while we were surrounded earlier, but there must be a spy within the academy for you to be attacked, right?"
Killian pushed his phone back into his pocket, thinking of how his brother had a lot more to say recently when a question was asked to him.
Also using ’while we were surrounded’ made Killian believe his brother didn’t trust anyone around him, even the young coordinator that was defensive over him.
’As he should.’
Killian thought for a while, before answering. "I suspect everyone I’ve met here so far. None had struck me as an outcast though. But it is possible a spy is within the academy."
It hadn’t even been up to two hours since he blurted out his nickname and someone already struck. The cafeteria might be swarming with spies.
Also, the outcasts wouldn’t be the only ones trying to have him. "What are you trying to say then?"
"That it could be related to the Angels that hurt you last time. Or perhaps, the ones you and Big Sis encountered recently."
Killian stayed silent. The chances of the angels sending someone, even if an outcast, after him wasn’t impossible since he had thought of it.
However, that being Keith’s line of thought as well concerned him. It was unlikely, but he could never be too careful.
He wasn’t also certain that the academy would be a protective wall for him. It might even be the path to getting him closer with the angels.
His only complaint was why it was his name, and within a few hours after saying his nickname that the attack happened.
Angels shouldn’t have to wait that long since they already knew he was a Void User.
The attack didn’t happen yesterday night or early that morning while he was asleep and weak.
But a few hours later he told Reginald his nickname at the cafeteria? Someone must’ve been watching him a little too closely.
"Angels can get in here. Right?"
Keith replied with a nod.
"The Rulers would also be paying a visit here soon." Keith noted. "Lu told me. He’s a relative of one of the Rulers."
The two were quiet for a while, before Keith added. "Do you know why the angels will be after you?"
Killian’s shoulders visibly dropped. "No one is certain that they are. While they could use the outcasts to find me, it will be more logical to come into the academy themselves if they were so sure that I was a threat."
Keith narrowed his eyes at his brother. He adjusted his seating position. "The angels consider you a threat? That was why they possessed Juda and tried to kill you?"
"Apparently."
Keith blinked once. "Why... how... what do you threaten?"
While it was reasonable to ask, Killian frowned at his question. The conversation they had just had was the longest they had spoken to each other for the last nine years.
"How would I know what the angels think?" he left his seat. "You know of the A-Rank Warden, Big Stepper, don’t you? Well, he might be stopping by here later to get more information about the outcasts. Cooperate with him."
"Are you leaving—"
"Obviously. My friend is waiting for me." Killian’s frown deepened. "Nothing happened to you to start with. Do you keep me here to take responsibility for being the target? Do you even want me here with you?"
He clicked his tongue while walking to the door. "I’d save us both the chore."
The door slammed behind him, shutting down any other conversation.
A notification buzzed into his phone, but he ignored it until he was out of the hospital. From the corner of his eye, he spotted the taxi he had taken waiting at the entrance. He had been sure it went away after dropping him off.
Its door slowly opened, and a black cloak floated out of it. The cloak headed to the hospital but froze halfway.
Seeing that it was heading to a hospital, Killian could only think of needing a blood bag. ’That should be a bit concerning.’
The cloak’s direction changed and it started to come his way.
Killian looked behind him, and when he looked forward, the cloak was directly on his face.
"Hello, kid."
