You picked the ring out of his hand. "I don't understand why you are giving this to me."

"Leader is sparing no expense when it comes to ensuring the success of our mission. So, she gifted you this ring. If you ever need to summon me, simply rub on the sides like it's a genie lamp. I may appear if I am not busy. Simple, right?"

You imagined rubbing the ring to see Hunter appear in a puff of purple smoke in a turbine and a long, stringy black beard. "I guess you are part genie, Hunter," you joked.

His face lit up like you just offered him a piece of gum. "You're funny." He bit his lip, considering if what he was about to say would be okay. He leaned in and spoke in a hushed voice, eyeing the moon as though it might overhear. "I like you, so I want to tell you some additional information. You may get into a situation where you feel pinned down, but don't worry. There is a plan. Everything is a part of the plan. Got it?"

Your eyebrows rose and you nodded, unsure if someone would overhear. Glancing around the deck, you couldn't imagine anyone could overhear the conversation.

As Hunter straightened, he put a hand in his pocket. "If there is any problem, please, tell me. If you think any part is too much, please tell me. I will help you. I will ensure you are in safe hands. Okay?"

"I will," you promised. "Although I wish I could talk with you all night..."

"Oh, of course. Please, forgive me for keep you," he said as he gently took your hand into his. He bowed and pecked your hand, leaving a gentle kiss. "Have a nice night, (Y/N)."

Slightly smiling, he said, "I would walk you to your room, but I fear if anyone saw us together, our mission would be ruined. Please, take care. Get you sleep."

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

The sun shining through the port hole beamed in your eyes, waking you from what felt like was only a ten-minute nap. You groaned, annoyed by how quickly morning came.

"Good morning, princess. I thought I would have to wake you, but apparently you got up by yourself."

You nearly fell out of your bed. Opening your eyes, you saw Hunter.

Hunter had changed out of his robber costume. Now, he wore a band t-shirt and long black jeans.

"Where you watching me sleep?" you asked, standing to face him.

His face reddened. "Questions are prohibited, but I will tell you that I just got here. I was just trying to decide on what to say to wake you."

Unsure if you had an Edward on your hands, you decided to let it go. "Fine. But, there is no reason to wake me up."

"Leader wanted to ensure you were going to participate as often as you can today. It's hard to do that if you're sleeping until noon, so she sent me to ensure you had an opportunity," he explained. "So, now that I have done my job, I will leave you to do yours."

Sighing, you ignored Hunter as you opened and closed random dresser drawers. You didn't feel overly comfortable wearing someone else's clothes, but it wasn't like you packed any.

You picked out a shirt with a pattern of small, multicolored triangles. Picking out a random pair of dark blue jeans, you noticed it perfectly matched the dark blue triangles on the shirt. After you shut the drawers, you looked behind you. Hunter was gone.

*****>o>**-_-***

Right as you finished buttoning the pants, a knock came from the door.

Looking around the room, you tried to rid of any evidence of being messy. You kicked your dirty clothes underneath the bed, out of sight, as you said, "Come in."

Leo stuck his head into the room. His dark circles wore underneath his slightly red eyes. "Good morning, hot stuff," he winked. Despite his zombie look, his voice sounded energetic.

Half smiling, you gestured for him to come in. "Morning, Leo. Why did you visit?"

He entered. The door swung open behind him. "I wanted to check to see if you had trouble sleeping."

Tilting your head, you questioned his intention. "Like a baby." You caught yourself before you asked him a question, but then remembered there was no rule against asking him a question. "Why do you ask?"

"Well," he looked down as he fumbled with his tool belt zippers. "I don't mean to accuse you of doing anything wrong. I just--was there--I mean I don't think--but was there--wait hold on--"

"Leo," you said, forcing him to pause. "It's okay. You can just ask. I won't be offended."

He nodded, looking both surprised and relieved. "Last night...who were you talking to outside?"

You blinked, wondering if this is what Hunter meant when he warned you everything was going to plan. You couldn't imagine how this could possibly be a part of the plan.

"I heard you talking last night. You had a pretty good conversation going on and..."

Choice Time:

Chapter 65: "Well, I did sleep like a baby. A baby that is super grumpy and can't calm down."

Chapter 66: "Oh, yeah, that's normal. I talk to myself all the time. I'm a very interesting person and make myself laugh sometimes."