"I WOULD LIKE TO RESIGN."
Corban looks up from the documents he was reading, to survey Axel.
When a few seconds of just staring pass, Axel repeats himself.
"I'd like to resign," he says firmly, "I no longer want to be an intelligence agent of any kind."
Corban continues to stare at him.
Several more moments pass, before he sighs, taking his reading glasses off and setting on the table.
"There's no need to resign," he murmurs lowly, gesturing to a chair, "Take a seat."
Axel blinks. "Excuse me?"
Corban shrugs, leaning back in his chair. "You heard me. Take a seat."
Axel frowns, his head jerking back slightly in disbelief, but he complies- slowly sitting down in front of him, waiting expectantly.
After another pause, his boss only tiredly pushes a small file towards him.
"It was discovered," he says, "that several units had members that were secretly wrecking chaos behind their backs."
Axel only stares blankly at the file for a second, before he lifts his head to meet Corban's eyes.
"Many traitors?" he says quietly, his voice hollow.
"Yes," Corban presses his lips together with a tight nod, "Yesterday, they all came forward with confessions."
"I-" Axel clears his throat, as he blinks, "What?"
Corban only gestures to the file in front of him, and Axel reluctantly pulls it to himself- flipping it open.
The file has twenty-nine pages.
One for each unit, one for each traitor.
His eyes pause on the familiar picture of the man who used to work alongside him for years before he grits his teeth and forces himself to carry on looking.
"This..." he breathes out a sigh, after turning the last page, "How did all of them confess on the same day? Isn't that odd?"
Corban looks hesitant to answer the question.
When Axel pointedly raises his eyebrows at him, however, he complies slowly.
"It seems... that the same uh-being was behind it all, so all of them were... told to confess."
Though his insides go rigid at his words, he forces his expression to stay blank, as Corban watches him carefully- almost as if waiting for him to blow up.
Because he knows he isn't mistaken about what was being implied.
He remembered what the other pathetic excuse of an angel had said, moments before he had controlled their bodies.
The smartest way to end it is by letting them fight amongst themselves.
He can feel his jaw twitch, as he grits his teeth.
Introduce a traitor among them- and let the human bring down empires, all while lurking in shadows.
His hands shake underneath the table as he clenches them into fists.
Simple, quick, and effective.
He exhales sharply, forcing his eyes away from Corban for a moment.
"What does this mean for the unit, then?" he manages to ask, without sounding unsteady.
"It means, that you don't have to resign," Corban pushes back the paper that Axel had brought to his office.
"We're getting shut down anyway."
Axel blinks, averting his eyes downward. "Oh."
"Yeah," Corban murmurs, "there's been something big going on right beneath all our noses, and none of us ever noticed. To the FBI and the CIA, it seemed like the most appropriate thing to shut us all down."
"I-" Axel hesitates, clearing his throat, "I'm sorry, boss."
He shrugs. "Don't be. It doesn't seem like this life is it for me, anymore. I'd like some peace too. It's been a while since I've seen my sister, it's time I pay her visit."
"Sister?" Axel's eyebrows draw together in a confused frown, "I thought you had a brother?"
Corban opens his mouth, blinking- before he presses his lips together, averting his gaze.
"Yes," he says slowly, "But she's my sister now, and we're all very supportive of it."
His eyebrows shoot up. "That's wonderful. Tell her I say hi, and congratulations."
Corban's posture instantly relaxes in relief. "Thank you. I appreciate it."
His words remind Axel of what he needs to be doing, soon after this conversation was done- and judging from the relentless buzzing of his phone, he knew Bea was getting restless waiting for him.
"Well then," he mutters, as he pushes himself away from the table gently, rising to his feet, "I best get going. There's something I've got to do."
"Will you be back?" Corban asks, his voice containing a tint of reluctance, "When I break the news to the rest of the unit, will you be there?"
"Of course," Axel gives him a reassuring nod- taking a few steps back, "I'm your right-hand man, aren't I, boss?"
"That you are," Corban mutters back, with a shake of his head- though his lips twitch up. "It's been a pleasure to work with you, Mr. Falcon."
"The pleasure was all mine, Boss-man," Axel responds lightly, though he can't bring himself to smile.
"And Axel?"
"Hmm?" he doubles back when he hears his name again.
Corban's expression seems to have softened, and air of melancholy in his eyes.
"I'm sorry about Stella."
Axel forces his expression to remain blank, even though the rest of his body instinctively freezes up and the seemingly everlasting lump in his throat, gets a tad bit bigger for a second.
And as Corban continues to watch Axel, waiting for him to respond- he can only manage a stiff nod, as he averts his eyes, and walks away.
The two-story house in front of them looks quaint and cozy. The grass seemed trimmed, the small garden out front was filled with flowers- with a little wooden table out near the front, under a small tree. There was a vase, full of fresh flowers on the table- and Axel could smell the faint scent of them up till where he was standing.
"You sure you don't want to come with?"
"Axe," Bea sighs pointedly from his side, "Y'know, I'm starting to think that the reason you've already asked me that question seven times, is because you're chickening out."
"I'm not chickening out," he denies hotly, sending her a side-eyed glare, "I'm just a little... nervous."
"Okay, chicken."
He only shoves her in response to that, making her stumble and curse.
Another instant passes as he stares at the house in front of them hesitantly, before he turns back to her.
"I have a question."
"Right now?" Bea raises an unimpressed eyebrow though her lips twitch in amusement, "Is this you stalling?"
"In some ways," Axel shrugs, turning to her as she continues to look at him expectantly. When he does ask, however, she freezes.
"Who's K.D?"
Her lips part, but no words come out.
"Um... what?" she says after a few seconds, trying to play it off cool as she averts her eyes, "I- where you have you heard those initials? Because I-"
"I initially thought," he says almost to himself quietly- making her pause, "That K.D perhaps had something to do with Kyrell Blackwood. But your interaction with him that day told me you truly hadn't been in any contact with him."
Even though you love him. He doesn't say that out loud, though.
Instead, he looks back at up at her, to see an uncertain expression on her face.
"So, who is K.D.?"
She only stares at him for a couple of seconds, before turning away from him.
"Kim Dinh," she says softly, "That's what K.D stands for. Kim Dinh."
Axel frowns. "Who's that?"
Bea hesitates again. Then,
"My mother."
His eyes widen.
"Your mother?" he repeats, "You told me your mother was dead?"
"I didn't know until recently," she mutters, so lowly that he almost missed it, "But yeah, she's not dead."
Axel only gives her an expectant look, to which she sighs.
"When my mum was pregnant with me," she begins- after a few moments of silent contemplation, "my parents decided to move here. But when I was around sixteen, my mum had to move back to Vietnam."
"She was a con-woman, before she met my dad," Bea's eyes grow wistful as she stares at the house, "And some of the criminal life was catching up to her, so she left- to go back there and fix things. My father told me, a week after she left- that she was killed."
"Turns out," she turns back to him, "she never died. Only wanted us to believe that, for reasons. Valid reasons, that I'd rather not get into."
"And you just... let her back in?" Axel questions, appalled.
Both of them know why he's asking the question, so she gives him a reassuring smile.
"Yeah," she gently punches his shoulder, "Once she explained everything- I learned to forgive her for... low-key abandoning us over time. And since I know you probably thought I was acting suspiciously during the whole... case- every time I disappeared, I was talking to her. Making up for all the lost time, y'know? Didn't want anyone else to know about it."
"It's... that simple?" Axel asks slowly.
Her smile widens in the slightest.
"Yeah," she gives him a nudge, "Family is always like that. Now, go on."
He cocks an eyebrow at her before he reaches over to ruffle her hair. "Thanks, B."
"Don't get all sappy on me," she says with a chuckle, shoving him in the direction of the house, "Get in there already."
"Yeah, yeah," he mutters over his shoulder, as he finally begins to walk towards the house.
He can hear the car door slam behind him, as he finally steps onto their porch- but he even as he stands in front of the door-
-he can't bring himself to ring the doorbell.
Maybe this was a bad idea?
How accepting would they actually be of his situation?
Maybe this wasn't the right time?
He isn't sure how many seconds pass, as he stares blankly at it- but a loud pointed honk that comes from behind him, nearly makes him jump.
As he turns around to glare at her, he can see Bea exasperatedly gesture for him to do it.
Screw it.
Instead of gesturing wildly back at her, he chooses to take a deep breath- as he turns around, and finally presses his finger against the small button.
The bell rings.
He can hear a faint 'coming!' from somewhere inside the house, as he turns around to give Bea a pointed look.
She only smirks, before giving him a two-fingered wave as she drives away- and as he turns back to the door, it clicks open.
"Hi there," the woman who opened it says softly, a little out of breath, "sorry it took me a minute- it's a little difficult to waddle around-"
For a moment, as Axel finally looks at her in person for the first time- he doesn't know what to say.
Not because she was pretty- with the kind of soft beauty that made his brother fall in love with her.
But because one look at her, and she already reminded her so much of Stella.
They both had the same aura, the same kind of sparkling kind eyes, and the same faint glow- although hers seemed more faint.
His eyes flicker to her neck.
Sitting right below her jaw is a birthmark.
A star-shaped birthmark.
She'll have my blessing in parting.
A sharp pain runs through his chest, as he can feel the blank expression on his face falter- turning pained.
"Um, sir? Are you alright?"
Axel forces himself to snap out of it, as he blinks- bringing a hand up to rub his chest, almost as if it would make the pain go away.
"Uh... sorry," he offers her a cordial nod, "I hope I'm not bothering you?"
The woman shakes her head with a sweet smile. "Of course not!"
"Right," Axel clears his throat, as he tries to smile- but the familiar pang in his chest prevents it from widening. "Er... congratulations, by the way."
The woman's smile, if possible, brightens as she places a hand over her protruding belly.
"Thank you!" she says brightly, gently rubbing it- before she tilts her head, her eyes narrowing slightly in confusion as she surveys him.
"I-" she bites her lip, her expression bashful, "I'm sorry- you do look really familiar, but I... can't seem to recall if we've met before?"
"Oh, we haven't met before," he clarifies quickly, to which slight relief dawns on her features, "Pardon me for not introducing myself either, but uh... is your husband also home?"
She nods, her smile turning slightly confused- just as another deeper voice rings out from behind her.
"Who's at the door, sweetheart?"
The voice sounds pretty close, and a few seconds later- a taller figure appears behind her, as he places a protective palm on the small of her back.
"Yes?" he questions, looking at Axel- his eyebrows furrowed as he gives him a once-over.
For another moment, the breath seems to knock out of his lungs.
Seeing someone after nearly a decade could do that.
He was taller now. Almost as tall as Axel, but leaner- with the same dark, fluffy hair, and an identical pair of grey eyes.
But when he looks at him, there isn't a hint of remembrance in his gaze yet, and he knows that even if it hurts, just a little- he can't be mad that he isn't recognized instantly.
He had been gone for years. What was he supposed to expect?
It takes a few seconds, as Axel holds his gaze- but slowly, the man's eyes widen- and recognition dawns on his features.
A second passes. Then a minute.
"What the-" his voice cracks as he takes a step forward, blinking in shock, "Axel?"
And for the first time in two days, as Axel looks at his little brother- in person for the first time in years, he manages a small genuine smile.
"Hey, James."
I love how most of you picked up on the fact that James was Axel's little brother, but you completely missed all the other subtle but still more obvious clues/foreshadowing... I-
LIKE FR Y'ALL WERE SO CONFIDENT- I thought I was being slick smh
STILL NOT THE END! next update should be out soon since I have some time on my hands. until then, be well xx