Code Collector

Everyone's eyes were wide. No one could believe anything after what Jack said. Allen was in the midst of setting Jeremy free, and he paused in shock, trying to absorb everything.

"W-What?" Chen asked. "What did you say?"

"Ten years ago, you were diagnosed with schizophrenia," Jack sighed. "At first I ignored the signs because you looked fine, but then the Fire Dragon Incident happened. Three years ago when the hospital you were in was being attacked by the zombie Hunters, your delusions started.

"Chen, you started to ignore me. I was only trying to give you all the best things in the world, but you thought differently. You were thinking that I was trying to control you, to get you to play in my palms. So you decided to create a father in your mind. One who spoiled you with everything you want. A father that supported your every decision even when it meant taking over the gang too early and kicking your actual father out."

"Lies!" Chen yelled and held his head. He wrapped his arms around his face as he crouched on the ground, his eyes bulging from their sockets and his entire body trembling for whatever reason. "You're only lying. My father is definitely real and he had been with me since. But he died. Yes. He died."

"Chen, you're being delusional!" Jack yelled. "Stop it with your pretend life. I am your father. You don't have the kind of father that would try to hurt you."

"If you're actually my father, then why did you just act now?" Chen asked. "For all these years, you didn't seem to care about me even for a moment. Why act now of all times?"

"Because for the first time in three years, you showed up," Jack answered simply. "You were hiding from me all this time, and you were so good at it too. You left trails on empty spaces while staying under my nose in obvious places. Chen, just remember that I taught you all of that."

Chen laughed lightly. He shook his head and took a series of deep breaths. "I don't know what to believe anymore. Why are you like this to me? I just want to get stronger. Why lie?"

"I'm not lying, Chen!"

While the two were having their argument, Allen took his chance and free the three from the metal pole. He angrily looked up as he watched Gwen and Gary who was under the fake mask tied up. Allen wanted to get his revenge, but it seems like Jack was doing it for him.

Allen saved Gwen first since she was the closest to him. He took out his dagger and leaped from the ground. His hands grabbed the bar that tied Gwen's arms on and he sliced the rope that bounded her wrists.

Snap. Snap.

After taking out one of Gwen's arms, Allen grabbed it to prevent her from falling. It was an awkward position for them since he was basically hugging her while clinging on the bar.

"W-What…" Gwen trailed off. Her eyes fluttered open and she saw the Wandering Trader hugging her while they were suspended in the air. "Yuck! Pervert! Get off of me."

"Good, you're awake." Allen said with his Wandering Trader voice. "Hold tight."

The boy led Gwen's free hand to grip the bar while he leaped on top of her. He was now sitting on the bar while he cut the rope that was binding Gwen's other hand. "Prepare yourself."

"Prepare for what–"

Snap. Snap.

Gwen suddenly felt her hand get freed. She gasped at the sudden motion, but since she's a Hunter, she quickly recovered herself. Gwen landed safely on the ground while she watched the Wandering Trader walk towards Sarah using the bar that was tying her.

"If she doesn't wake up, catch her," Allen said simply. He was about to cut Sarah's rope when Gwen leaped right in front of the unconscious woman. "What are you doing?"

"Sarah, wake up!" Gwen yelled, slapping Sarah across her face. This made Allen gasp in shock, not expecting this action from Gwen. "You're a support, but you're unconscious when people around you needs help."

Gwen landed on the ground with a silent thump. "Wake up!"

Her voice seemed to reach to Sarah. The latter immediately woke up, shaking her head as she cleared her mind. "Oh, my lord. What happened?"

"You were take, that's what happened," Gwen said. "Trader, free her please."

With a smirk, Allen nodded and snapped the rope from Sarah. The woman landed on the ground gracefully. She shook her hair off of her face dramatically, as though she was in a shampoo commercial.

"Thank you, Gwen," Sarah said. "I'm sorry for being too weak."

"Ever since we were at the academy," Gwen sighed. "Why must you always be like this?"

Allen didn't listen to their conversation further. Instead, he leaped up to the upper bar to free the man under the mask, who he suspected was Gary.

"This mask looks exactly like mine," Allen said to himslelf. He had to give credit to Chen. The mask was completely the same as his, even the wood that he used to create the mask was the same.

"You're really something."

Allen heard Gary say. He must've woken up from Gwen's pep talk to Sarah too. Her voice was indee quite loud. "What do you mean?"

"I thought you were a villain?" Gary asked. "You assaulted girls, and poisoned people. Why are you suddenly being good?"

"I didn't do the things that was wrongfully accused towards me," Allen said. "But I also won't deny that my methods are unorthodox, yet it's more moral thant the law the powerful established."

"I see," Gary whispered. "Fine then. I'll trust you."

Snap. Snap.

The man broke free from the ropes as he fell to the ground. Just when Allen thought that Gary would fall face first, the man spun in a swift motion, landing on his feet instead. "Been a while since I've done gymnastics."

It just dawned Allen how different Gary's thoughts must've been for him to hate the Wandering Trader. Maybe because the rumors stated that he assaulted girls triggered something inside Gary since most of his previous teammates were women.

He must've built a sense of responsibility towards the safety of women for he couldn't protect the ones who were most important to him. After seeing Gary ask Gwen and Sarah how they were doing, Allen believed that his theory was right.

"Hey." Jeremy approached the group. He was slightly limping as he walked over, making the others worry about him. "It's good that you're okay, but we still have Chen to worry about."

"Chen is being handled by Jack," Allen said. "The old man apparently was his father."

"Why are you doing this?" Gwen suddenly asked. "You didn't answer Gary's question from before, so I'm going to ask this again. Why are you doing this? Why suddenly save us."

Jeremy opened his mouth and was a second away from answering when Allen spoke, "I didn't intentionally save you. Jack hired me to deal with Chen, but he also ordered me to save the hostages. I think he meant you guys, that was why I saved you."

Jeremy opened his mouth again. He wanted to answer and come clean, but Allen was preventing him to do so. He was a police officer and his name was already tainted from his past. If people found out that he has connections with a wanted criminal, he will definitely be laid off.

Allen didn't worry too much about Gwen and Gary since they were already friends with Jeremy. He knew that the two will protect their friend's secret if they would somehow find out. But Floral Fairy Sarah was here too. She was a woman that was unfamiliar to Allen, and he didn't know if he could trust her at all.

"What would Jack want from us?" Gary asked. "Why did he have to save us when he can just ignore us? I don't know a lot about gangs, but Jack Summers is infamous. He has so much power that he can freely communicate with his nephew Jake Summers."

Allen felt his world take a short pause. Everything around him stopped and it slowly caved in as his mouth opened to pop the question, "W-What did you just say? Jack is Jake's uncle?"

"Yes," Gary replied. "Since you're allies, I thought you already knew?"

Allen shook his head in disbelief. He take a look down and watched the items that Jake gave him, clearly remembering that Jake said that it was from his uncle.

Jack was Jake's uncle. 

"But then…" Allen trailed off. He looked up and watched Jack still talking to Chen. "He saw me with these items. Does that mean he already knows?"

A gulp made its way into Allen's throat as all the hair in his body stood. Jack had known all of these, but he never once spoke about them.

"What more secrets do you hold, old man?"