West on the other hand, walked through the Dragon Fang Base like he belonged... and in a sense, he did.
Even if he wasn’t officially tied to Dragon Fang, his presence still drew attention.
Heads turned subtly as he passed with so recognizing him while others only knew the rumors.
The one who Grand Captain Renzhi was made to kneel before and tender an apology.
West kept his hands in his pockets, moving casually through the corridors until...
"Yo, West!"
He stopped and turn, spotting a few familiar faces; Jared, Derek and Tara.
This trio had been in one or two of the groups that had fought alongside him during ruin expeditions.
"...oh its you guys," he voiced in recognition.
They approached quickly with Derek grinning before clapping West lightly on the shoulder.
"Bro, that whole situation back then was insane."
He shook his head, still half in disbelief.
"And hey... I’m sorry about how things went down. Putting you on the spot like that—Grand Captain or not—that was ssed up."
Jared nodded beside him with a firm expression. "He’s right. If it wasn’t for you..."
He exhaled slowly. "...I’d be dead."
"We all know you did your best. Honestly, if it had been anyone else leading us that day, we would’ve lost more people."
Tara stepped forward with a gentler expression. "... I know it wasn’t the sa ruins, but you saved on the other expedition. You’re a great leader."
Her voice carried sincerity. "I just wanted to say again..." She lowered her gaze slightly, then looked back up at him.
"Thank you."
West waved it off lightly.
"Yeah, yeah... it’s fine," his tone was casual and almost dismissive like usual but not cold.
He just sounded indifferent as if what they were thanking him for wasn’t sothing he cared to dwell on.
"And about Renzhi... it doesn’t matter..." West’s lips curved slightly into a smirk as his eyes darkened by a fraction. "...he’ll get what’s coming to him."
Derek scratched the back of his head in confusion. "...Didn’t he already?"
He laughed awkwardly. "I an—he literally had to kneel in front of you. That was wild."
Jared nodded. "Yeah, I thought that was already... you know... settled."
West didn’t explain or clarify, he just gave a small shrug.
"Maybe."
Because in his mind, that wasn’t even close to the kind of damage he had planned for Renzhi.
What he intended to do to him, would leave far more permanent scars than that.
He glanced at the ti. "...Anyway, I’ve got sowhere to be."
He raised a hand slightly, about to dismiss himself—
"Wait!"
Tara’s voice stopped him, causing West to turn back.
She moved slightly, twirling a strand of her hair around her finger in a bashful motion.
"You told to text you last ti..." she took a brief pause before adding. "...but you never gave your number."
West chuckled softly upon hearing that. "...Oh. Right."
"My bad."
He stepped closer while pulling out his phone.
"Here."
He recited his number casually and Tara typed it in quickly.
West leaned slightly closer while smirking. "Now you no longer have any excuses."
He proceeded to turn around and left afterwards.
Tara stood there for a mont longer than she should have, watching him go.
She instinctively bit her lower lip softly as her gaze lingered on him.
"...Wow," Derek muttered before crossing his arms.
"Don’t tell you have a crush on him."
Tara snapped out of it imdiately.
"What?! No!"
Her cheeks flushed slightly.
"I an—he’s hot, obviously—but I have a boyfriend!"
Jared raised an eyebrow. "’Obviously,’ huh?"
Derek snorted. "Yeah, yeah. We heard that part loud and clear."
Tara rolled her eyes. "Shut up."
But the teasing didn’t stop as they walked off together.
—
By the ti West reached the private sector of the base, the atmosphere changed again, turning quieter and more refined.
This was where the higher-level personnel trained.
West stepped into the high-class private training room and there, Zu Li stood waiting with her arms crossed.
"You’re late."
West smirked as he walked in. "You almost sound like you missed ."
Zu Li’s eye twitched slightly as she stepped forward and grabbed his ear.
"OW—!"
"You were supposed to be here an hour ago," she snapped.
West winced slightly while raising his hands. "Okay, okay—damn."
He pulled back slightly.
"Don’t tell you baited with that ssage because you knew I wouldn’t co otherwise."
Zu Li hmphed before releasing him. "No."
She turned away before adding; "I actually do have sothing to show you."
West raised a brow. "Oh?"
She gestured slightly.
"Co."
An assistant clad in full two piece suit, entered shortly after, holding a tablet.
Zu Li took it and handed it directly to West.
"More information has been gathered," her tone turned more serious now. "About what you encountered in that abandoned research facility."
West’s expression sharpened slightly as he received the tablet and began scrolling.
Data... Reports... Images... Logs...
The further he went, the clearer things beca.
"...So that thing we t down there was truly an experint."
Zu Li nodded. "Yes."
"That thing you fought... was one of their test subjects."
West’s eyes narrowed as he read deeper.
"Unstable..."
"Difficult to control..."
"Research discontinued..."
"...even though progress was being made."
He clicked his tongue softly.
"...Figures."
Zu Li crossed her arms again.
"They were trying to create sothing that could survive and adapt... sothing that could clear ruins... sothing that could replace awakeners... sothing that could be controlled since awakeners do not follow the rule of law..."
"A weapon."
"A living one."
West continued scrolling.
"And they failed."
"For now."
Zu Li added quietly. "Those kinds of projects rarely stay buried forever."
She paused briefly before speaking again. "There’s sothing else."
West glanced up briefly and their gaze t.
"Scroll further."
"There’s soone I want you to see."
West’s fingers moved again, scrolling through the nas and data of those who were involved in the project.
Faces rolled up one after the other as he moved through them quickly, until he stopped...
His finger froze mid-scroll as the world around him seed to... dull.
The noise, light and even the room all faded into the background... because on the screen, was a face he recognized.
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