After several minutes, Albur calmed down, now, he is lying on a bed in one of the rooms in the moon hut. He remembered every quiet moment, he couldn't believe he had to suspect his best cameraman was an imposter, he lied on the bed, unable to sleep.
But soon, tiredness still made his eyelids heavy. Soon, he drifted off to sleep with his mind in complete chaos.
Suddenly, in the middle of the night, Albur woke up. Not because of nightmares, or anything, just an urgent need to pee. He quietly took the hyper gem and acts it as a light source since the gem emits a bright lime green light. He quietly walked out of the hut. But then, heavy footsteps of the bug is heard again, the earth begun to shake once more. Albur hid in the withered bushes which only have branches left. The patrol team still dosen't want to leave this place, still desperated to find the gang right here. After the patrol team and the Bug have gone far enough. Albur looked for a place and peed.
After a while, he adjusted his clothes and let out a relieved sigh. He then begun to walk back to the moon hut. But then, Albur noticed something. Its a light, shimmering blue light, coming from the deep part of the withered woods. Albur decided to investigate it, on one hand he wants to fulfill his curiosity, on the other hand he want to check if that is a threat.
He entered the woods, slowly squeezing into the withered bushes. A dew seconds later, he found the origin of the light. But there, he saw someone, a heavily damaged robot, with electric sparks all over its body, a broken alarm, teared bow tie and half burnt neck tie. It is no one, other than Albur's hated person in the team --------------Johnson.
He is severely injured, his screen kept flickering, he is sitting on the ground, moaning and groaning in pain. Albur found where the light came from, it was from a device of Johnson's, it displayed a hologram. Its a hologram of a woman, and also a kid, in graduation suit.
"Hey...."
Albur flinched slightly, but soon he realized Johnson was talking to air, more specifically, that hologram.
"It....has been a while... how are you doing in heaven?"
He looked up in the sky, then let out a heavy sigh.
"I don't know if you can hear me all the way up there, but, please, listen to it."
Albur was confused, he took a few steps closer to Johnson, making minimal voice.
"I...."
He let out a heavy sigh.
"I messed up again.....everything in fact. I flopped on the mission, I have a HUGE argument with my teammates....." he let out another heavy sigh.
"And I even yelled at the only person alive who still loves me....now seperated with the gang. They couldn't survive much longer, not even I could."
He looked at his injuries, and sighed again.
"I lost my temper again, just because I heard some true words about me, the captain role just ain't it chief. Guess I will never be someone good, I am still that dumb nerd, that coward noob, that failure...........still.........not smart enough...........not strong enough..............not..............good enough..........."
Albur felt bitterness in his heart, not knowing Johnson had felt these in the past. Although his face remained emotionless, his voice carried a hollow sorrow.
" I am really lost now, and I really need your guidance...I miss you...."
Johnson lowered his head, Albur was puzzled by the words he said, but then, Albur accidentally took a step back, snapping a twig, making a loud sound. Johnson heard it. He stood up and pulled out his half corrupted machine gun which he forgot to smash it on the ground earlier.
"Who's there?!"
Albur hid in the bushes, he tried to slowly walk away.
"You coming out? Or I'm gonna go find you?" Johnson dragged his body towards the bushes, he reloaded the machine gun and aimed at the bushes.
"Hey hey! Don't shoot! Its me! I am not a glitch!"
Albur stood up, revealing himself. Johnson stared at him, slowly lowering his machine gun.
"Albur?"
But then, Johnson flinched slightly, he then held his head, and started breathing heavily. The memories that flashed before his eyes earlier came back to bite him again. He grabbed his chest, feeling hard to breathe.
"Hey, hey, you ok?"
Johnson panted slowly, before slowly backing away.
"Leave.....me...alone....."
Albur backed away, leaving Johnson alone. He continued panting, but his breath slowly slowed down, he let go of his chest, and took a deep breath.
"Why the heck are you here?" Johnson asked.
"Sh-shouldn't I be the one to ask this question? I thought you said you were about to reach Crimson yourself!"
"Well I recorded the map in my monitor so I am obviously gonna follow it!
Johnson didn't say anything, but he kept avoiding eye contact with Albur. Albur felt a little sorry for what he done earlier, after hearing what Johnson muttered just now, he felt even bad.
Johnson noticed what Albur was carrying with him, he glared at him in confusion.
"The hell are you doing with that hyper gem?"
"Wh-oh, uh, I use it as a flashlight."
"Who the heck use nuclear weapons as flashlight? That's absurd! Couldn't you use your watch's flashlight?"
"What, oh wait, yeah, crap, forgot about it."
Johnson scoffed, then, he kept his machine gun.
"Well then I have to go, we were seperated aren't we, I don't care about anyone of you, good luck surviving buckos." He then slowly dragged his body away, preparing to leave.
Albur scoffed, he turned around and prepared to leave as well. But then he remembered something, he turned around, he clenched his fists, and squeezed out the words.
"You are lying, right."
Johnson froze,
"What do you mean?"
"You just muttered to yourself just now, I heard everything, you do still care about people around you, don't you? "
Johnson's fist tighten,
"I don't....leave me alone."
He continue walking.
"By the way, FYI, Covie is crying right now."
Johnson flinched, he turned around and looked at Albur.
"She is?"
"You broke her little heart you know, now leaked oil and be seen all over her face."
Johnson looked at his hands, he wanted to say something, but he still gulped them back into his throat.
"Ok.....ok..." he murmured, then he started rubbing his sleeves.
Albur stared at him, he don't know what he should do next.
"Hey uh..." Albur spoke.
Johnson looked at him.
"I.....want to apologise...."
"W-what?"
"For....calling you those things earlier.....I shouldn't have gone that far and...made you crash out and leave the team. That just breaks us all instead of helping fighting the glitches."
Johnson's clenched left fist slowly let go.
"I shouldn't have said that you are a failure, judging by your reactions after that....becoming a criminal really is a very traumatic experience right?"
Johnson continued staring at Albur, his right robot claw also loosen.
"I really done something terrible, look at Covie now, I don't think you would see her that sad before."
Albur paused,
"Let's just have a truce for now....and face the biggest threat up on our throat. I'm.....I'm so sorry, for....what I did earlier...."
Johnson paused, still processing what Albur said. In his life, no one have ever apologise to him like that before, he is still thinking what could he give as a reply.
"If you don't wanna forgive me, its ok.....I don't blame you.....Just....please, at least stay with us one last time....after the infection has ended..."
Johnson was startled by Albur, this is the first time in his life he had ever receive an apology, which isn't fake, the apology was sincere, no insult, no lies, no mocking. He took a step back, Albur noticed that.
"You....alright?" He asked.
"You....really feel sorry?" Johnson asked.
"Uh...what? Wha- you don't accept it?"
"No, no, you.....really, feel sorry?"
"Uh...yeah....what's wrong?"
"I thought people don't usually feel sorry for jerks...."
"Wha- what do you mean?"
Johnsson froze, not in horror, nor depression, just pure shock.
"That...was so nice from you..."
"W- what? What are you....I d-don't understand what are you talking about. "
"I left society and public for years...that was such nice words I've ever heard from a human being. "
Albur was confused, very.
Johnson stared at him silently, though his face is still that cold expressionless face. Then, he made a silent laugh.
"Apology accepted."
Albur was startled.
"Woah...I thought it was gonna be harder to do that..."
"You don't understand bucko...that is the best apology I've ever received."
"Wh- what?"
"By the way, before the whats and buts....could you do me a favor? Let me take a look on that criminal record page."
Albur blinked, but he still went back to the moon hut, quietly, gently, and took that file from his bag and went back into that part of the withered forest.
He handed over the file to Johnson. Johnson took it, he took a good look at every word, every sentence, every detail. Then, he gave a cold dry chuckle.
"This thing is sure outdated, they didn't even update my status....I shouldn't be here."
Albur still couldn't understand what he is talking about, but he still replied with some faint laughs.
"So...you really are a criminal?"
"Can be classified as.....I did escaped court multiple times."
Albur nodded, but then, he remembered the hologram he saw earlier,
"By the way uh, who is this? Your mom?"
Albur pointed at the hologram, Johnson turned around and looked at it. But when he looked at it, it is obvious that his emotion shifted.
"The one in the graduation suit, was me, and that pretty lady, was my....elder sister. My mom is way uglier."
Albur looked at the hologram, he really couldn't tell that the boy was Johnson.
"You...have an elder sister?"
"Heh, yeah, but, she was long gone...."
Albur recalled the time he said to the hologram that she is in heaven.
"What.....happened?"
Johnson paused, before shaking his head and stand up.
"We don't talk about those. None of your business."
Albur fowned, but still he dosen't further ask.
Johnson looked at him, as if he was expecting him to continue asking. After a while of silence, Johnson stared at Albur, in the eyes.
"Say, why don't further ask?"
"What? You kept saying none of my business, what's the point ? Plus, we already have a truce, I don't wanna ruin that relationship again. Duh."
Johnson laughed coldly, but then, he thought for a second, he made a decision he thought he will never make for years.
"Albur."
Albur looked at Johnson.
"Are you....a good listener?"
"Wh- what? Uh, I don't know.....I did became a counselor in my secondary school at one point, but just for 2 days before I was fired."
Johnson scoffed, but he know, he could trust him.
"For the following stuff, keep them between me and you, deal?"
Albur tilted his head, but still nodded gently. Johnson signaled him to sit on the rock near him. He did as he asked. Johnson then sighed as he looked up into the sky. The wind blew, making the withered branches shake softly.