Where after solving the problem, the 2 friends keep wandering, commit a few charities, make a human loose a few years from his life because of fear and not too long after, they are about to witness another fight.

Geno's POV:
-

We all turn to the direction of the voice. Immediately the humans turn pale. I see 4 skeletons, not gonna lie, they look both like Edge, Red and their lovers the way they described them. There are 2 short skeletons dressed similarly, handkerchief around their neck, trousers and boots long to the knee. Hell, even the scars passing through their one eyesocket are almost similar! Except that the one has mainly black, red and golden colors on their clothes and the other black, purple and grey. The one with the red color has cyan irises with 2 scars passing through his left eyesocket and the other with purple, one purple iris and one white.

A thick scar is passing through his left eyesocket. The taller skeletons are dressed similarly, fluffy jackets, shorts and short shoes. The one wears a purple jacket and the other an orange one, with a fluffy hood over his head. All these skeletons have sharp teeth but only the tall one with the orange jacket has between them a golden fang, like Red's.

Him and the other tall skeleton have a chill, lazy posture like Red. The short ones instead seem dominant and strict like Edge. Damn, I recall angels from Alter's books, beautiful human-looking beings with blond curly hair, huge pure white 'like the light' wings and halos around their heads.

The… angels that appeared must be fallen ones, not because they betrayed The Lord but their landing was first at Hell and then they crawled their way outta there. Welp, either way they are guards and they might be the help me and Alter need. They approach and the short one with the cyan irises gives just one glare at the guard that holds Alter.

It's enough for him to let him go. I can't stop staring at them surprised. But it surprises me even more that they came so fast. They must be Alter's friends or allies he met long ago, there's no other explanation why they stepped right up so fast to help!

"ALRIGHT! CARE TO EXPLAIN WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?!" The short skeleton with the purple iris yells, becoming even stricter.

The human that tried to steal lies that Alter, me and the greengrocer tried to kill him while he was just taking a walk. I honestly want to rip his eyeballs off and limbs. But as if Alter reads my thoughts he gives me a look to not move. He's really calm, he doesn't show the slightest anger for the human lying.

"HAH!" The short purple skeleton guffawed then. "AS IF WE'LL BELIEVE THAT. JUST LIKE HOW YOU HUMANS DOESN'T SHOW ANY TRUST FOR THE MONSTERS, DON'T EXPECT US SHOW TRUST TO THESE WORDS EITHER!"

"Since the human spoke, time to investigate the monsters also…" The tall skeleton with the orange jacket says calmly. "… Archie. What is your complaint for the human?" He asks looking at the monkey. Archie glares at the human.

"He tried to steal. As you can see, his 'swag' is scattered." He said pointing at the apples, oranges, potatoes and carrots.

"I payed you greedy sh-!"

"With fake gold." Alter suddenly said. Everyone looked at him.

"And how can you prove it huh?" A human soldier asked arrogantly. Alter chuckled.

"I thought you soldiers were also experts to recognise fake gold from real!"

"What are you implying?!"

"That is indeed fake gold." The tall skeleton with the purple jacket says as him and the other tall partner observe the gold. I can see the thief getting more and more pale.

"SEE?! EVEN THESE LAZY SCUMBAGS KNOWS BETTER THAN YOU HUMANS!" The short skeleton with the cyan irises says. He looks at the gold carefully too with the other short one. "INDEED IT'S FAKE! AND THEN YOU DARE DEFEND THAT THIEF, THAT HE PAYED UP LIKE A GENTLEMAN?!" Something in the human soldiers' expressions says that they recognise too the gold is fake but doesn't want to admit it.

"No! That tall skeleton is making stories!" The thief says pointing at Alter. Come on, THIS IS F*CKING RIDICULOUS! Please, please please, I just want to beat him up!

"SHUT THE HELL UP EVERYONE!" The short skeleton with the purple handkerchief yells. Everybody stops protesting. "ALRIGHT! SINCE THE HUMANS WANT TO DEFEND THE HUMANS AND DOESN'T REALLY WANT TO PERFORM AN ARREST TO THEIR OWN KIND, HERE'S HOW WE'RE GOING TO SOLVE THIS MUCH FASTER SINCE SOMEONE DOESN'T WANT TO ADMIT THE TRUTH: I'LL CALL THE INFERNALS RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW AND IF THEY FIND THE SAME EXACT THINGS, THAT NOT ONLY THE GOLD IS FAKE BUT ALSO THAT YOU HUMANS ARE TRYING TO COVER IT UP, THEY HAVE THE REAL AUTHORITY AND POWER TO THROW YOU ALL LIKE USELESS RAGS IN THE DUNGEON AND ROT THERE!"

The humans are gulping and shivering, failing miserably not to show it. Wow, just how much power does these siblings have, what exactly do they have that make humans fear them so much more than other monster guards? But something's telling me that they all rather fear Tefra…

"OR, THE CULPRIT WILL PAY UP NORMALLY, NO ARRESTS WILL OCCUR AND EVERYONE WILL RETURN TO THEIR ROUTINE AS IF NOTHING HAPPENED."

"You can't do that!" A human guard protested.

"Yes we can, just like how you can do as you please to make the monster citizens' lifes difficult. Cry about it. The houses of the 3 Aces and whoever was and is considered part of them and their families still have your King's favor even after what happened 4 years ago." The tall purple skeleton says and him with his tall partner are grinning sarcastically.

"NOW CHOOSE BEFORE YOU WATCH HOW WE CHOOSE OURSELVES! AND YOU KNOW VERY WELL WHAT WE WILL CHOOSE…" The short skeleton with cyan irises says.

He doesn't even need to reveal his last sentence. Damn, the savage. After a few seconds the human thief groans, takes another pouch out of his pocket and gives it to Archie, who checks carefully the gold in case it's fake again. Once he finds all gold is normal he nods that everything is fine.

"SEE? THAT WASN'T SO HARD, WAS IT?" The short red skeleton asks. The humans murmur something I suppose not so nice and leave. The thief glares at Alter with such hatred I find myself shivering.

"I heard about the destruction of the restaurant. You were there! It was because of you!" He says. Alter smiles wider. "Just because the Infernals saved you yesterday and today you were saved again because the guards threatened to call them too doesn't mean you will always be lucky! Don't smile at me like that skeleton! You hear me?!" Damn, he's out of control of his anger. And as if it wasn't enough Alter chuckles gracefully. Like he wasn't being threatened.

"So you admit that yesterday your kind tried to poison me, while it was said that restaurant's business was fair and friendly." He says. The human's face turns so red and hot from anger if I wanted to make pancakes, his head would save me time from heating up a stove.

He clearly wants to tear apart Alter, I can see it. It's actually creepy where humans' hatred can reach… But I guess he's not intimidating enough since Alter is so much taller than him. And I've seen how much more threatening he can be if he wants…

"Stupid f*cking-!"

"Bye! Don't cause a mess on the way, the monsters are trying so hard to keep the streets of their town clean!" He keeps going. The human screams but turns his back, his whole movement shows pure rage. He didn't even take his swag! When we can't see him anymore I turn to look at Archie.

"Thank you so much sir Guido! From the time you came to Lisbon only good luck is spreaded everywhere!" He says, approaches Alter and is about to kiss his hands from gratefulness. But Alter pulls his hands away, for a moment I see his chill expression turning troubled as he avoids looking at the monkey. But for just a moment.

"I really didn't do much Archie! Thank the guards for appearing and solving most of the problem!" He says excited and carefree again. After talking for some more, Archie turns his back, thanks one more time the guards and Alter and leaves. When he's far away enough the 4 skeleton guards turn and stare at Alter.

"Thanks for the help." Alter says calmly. They nod.

"Just so you know, she's waiting for you to come with your little friend." The tall skeleton with the orange jacket says staring at me for a moment with his lazy smile growing bigger for a moment.

"Thanks Slim. We'll find the chance interact with her. Take care ya all." Alter said bowing down quickly. The 4 skeletons nod one time and walk away as if they never saw us. When they're gone too I look up to Alter confused. "Don't worry son, they're on our side…" He replies seeing my confusion.

"Who were these guards?" I ask looking at the direction they took.

"The 2 short skeletons were Rasp the one with the cyan irises and Malbec or Mal, the one with one purple iris and a white one. The tall skeletons were the one with purple jacket Rus and the other Slim. Rus is brothers with Mal and Slim with Rasp."

"What do you mean they are on our side?" I keep asking confused. Alter looks ahead never stopping smiling and walks. I follow.

"That side I've mentioned yesterday and just a while ago is shortly the witch's side, Echo's. She's not just sitting around waiting for you to meet and give you some answers. She's having… other business to attend." I remember him mentioning personal business the day after we survived the storm. I try to recall that dream with the witch, the day my mom blessed her.

"… I'm scared to loose my determination after all that happened. I can't give up. For my mother and my friends I must stay determined…"

"I won't give you the symbol just because you asked for it and wish to have enough power fight against who you and your friends consider enemies… I gift you not only to help your purpose…"

"I'll let you use your power first for you own personal purposes…"

"… if I bless you and tie you with the prophecies and my sons' fate, our cases and problems will be yours too. It'll be unavoidable to meet. And when you do, you'll have to follow him, pause whatever purposes you yourself have…"

"… I'm having a friendship with the witch and I had with her mother, more specifically, personal business with her too…"

Pieces from conversations come and pass. Somehow, I remember them accurately as if I see them again right in front of me.

"What's wrong?" I hear Alter asking. I slowly raise head to look at him. He looks back at me confused. I approach and I sign him to lower. Now the curiosity has the best of me.

"What are you really planning Al? What really are the business that dragged you tag along to Lisbon? How… many of these monsters around us, guards and not, are actually allies of the witch? And for what exactly?" I whisper fast, staring at him intensively. He looks at me betraying some surprise at first. But then he chuckles.

"I'm not the one planning. It's mainly Echo who runs the show. We talked once but I support her side for something big her and many other monsters plan. Something like…" He leans closer and whispers more serious. "… a revolution." He looks again ahead and smiles casually. "But I'm not supposed to say much about it. I'll have to ask you again to wait and once we see her, you'll be free to understand more by seeing yourself. You can keep secrets for now that I talked to ya about it even a little, right?" He asks. A few seconds later I nod. He pats my head. "I'm glad…"

I look down and we stop talking. For only a short while as it would be. Now I'm curious to see myself what else is going on besides the mission I'm in. I recall what mom said:

"… if I bless you and tie you with the prophecies and my sons' fate, our cases and problems will be yours too. It'll be unavoidable to meet."

How big and serious 'business' will Echo have to leave behind for me? And about getting tied… will that also be the other way around? Will I get tied with my guardian's fate and concerns too even if it's none of my business? If yes, how?

"… The houses of the 3 Aces…"

Then there's this, what that Rus mentioned. 3 Aces… as I understand they're even higher authority, the reason behind the Infernal siblings' power…

"3 Aces…" I murmur.

"What was that?" Alter asks. I look up to him intensively, I want to try and see if he knows.

"Who are the 3 Aces Rus mentioned?" I ask more clearly. The confused expression Alter had as long as he was staring at me stayed even when he looked ahead with hands behind his back. He doesn't reply immediately.

"… They were a unity of 3 families it was said. Ambassadors for human and monster kind of Portugal in order to unite them. But one of the most certain things I know is that for Echo now, who told me a few things when I met her, they are secretly her commanders behind her plans… That's all I know…" He says. I don't insist any longer. We just keep walking in silence.

No one's POV:
-

About 10 minutes later…

Geno felt that the streets were familiar, he had seen them yesterday. He looked up to Alter waiting for an answer. But he didn't seem to notice his worry. Only when he asked silently to hold his hand he looked at him for a fleeing moment and held the smaller's hand. They were back at the poorest side of monster town.

Every monster was staring intensively at them with these expressions of complain and exhaustion. Beggars were sitting around waiting for little alms. Alter inhaled and exhaled quietly. Geno looked at him. He wasn't as calm as yesterday, more sad.

He slowly took from his bag a pouch, approached the nearest beggar on the way and handed him 2 silvers. The other raised head to look at him, it was a fox monster, betraying some surprise. But then he smiled, a precious, real smile of gratefullnes was spread across his face.

"Thanks. God bless you." He said and Geno felt he meant it with every magic cell of his body. Finally Alter smiled too and stepped back. This was how it went for the next 10 minutes. Alter was going around giving to every monster whether silvers, whether coppers. Soon enough many monsters weren't so sad anymore. Even the children.

They were looking at the 2 skeletons with some awe. And for every alms, Alter was always receiving words of gratefullnes, a few monsters also kissed his hands. But then he would always look away thoughtful. He didn't seem disgusted at all, something else seemed to trouble him everytime. Who knows…

Geno felt that the atmosphere wasn't so heavy anymore and so his soul stopped feeling that way. How Alter was changing everything with a simple gesture of charity. How more beautiful everything seemed with the monsters smiling. If only people could be more like Alter, who give if they have and not keeping for themselves only. He expressed that out loud to him.

"God is big and mercifull. He sees our actions and anything we give and offer sooner or later He will return 10 times more. And if not in this life, perhaps to the afterlife. And then, there will be the biggest reward." Alter replied quietly. Geno nodded.

Suddenly they stopped, seeing a big queue of monsters in front of them. Alter signed to go around the queue and see what was going on. The queue was in front of that little abandoned church Alter said they had to go again. With that weird beggar near the opening. They left after Tefra found them here.

What Geno saw surprised him. Short of. The monsters were waiting in front of a big kettle, standing on a wooden platform with wheels. And behind the kettle was standing… a human! Geno found it so surprising it needed many seconds for him to slowly start getting suspicious.

What was he doing in monster's side of town, the poorest in fact? Was he giving food with payment to exploit the monsters' situation? It seemed reasonable. With all things happening in Lisbon and criminal actions by humans, Geno wouldn't be surprised if it was how he thought. But soon he was going to be proved wrong.

"Thank you Jim sweety. The soup smells divine as always." An old cat monster lady said, with her paws holding a little can. The human smiled kindly and filled the can with the ladle he was holding, soup, able to break your nose -greek metaphor- from how great smell it had. The cat left with little quick steps without paying.

"Next!" The human said.

"Common meal. He gives food for free." Alter said quietly, smiling. Geno observed the human better. Little glasses, messy blonde hair, brown eyes… he remembered him. Back at the human restaurant. He had served them the poisoned soups. He was the one that told his boss the Infernals were coming.

"A waiter that can cook… huh, would you look at that there are still kind humans…" Geno thought. Suddenly the human turned slightly his head for a moment, but then turned it completely at Geno, staring at him with some surprise. Geno felt awkward.

Was he remembering that because of him and Alter the boss got exposed and the restaurant got on fire? Was he holding any grudges for loosing his job while it wasn't his fault? He only followed instructions to serve them. Geno raised his hand slowly and waved at him while his brain was screaming how stupid he was for doing that.

"Why tf am I even waving at hi-?!" But to his surprise the man waved back at him with a genuine smile. He kept his look at him for a few more seconds after waving and then turned to serve more monsters.

"You know him?" Alter asked. Geno explained where they saw him. "Oh my, I didn't even pay much attention to him, but you remember!"

"Yeah. And I think he remembers us too and the mess that was caused after the restaurant got exposed." Geno whispered. "Oof."

"Stupid man. He could easily make money by doing that but no, he feeds these filths for free." Geno turned and saw a few steps away another human staring at the chef with arrogance and irony. He couldn't hold back his tongue to say something stingy to him.

"Whatever you have in this life but not give from it you will not find it in Hell and the Antichrist will sting your butt with his trident!" He said. Alter looked at him as if he got insulted himself and the human, well, he had become another potential stove from anger. He approached with fast steps towards Geno, ready to hit him.

"What did you say you f*cking sh-?!" The moment his hand was about to go at Geno's face Alter grabbed his wrist. The human surprised but more angered tried to use his other hand, only for Alter to hold the other wrist too.

"LET ME THE F*CK GO YOU DUMB MONS-!" His words were cut as he suddenly started screaming in pain. Every monster near and the human chef turned heads towards the 2 skeletons and the other human that went to hit Geno. The small skeleton got scared again seeing Alter.

Not because he was angry but he was… smiling. Calmly.

"Hey buddy, lemme give ya a 'friendly' advice…" He started, not in his fake excited tone but his casual one, paused and closed his eyesockets for a few seconds. When he opened them they were empty.

"T ø u c h m y đ æ u g h t ə r æ g æ i n
æ n d I w i l l m æ k ə § u r ə I  § ə n đ
y ø u t ø h ə l l w i t h ø u t l i m b §."

He said with a changed and terrifying voice. He let go of the human, who fell down and kept screaming from pain but his eyes were showing terror. He got up quickly and ran away. Geno prevented to see his wrists. They were red where Alter had clenched.

The tall skeleton kept staring at the human for a few more seconds with the same look before blinking a few times and his irises return inside his eyesockets.

"Ciao! Run away while you still have your legs! And watch your steps!" He said cheerfully.

"Damn, I might have never meet his parents but the way he described 'em, he was just like I could imagine his mom when you get on her bad side." Geno thought. But then the event a while ago brought him a memory of something Alter had said.

"… if I have no other choice but to kill, I will."

Did he actually mean it? Would he actually kill the human for just going to slap 'his daughter' if he didn't have good temper?

Suddenly someone started clapping. The smaller turned and saw a monster from the queue clapping. Then another mimicked, then another. Soon all monsters were clapping, staring at Alter. The human chef was just staring at him impressed.

"That was awesome!"

"The scum took what he deserved!"

"That human and many other are the real freaks! Daring to harm little children!"

"Not only you're kind and selfless, you're also brave!"

Comments like these were heard between the applauses. Alter and Geno stayed surprised for many seconds.

"Guys guys run! Spectacle! The Infernals found some criminals and are fighting them!!!" A brown and white dog monster came suddenly running, pointing somewhere behind. Immediately all monsters started talking about the siblings and followed the dog who had already started running.

"No way I'm loosing this! Kick their butt Infernals!" An old woman said as she was passing closely from the 2 skeletons, who looked to each other, seeming unsure for a moment if they should follow or not. Geno looked down to think, but before he could do that he felt Alter holding his hand and dragging him.

"Welp, guess ya can't stay away from her for too long, amirite~?" He teased and Alter just stayed silent, still looking ahead.

😂😂😂. ya all probably can't wait when geno will be getting intensively teased for liking reaper. 3900 words. *pot pot*