Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters I have borrowed from MI High. I do own Aggie Madison and Illya Gordovski.
"So, we need to see if Frank has any Emo gear in the basement," said Carrie. She looked at Rose. "This I have to see !"
Oscar found the bedroom where he'd woken up. He searched around to see if he had any nightclothes there. He couldn't find anything. Sitting on the side table there was now a belt, a watch and a signet ring with a green stone. He didn't recognise any of them. He tried on the ring and it fitted. He kept it on. Oscar sat on his bed and tried hard to remember something. Anything would do. He spun the ring round on his finger. Suddenly there was a hint of something. The more Oscar tried to chase it, the further it seemed to get from his grasp. He stared at the ring. The ring was important he realised, but he couldn't remember why.
Suddenly the door opened. Oscar started. It was his Mum. "Oh it's you Mum," he said. "You gave me a fright."
Jade smiled until she noticed him playing with the ring. "Where did you get that ?" she asked sharply.
Confused by her apparent anger, Oscar said, "I found it on the table. Isn't it mine ?"
Calming slightly, Jade said reluctantly, "It was your father's."
"Oh, where is he ?" asked Oscar hopefully.
"He died," said his Mum. "Missing in action. He gave you that ring before he went." She looked up and saw the expression of devastation on Oscar's face. Perhaps she could have handled that a little better.
"He's dead," said Oscar. "Is there anyone else ?" he asked, his voice getting quieter.
"No, it's just you and me Oscar," said Jade. She didn't really feel like going through all this right now. It had been a long day. "Do you need anything Oscar ?" she asked.
"Well, I don't seem to have any clothes, or a toothbrush or anything really," said Oscar, looking puzzled. He seemed a bit dazed. Jade decided he must be tired too.
"Oh, your things aren't here," she said. "We brought you here after you were hurt. I think all your things were lost. I'll ask someone to bring you some things. Goodnight." With that she left.
It wasn't quite the reunion Oscar had been hoping for. He was still sitting on the bed trying to get his head round the fact that he had nobody in the world except his mother, when there was a knock at the door. At least someone knocked around here. He opened the door to find Bill holding a pile of clothes and toiletries.
"Your Mum said you needed these," Bill said. "You alright ?" he asked. "You look a bit shocked, like."
"I'm OK," said Oscar quietly. He sat down on the bed staring at the pile of clothes. They were all black.
Bill looked doubtful. He boy looked like he'd seen a ghost. He didn't like this memory wiping business. The boy didn't seem anything like his mother. Bill liked him for a start. "Well, if you don't want anything else, I'll go. You know there's a bathroom there don't you ?" asked Bill, pointing at a door in the corner of the room. Oscar looked up and shook his head. "Right, well there is see," said Bill. He stood looking at Oscar for a moment. The boy seemed lost in his own thoughts. "I'll be off then, if you don't need anything."
Oscar looked him in the eyes and shook his head again. His face looked completely blank.
Oscar gave up trying to remember anything. He washed, changed and got into bed. His head was now throbbing after the day's activities. Maybe he would remember something in the morning.
Oscar woke the next day, still feeling tired. He managed to find the room where he'd originally met the others and found them all eating breakfast, so he joined them. He'd just finished when names were called out for an assignment. Oscar's was one of the names being called, so he followed the others to a briefing room. The job was to steal a set of electronic components from a factory. He wondered if it wouldn't be simpler and possibly cheaper to just buy them. Clearly that was not the SKUL way.
The plan started to unravel when they couldn't find the factory. It was in the middle of a large industrial estate and they had circled the area twice without finding the right building. The driver stopped to have an argument with the guy in the passenger seat. "Look, what idiot put the post code into the satnav then, 'cos it wasn't me right ?" said the driver. "I'm driving. You're supposed to be looking aint you ?"
"All right, all right, keep you hair on !" complained the second guy. "I don't know what the place looks like either do I ?"
Oscar decided to offer a suggestion. "Erm, sorry to interrupt guys, but couldn't we just ask someone ?" he asked. They both looked round at him as if he had suggested flying to the moon.
"Ask someone ?" asked the driver astonished.
"Yes, why not ?" asked Oscar. "You've only got to ask nicely."
"Nicely ?" said the driver. He looked at his front seat passenger. They other guy shrugged. They both looked at Oscar frowning.
"Look, never mind," said Oscar. "I'll do it." He got out of the van and walked up to a man walking down the street eating a sandwich. "Excuse me, you couldn't tell me where I can find Paint Pot Prototypes could you please ?"
"Yeah sure," said the man after swallowing a mouthful. "Down there and on the left," he pointed down the road.
"Ah, we went past it. Thanks very much," said Oscar.
"No problem," said the man, walking on.
Oscar got back in the van and told the driver where to go. The men looked astonished. "Well done son," said Bill. They pulled up the van at a loading bay at the back of the factory and piled out.
Tugging down his uniform, the co-driver plucked up courage and approached a warehouse worker piling up boxes. "Erm excuse me mate, could you tell me where I can find the electromagnetic control circuits please ?"
"Yeah, sure inside the storeroom on the left hand side, but you'll have to .." he stopped, because the SKUL man had just punched him in the face.
"What did you do that for ?" asked Oscar.
"That's what I always do," said the man, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Oscar rolled his eyes and lead the way into the factory where they'd been directed.
It took a little while to locate the circuits. They filled a couple of boxes with the circuits after tying up the store keeper in his office. One of the SKUL men had been about to hit the store keeper over the head with a spanner, but Oscar pushed him away and persuaded the man to sit quietly so that he wouldn't get hurt. Bill tied the man up while the others loaded the boxes.
On their return, some of the SKUL agents told the others about their astonishing new technique of 'asking nicely'. Oscar overheard some of it and had to smile. "You're starting to get a reputation for yourself boy," said Bill smiling. "You'll be working your way up the ranks in no time." He was glad to see the boy looking a bit happier.