The Phantom: Code Breaker

Chapter 35: Man Up

Wheels skid, echoing the city, stopped right in front of the boutique where Markus and his friends hid from the Androids who're approaching them.

"Are you alright, Marky?" Charlotte asked. She immediately hopped out of the driver's seat and went inside the boutique, walking straight towards her son.

"Mom!?" Markus reluctantly replied. His tears went back went his mom threw him a big hug and brought him on her chest. "...Why are you here?" he said with the thought of guilt.

All these days he was in Orion, Louige told him his mom knew nothing about their current situation. Though, he was happy that his mom was there with him, just seeing his mom hugging him made him think that he's in grave danger.

"What are you talking about?" she asked, all worried. "Of course! We're here to help." she let go of her son and saw bloodstains on him. "Are you hurt? Are you wounded? Did you hit your head or something?" she exclaimed. She patted and searched for her son's wound.

"Calm down, mom. I'm Fine." Markus brushed her off, hiding his grin. The weight on his shoulder is lifting and the cloud on his face was slowly vanishing. "Anyway, please help Brent. He was grazed in the leg."

"What?! Why did that happen to Brent?" Charlotte demanded. "Where's the medkit?!"

"I'll go get it on the car," Edson replied and ran to get it.

"Why didn't you ask for help?! After all the things that happened around the city, you don't know how much worried I've become." She was flustered. She saw the devastated looks on the kids' faces and the situation they're in. "When I've heard that the school has blown up, I immediately searched for you at school but you're nowhere to be found. Where did you go?" Charlotte tended Brent's wounds as her son sat beside her silently, watching his friends.

"You guys stay in there, we'll manage to stall those guys if they wound die.." the Captain said.

"Hai, please do!" Charlotte replied without looking.

Edson and the Captain went outside hiding in their car to shot a counterfire against the Androids.

Charlotte, on the other hand, after patching Brent's wound went to hug her son. She sat on the floor and went straight to her son.

"I've been sick worried about you, you idiot..." she got teary-eyed as she poked her son's head "why didn't you call?" she caressed his head and brought it on her face chest.

The thought of Markus being helpless remained in her mind. She was worried that the thing that happened last time would happen again when her son will be placed in a pinch once again. She can't help but worry.

"I, too, am worried, you know..." Markus answered. He sniffed and looked away to hide his tears. "...but, we need to defeat those guys to make all these things stop, Mom.." he added "The city is in chaos just because of that petty fight that escalated into this. You'll get mad if I'll call you about this, anyway.." he whispered.

"Ahh... That's not it. I'm your mom, right? I know you're up to something... You should've just asked for help! " She placed her palms on her son's cheeks and brought his face to touch her nose.

"How did... don't tell me,..." Markus warmed up for a second, felt like his Adrenalin hit him hard. He saw her mom straight to the eye and he knew he can't lie at that moment.

"Ahh... Louige called the Bureau for help." Charlotte replied. She let go of her son's face and they sat on the floor, facing each other.

"But how? The city's connection is blocked!" Markus exclaimed.

"It was before lunch. So, I guess, the connections are still running normally."

"Then?" Markus looked straight to her mom. She was wearing her office uniform, a navy suit with a white polo undershirt, with a swat vest on top. Her black hills are quite dirty but her ponytail is still neatly done.