The Bond

Ch 119

"Bold."/"Bold italic" : animatronic is talking/animatronic is talking in mind

"Normal."/"Normal italic." : human is talking/human is talking in mind

=o^o=

"Are you sure you're going back to living in your house instead of here?" Henry looked at the young man doubtfully, while Ennard and Michael glanced at each other.

He nodded. "We don't want to keep troubling you, Uncle." Michael smiled guiltily. "After all, everything has been settled, I hope." As his words trailed off at the end, Michael turned his gaze the other way. "So, we decided to come back to live at my house—our house isn't too far anyway, we can visit you sometime, or you can visit us. We won't go anywhere."

Henry's eyebrows knit together, he let out a small breath. "Okay, if you need anything you can contact me, but at least stay here until the end of the week to give this old man a company, will you?"

"Of course!" Michael replied cheerfully. "You don't mind, do you, Enn?"

"No." Ennard shook his head. "As long as it's with you."

A grin appeared on Michael's face as his cheeks slightly blushed. "Flirty much," he said, laughing. "You used to threaten to tear me apart if I ever be near you."

Ennard snorted. "You changed me, you are responsible of it."

Henry's smile softened at the sight. "William didn't program you to be rude and snarky, I don't know where you got that. It seems the A.I he implanted was quite advanced from other Funtimes, did you develop it yourself? How do you do it? I so want to see it."

"See—I won't let you dismantle my body one by one just for your research," Ennard rebuked, he moved away from Henry while Henry laughed.

The eldest Afton also chuckled for a while. "Oh also, I want to buy a soda."

"Soda?"

"Yeah, you haven't drank any soda recently, right?" Michael smiled at the animatronic who faintly displayed his enthusiasm. "I still have some money left."

"You can get your money at the bank, Michael."

Michael turned to Henry in confusion. "What money? Bank? I don't have a bank account at all."

"William didn't tell you?" Henry raised his eyebrows, Michael shook his head slowly—he had no idea what Henry was saying, his father didn't tell him anything other than a crumpled piece of paper telling him to look for his sister at the rental place. "He got you a bank account when you were little and put money in there every month, he said he'd give it to you when you grew up ... well it seems he never got a chance to tell you after all that happened."

Hearing that, Michael was stunned. "Wow, that's really nice of him," he responded—despite the faintest hint of sarcasm in his voice. "I really didn't expect it."

"You sound sarcastic."

"Really?"

"You can look for the files in your father's closet later," Henry said quickly. "Hopefully it's not missing."

"I'll look into it later, thanks for the information, Uncle Henry." Michael took his coat and smiled a little, he was about to step to the door then saw Ennard following him. "You wait here, Enn, don't come with me."

"Why? I want to come with you."

Michael let out a small sigh. "Your Illusion disc hasn't finished charging yet, I'll be fine anyway."

Ennard seemed to furrow his forehead. "But—"

"You stay," Michael cut him off quickly, Ennard scowling under his breath. "Uncle Henry, can you look after Ennard for a while?"

"You can entrust it to me, I'll take care of him."

"I'm not a child who needs a babysitter!"

-EC-

Michael stepped out of the convenience store carrying a plastic bag filled with canned drinks and headed towards the city park to return to his father's best friend's house. He exhaled briefly, walking down the park path. Things have been deserted considering it was night, the atmosphere was suitable to be alone. He sat down on a park bench, took a can of cold coffee from a plastic bag. He wanted to be alone for a while, that's why he didn't want Ennard to come with him even though Ennard could reside in his stomach.

The bitter taste of the coffee was enough to sting his taste buds, making him feel a little more relieved. He hadn't drank coffee in a long time. His mind began to drift off to nowhere as he looked up at the dark starless sky, he still regretted Lucy's death but mourning for a long time was never a good thing.

After all, he was used to losing the people he loved; his parents, siblings.

He only had Ennard and Henry now.

Michael took another sip of his coffee, thinking about all the things that had happened the last few years. Those tragedies happened so close together, he was never able to catch a break even for a moment. He was thankful in his heart that Henry didn't hate him for his father's sins.

He was grateful that Ennard had never left him even when they were still enemies, he was truly grateful to the animatronic for changing his view.

A warm smile crossed his face, he was going to do what Lucy told him.

If only peace lasted forever.

"Terrance."

Michael turned in surprise to the person who had called his middle name. "Mark," he said quietly, sounding incredulous.

He gasped when his old friend grabbed his collar without warning, forcing him to rise from his seat. "Why can you still smile after that girl died?" Mark snapped at him, he gritted his teeth and tried to break free of Mark's grip.

"What do you mean?" Michael said back, he managed to get away from Mark but Mark caught his hand and spun him around before squeezing his arm behind him. He hissed in pain. "Let me go."

"You know exactly what I mean, Terrance," Mark whispered softly, tightening his grip. "Dawson, even Clark died because of you."

Michael widened his eyes briefly, then raised his eyebrows. "You know nothing about that except you work with that bitch." Michael stomped on Mark's foot hard and elbowed his stomach as soon as Mark showed a soft spot after the stomp, he immediately moved away from the man. "I should've killed you right away back then."

The man in front of him just snorted. "Now you've turned into a complete murderer, Terrance? After Evan, then Dawson, Clark, me?" He caught the fist Michael was about to throw at him and pulled Michael before hitting him on the cheek.

"I didn't kill Lucy." Michael held his bruised cheek carefully, then intended to kick Mark's head.

However, Mark again caught his attack and slammed him to the ground. "I can fight all times like in the old days, Terrance, don't underestimate me." He looked down at Michael groaning in ache below him. "Didn't you kill her? You dragged her into your troubles, you made her a target for those scientists, if you never got her involved, she would probably still be alive, right? Isn't that right, Terrance?" Mark stepped on Michael's back to keep him down. "Once a murderer, always a murderer, eh?"

Michael gave a small gasp when Mark grabbed his brown hair, he tried to fight back but Mark held back all his movements. He gritted his teeth, his chest felt tight hearing the man's words. "I don't want to involve her either ...."

"But you did it anyway," Mark replied angrily. "If you had told me the truth back then, before you cowardly disappeared to another town for a few months, none of this would have happened, Terrance. But what? You decided to refuse to tell me, after what I did to you, Terrance. You really are ungrateful asshole."

His tears rolled down, he tried his best to get away from Mark. "Shut up!" he snapped, his voice hoarse.

A smile graced Mark's face. "Are you crying? Now you're a crybaby too, huh?" Mark chuckled. "It's all your fault, Terrance."