Rita Loud was picking her younger daughters at school. A pretty normal day for her, except for the fact that her only son was at home, grounded for fighting at school. But she wasn't angry at him, not even disappointed, she was rather proud of him, because he was defending what he cared about, his family and girlfriend "Just as we taught them to", she thought about all her kids and how she and her husband taught them to do the right thing, even if it wasn't popular.
She was driving home with her four youngest daughters at the backseats, as usual, Lola and Lana were fighting for nothing, Lisa was reading a book, and Lily was enjoying the ride, telling her mom what she did in her kindergarten class.
She parked Vanzilla at their house entrance and right after that, she saw Lincoln going out, running like crazy carrying a Gym bag. She called for him, along her daughters, but he didn't listen to them.
- "What's got into him?" -She heard Lola ask.
- "I don't know sweetie. Sigh… He just got another week grounded." -She said and Lola smirked at that.
- "Can I be there when you tell him?" -She asked her mischievously, and Rita just looked at her seriously. - "Ok, ok. This is between you and him." -She rolled her eyes and all of them got into the house.
- "I don't know why was he so rushed. But when he gets back, I'm gonna have a very serious talk to…" -Rita fell silent when she noticed what was going on at the T.V. She was horrified and called her husband right away.
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Jordan was in her history class, it's Wednesday, 9:00 o'clock and she couldn't focus, she was just looking at the board without paying any attention at her teacher, and sighing like every 30 seconds. There was just one thing in her mind, or rather, one person, her actual boyfriend, Lincoln Loud. For the past two days, she couldn't see him in school and missed him a lot. She had written his name in her notebook thousands of times already. She sent him a message on Monday, thanking him again for what he did, and he answered that it was nothing, but due to his suspension, he'll be grounded for the whole week, which means, no videogames, or smartphones or computer (unless it's homework), and no talking with friends, not even his girlfriend, the rules were pretty clear, but he didn't regret it, and as soon as he send the message, his mom would take his phone from him, so "farewell for now babe" were his last words in the message.
But these two days have been very busy; Rusty has been bothering her all the time, she was pissed off already, but the guy was all over her, as if he didn't care about all the girls that were over him since he "revealed" his secret. He seemed obsessed with her. - "Knock it off jerk!" -She yelled at him and slapped him that morning, when they were getting into school.
Despite that, it was a pretty normal day, but then…
- "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! – They heard a man shouting at the aisle, then a BANG! And everyone in the classroom understood what was going on immediately. The teacher asked the students to help him to block the door with the shelf that was close to it and then to jump off the windows as silently as they could, but as soon as a student got to open the window they heard another bang and the student falling to the ground, yelling in pain, and bleeding from his arm. After that all the students fell to the ground, most of them started to cry, but Jordan, despite being incredibly scared, calmed herself the best way she could and tried to calm her classmates, she went to the one that was wounded and helped him to hold the bleeding and said soothing words to calm him down. - "Don't worry, you'll be fine." -She told him.
- "How do you know?" -He asked her back.
- "I… I…" -She didn't know what to say.
- "The shoot was in the shoulder, there's no vital organ there, as long as the bleed is held, you won't die." -They heard someone else and turned to see Stella, rolled in a little ball, holding her knees, and crying uncontrollably. When Jordan saw her friend in that state, she remembered all that her friend has been through for the last couple of months. She pulled another student to hold the bleeding and went to her to hug her.
- "Take it easy Stella, I'm here." -She hugged her friend. Stella was terrified but she composed a little thanks to Jordan.
They heard a hard bang at the door and two men getting into the classroom with rifles in their hands and masks on their heads; they scanned the whole classroom, looking at all the students, after that they looked at each other. - "He isn't here." -One of them said and they left the classroom, but, before leave, one of them turned to them and said. - "Our fellas are at the aisle, if you try to run away, they'll shoot you, ok? Stay here until we leave or you'll die, we're just looking for him, he's the only one we want to kill. Do you get it?" -He asked looking at the teacher and he nodded. - "Good." - and he left.
- "What's going on? Who are they talking about?" -One student asked.
- "Isn't it obvious? They're looking for Rusty." -Jordan answered.
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Rusty was enjoying himself so far, "The best idea I've ever had", he thought, as in lying about being someone you're not is good. But he still was enjoying it, everyone wanted to be his friend and most girls were practically fighting for him, and trying to seduce him to become his girlfriend, I mean, being Spiderman's girlfriend could be very useful in many ways, right?
There were a few girls that didn't buy it, but he didn't care about that, all the attention he got from most people in school made it worth it for him.
He was getting in the restroom when he heard the shoots and the screams, he was terrified and ran away, he hid in the janitor's room, and prayed for someone to come to rescue him. He stayed there for two hours until someone opened the door and found him there.
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- "Are you sure he's here?" -The gang leader asked to someone else on the phone.
- "Pretty sure, he's a student there, he even showed it off on Monday, and his classmates uploaded all that to internet." -The one on the phone answered.
- "His biggest and last stupidity in life." -
- "Damn right! Well, he had to do something wrong at some point, right?" -
- "Well, yeah! That's right! But something this stupid?! That's just… just…" -
- "As if he's asking for someone to kill him?" -
- "Yeah!" -
- "Well, let's grant him his wish." -
- "Yeah! Did you say he's a redhaired boy, around 15 years old, with freckles, and his hair is messy, right?" -
- "Yeah! There's a picture of him on the internet, with big fat words saying "I'M YOUR FRIENDLY NEIGHBOR! SPIDER-MAN!" -
- "Ok, let's go get him! Do you want his head on a plate?" -He asked smirking.
- "EW! That's gross! Just kill him and make sure his dead, record it if you want to, but make sure he's dead! Ok?!" -
- "Got it! I'll call you later! Thanks for the info sir." -
- "You're welcome! Good luck!" -He hanged up the call. "It doesn't matter if that boy isn't Spider-man, once the real Spider-man knows about this, he'll jump into action anyway." He thought calmly, yet happily.
The gang leader turned to his partners. - "Go ahead and find him, and bring him to me! At any cost! If anyone, teacher or student, get in your way, shoot them, it's that easy guys, just shoot them." -He ordered and the whole gang spread around the school. After a couple of hours, one of his friends got in the room, dragging a boy by the hair. He fitted the description perfectly and he smiled. - "Take him to the roof, I'll call the others." -He ordered and Rusty was pulled by the hair again.
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Rusty was being pulled by the hair on the way to the roof, other students saw all that, but didn't dare to do anything, they were very scared. Once on the roof, he was pinned against the wall, he was crying already. - "What's wrong Spider-man? Are you scared?" -The gang member asked him and hit him a couple of times with his rifle. - "Who would have thought that the guy that have caused us so many troubles for the last three years, isn't even a man, but a stupid kid?!" - He asked him angrily, and hit him again, Rusty was too scared to even say anything. - "I'd kill you right now if it wasn't that the boss has some plans for you." -He hit him one last time and tied him to a chair.
After 10 minutes, the gang leader came with a couple of other gang members. He looked at Rusty and felt pity, but his hate was bigger.
- "Ok, let's do this." -He ordered, handing a phone to one of his friends, ordered to record and upload on air, going to Rusty. He punched him on the face a few times. - "Are you Spider-man?" -He asked him.
Rusty just muttered. - "no". -
- "What? I didn't hear you." - He asked again, punching him again.
- "I am not Spider-man." - Rusty said a little louder.
- "No one can hear you! Come on kid! Let's hear it! ARE YOU SPIDER-MAN?!" -He punched him on the face again.
- "I AM NOT SPIDER-MAN!" -Rusty yelled, still crying.
- "What did you say?" -The leader asked him, backing off.
- "I… I… Am… sniff… Not… Spi… Spider… Ma… aahh… an…" - Rusty broke.
- "Come again? I didn't hear you." -The leader said, taking his rifle and pointing at him, his partners did the same. Rusty was petrified, he understood that he shouldn't have lied about being Spider-man "I just wanted a girlfriend." He thought, closing his eyes when he heard the rifles being loaded.
- "That's why kids shouldn't lie." -The leader said to his partners and everyone laughed, he was about to shoot him. - "And still, I couldn't hear you so well." -
- "He said he's not Spider-man. BUT I AM!" - They heard from behind and turned around as fast as they could and started to shoot immediately.
Rusty's life passed through his eyes in a second when he heard the shoots, he shits himself, and felt pain on his body, but he wasn't shot, he realized that he wasn't wounded, but he didn't dare to open his eyes, then he heard more shootings and screams, but none of the shoots hit him. After a while, he felt someone was untying him and he finally opened his eyes. - "SPIDER-MAN! I'm so glad you're here!" -He greeted the hero and tried to hug him, but he pushed him away. - "What's wrong?" -he asked him.
- "Well… where do I start?" -Spider-man was clearly angry at him. - "You lied about being me. You put EVERYONE in this school at risk! I got a shot in my arm protecting you! You're asking me what's wrong as if you weren't about to die. AND YOU STINK! As if you just shit yourself!" -
- "I… I'm really sorry Spider-man. I didn't think…" -
- "THAT'S RIGHT! YOU DIDN'T THINK!" -Spider-man yelled at him. - "Now I'm going to deal with the other guys in the school while you stay here and watch these guys." - He pointed at the gang members that he caught in his web. Rusty doubted about it. - "Don't worry, they're unconscious." -Spider-man explained him.
- "I'd… rather go with you." -Rusty kind of begged him.
- "You sure? We don't know how many are them, neither what kind of weapons they have, and pretty sure they're going to shoot me even more, you could get into the crossed fire." -Spider-man didn't hide his anger at him while saying that.
- "On the other hand, I guess that staying here will be better for me." -Rusty said smiling dumbly.
- "Yeah! I guess that too." -Spider-man agreed with him, sarcastically and left him there, going to the roofs edge. - "The gang leader ran away and I have to chase him, you stay here until I, or the police gets here, do you get it?" -Spider-man told him and Rusty agreed. - "And I really, REALLY recommend you to clean your pants before the police and the media gets here. Ah! And stop lying." - Spider-man was really angry at him and didn't want to hide it.
- "I… I'm… really… really sorry." -Rusty was at the edge of tears again.
- "Yeah! You better be." - Spider-man said cuttingly and jumped off the roof.
Rusty stayed there quietly, then he took a deep breath, curled into a ball and started to cry silently "How could I be so stupid?" -He asked himself.
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The gang leader ran into the building and called for his partners. - "Attention everyone. HE'S HERE! I repeat, HE'S HERE! He took down, Mayers, Wallace and Rincon, he's wounded, go along with the plan". -He said to his radio and the other gang members heard him and started to load their guns. Each one of them got in a classroom and looked for the most scared person in there and dragged them outside, pointing at them to the head.
In one classroom, the chosen girl started to yell and thrash in desperation and fear when the gang picked her from the floor, she was terrified and crying, the gang member pointed at her straight on the face. - "Shut the fuck up or I'll kill you right now." - The gang threatened her and the girl just yelled and cried even louder.
The gang member was tired of her, and was about to shoot her, but suddenly, spiderweb glued to his arm from the ceiling and pulled him up. Everyone looked up and saw how Spider-man, disarmed, tied to the ceiling and knocked out de gang member in 15 seconds, smashing his head against the ceiling a few times, Spider-man seemed very angry.
Spider-man fell to the ground in front of the girl and held her gently, he pulled her up and helped her to stand up, then he hugged her and whispered soothing words at her. The girl calmed down a bit and stopped crying.
Spider-man went to a window and before leaving the classroom he said to everyone. - "Stay here and be as quiet as you can, please. I'll handle this". -
- "WE CAN HELP YOU!" - A boy yelled crazily, trying to pick the gun lying on the floor, but Spider-man pulled the gun with his web.
- "It's too dangerous. Those guys won't hesitate to shoot you at sight. You help me even more staying here". - Spider-man said looking at the boy straight at the eyes. - "Besides, you're too young for one of these" -He said holding the gun. - "You're too young, even for a beer!". Just stay here, please". - he said, more like an order than asking and left without saying anything else, he took the gun with him and put it away, he sighed. - "It will be easier to get them separated and one by one, even better if they don't have hostages with them… I hope she's fine". - He rationalized, but he was still worried for Jordan, and went back into the school, looking for other gang members that were alone.
Unfortunately for him, at this point, all the gang members that remained, had picked the most scared hostage they found on their way and went straight to the GYM.
Spider- man saw a guy pulling a poor sophomore boy to the GYM, the kid was yelling crazily that he didn't want to die. Spider-man surprised the guy from behind, disarmed him and tied him with his web. Spider-man asked him how many of them are there, the guy just insulted him and Spider-man knocked him out, he then heard a shoot and turned to the way he heard it. The kid he just saved ran away as crazy to the closest door but as soon as he opened it, he got a shoot on the face, he was dead before hitting the floor.
Spider-man went to him and saw the body pouring blood all over the floor, he looked outside and saw the police cars and the media Vans, and all the people that have gathered around, then, from a nearby building, he saw a flash on a window, "There's the one behind all this!" He thought and then he yelled from the bottom of his lungs in desperation and anger, then his Spider-sense warned him and he jumped to the ceiling at the same point another shoot was fired at him, avoiding it, he went back inside the school and went to the GYM.
He realized that if he gets into the GYM, by the main door, the whole gang would have him at shoot range and shoot him until they hit him or they run out of bullets, or they could use their hostages as shields and thread to kill them. He then thought about the ventilation system, he could get into the GYM silently and take them by surprise, but that could be risky for the hostages too, as the gang would start to shoot randomly trying to kill him, without thinking about the hostages' sake. Then he thought about getting in by one of the big windows at the GYM, but it had the same problem as the ventilation system. Then, he remembered "the back door"; a hidden door at the GYM teacher's office. No one knows why is a door hidden there, it goes to a janitor's room. Some rumors say that long ago, a teacher made that door to go out of the school without being noticed, others said that he sneaked to go and see his girlfriend, other darker rumors, said the he used to have forbidden relationships with girls around the school, and he made that door as an escape route just in case he was caught. In any case, Spider-man had a way to surprise the gang members and keep the students safe. He made a diversion slamming his body against the main door a couple of times, then he went out the building by a window and made a couple of rounds around, making himself notice by the gang, that were ready to shoot at him once he tries to get in, but he didn't try it. After five minutes, they didn't hear anything.
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- "It seems he gave up sir". - One of the gang members said after a while.
- "Don't be stupid, he's looking for a way to get in here without risking the hostages. Keep alert! He'll find a way to get in! And don't forget about the police! They'll try something soon!" -He ordered and they kept their hostages close to them and were looking around.
One of them was close to the Gym's teacher office, but he suddenly vanished, one of the hostages saw what happened and smiled, but he kept quiet.
- "Something's wrong." - One of the gang members commented right before being silenced with something sticky shot at his mouth and pulled behind a curtain.
At this point, the gang realized what was going on and they pointed at the curtain and started shooting, scaring the shit out of the hostages, they shoot several times at the curtain until the leader told them to stop. - "Crammer! Go check behind the curtain! It's an order!" -He ordered and one of them went to the curtain while the others reloaded their rifles.
Suddenly, two of them were lifted to the roof yelling crazily, dropping their guns while the others finished loading their weapons and started shooting at the ceiling.
This was too much for a young girl and she tried to escape running to the main door, when one of the gang member saw her, he didn't hesitate to point at her to shoot her, but when he was about to do it, spiderweb pulled the gang's member arm and he shot at one of his partners at the chest, he fell to the ground unconscious and bleeding profusely.
- "DAMN YOU!" - One of them yelled and grabbed the closest hostage to him by her hair, hurting the poor girl. - "IF YOU DON'T GET DOWN HERE NOW! I'M GOING TO KILL THIS GIRL!" - He threatened pointing at the girl.
Then, he was smashed to the floor by Spider-man. - "You asked me to get down, but you didn't specify where I should get down." - Spider-man said to the now unconscious man. Then he lifted the girl and jumped up before the rest of the gang shoot them.
There were just four left, but the hostages were incredibly scared, and now, he was carrying a scared girl on his arms.
He landed in front of the GYM teacher's office and pushed the girl in, he slammed the door and jumped again avoiding the bullets and keeping himself, and the gang, away from the hostages, who were crawling to the teacher's office.
At some point, the gang ran out of bullets again and Spider-man used this chance to knock out two of them and tied another one with his web. The only one left avoided to be tied using a war knife and now was in front of Spider-man, holding his knife, ready to fight. He threw himself at Spider-man and he just held his hand and pressed it to break his wrist, making him drop the knife, and then punched him straight on the face to knock him out.
Spider-man sighed in relief and went to the teacher's office and knocked the door calmly. - "Hey guys, it's me, Spider-man, everything is ok now. I'm going in." - He opened the door and checked the office, a couple of students came out from their hideouts and threw themselves at him, hugging him and crying. - "Has anyone called the police?" - He asked them nicely while comforting them, both kids said no. - "Where are the others?" -
- "They left through the back door". - The girl he rescued before answered.
- "Back door? What back door?" -Spider-man asked them, playing fool.
- "A secret door right here." -The other girl said, pointing at a place behind a bookshelf. - "No one knows why's there, but it's there and the others used it to get away. I guess we were too scared to move and they left us behind". -
Suddenly, the office phone ringed, making both girls scream, they still were shaken by the situation.
Spider-man answered the phone. - "Hello… No, I'm not the gang leader… I'm Spider-man sir. I've stopped and knocked out these guys already… Yes, you can come in and help everyone… Well… Most of them will need some sort of medical services… No, I don't know… OF COURSE NOT! That Rusty kid is at the roof, perhaps cleaning his pants after all this… Well, I don't know, are you going to arrest me?... Then I guess I better leave before you get here… There's absolutely no way I'm taking off my mask sir… Because I still have to protect those beloved to me… Yes sir, the zone is clear and you can come in… Sorry but I can't… There's plenty of witnesses all over the school sir, they can help you… Then good bye sir… Glad to be useful sir." -He hanged up the phone and turned to the girls. - "Sigh… it was the police captain, they're coming in, but I have to leave before that. Are you going to be fine?" -He asked both girls and they nodded, he nodded back and left the office, he went to the ceiling, opened a window and left.
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People was gathered around the school, trying to see something, anything, they saw the gang taking a boy to the roof, they saw Spider-man arriving and saving the kid, then Spider-man went into the school. After some 20 minutes they saw a kid running out of the building, getting their hopes high, but those hopes were crushed when they heard a bang and seeing the kid fall to the ground, not moving, then Spider-man appeared behind the kid, looked around and then, he yelled in frustration, then they heard another bang and saw Spider-man jumping to the ceiling and going back into the building.
Captain Stacey saw where the shoot came from and sent five officers to investigate the building, he was very worried for his daughter, Stella, but he still had a job to do. - "If you are really a hero Spider-man, you better prove it now." -He thought.
After half an hour the five officers he sent to the building came back to report him that the shooter ran away but left a little note saying that he was expecting to kill Spider-man, not a common kid. Captain Stacey was immensely pissed. After that he got a report that all the attackers gathered into the GYM and he asked to the principal if there was any phone there and the principal told him there was a phone in the GYM teacher's office and asked for a secure line to it.
When he was informed that there was a secure line he called immediately. - "Are you the gang leader?!... Then who the hell are you?!... Really?!... Is anyone hurt or need medical assistance in any way?... Do you know anything about these guys?... Are you that red haired boy Rusty?... Are you going to stay there now that we're going in?... Maybe, maybe not, you still have to answer some questions… Well, at least show your face to us so we can absolve you from any guilt… Why not?!... Sigh… Are you sure the zone is clear?... Ok, stay right there… We need your testimony, you're a witness… Stay there or I'll arrest you… No! NO! Stay there!" -He ordered his officers to get in the school and 30 police officers went inside the school by different points, they checked the classrooms, the offices, the bathrooms. They checked every room in the school, and arrested all the gang members they found, they helped all the students and teachers to get out of the school, they called the paramedics to help every person that was injured or had a panic attack, and unfortunately, they called the coroner to pick up the boy's dead body and take it with them.
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Outside the building, Captain Stacey was monitoring his officers every step and looking around at the people that was gathering around, many parents wanting to get in looking for their kids, when he noticed a boy about his daughter's age trying to climb the fence and going in when he was stopped and tackled down by a police officer, the kid struggled a little and captain Stacey went to him.
- "MY SISTER AND MY GIRLFRIEND ARE IN THERE!" -The boy yelled while pinned down by the officer.
- "I know how are you feeling kid, but it's dangerous for you to get there." -The officer told him while the kid struggled to get free.
- "Mr. Loud! Why aren't you in the school?" -Captain Stacey asked him while signaling his officer to let him go.
- "Hi Captain Stacey." -Lincoln greeted him, while getting up. - "I was suspended for fighting at school on Monday." -He explained.
- "Fighting on the first day? That must be a record, kid." -Stacey asked him.
- "The jerk insulted my family and my girlfriend. I couldn't stand it." -Lincoln explained.
- "Well, no one could ever stand something like that. How did you get that wound on your arm?" -Captain Stacey noticed the fresh, and still bleeding wound on Lincoln's arm.
- "Oh crap! I didn't notice it, I guess I got it when the officer tackled me down from the fence." -Lincoln said but Captain Stacey didn't buy it.
- "That wound looks like a gun shoot kid, not a fence scratch. Take him to the ambulance over there to get him patched and cleaned." -Stacey ordered to the officer and he agreed, holding Lincoln by the shoulder and dragging him.
- "Come on kid." -The officer ordered to Lincoln and the boy sighed, following the officer.
Lincoln was attended by a paramedic who patched and cleaned his wound and asked him how did he got it, but Lincoln said that he tried to jump over the fence and the police tackled him. The paramedic didn't buy it either but he didn't ask anymore.
Meanwhile, the police were dragging all the gang members out of the school, most of them were unconscious and, or, tied with spiderweb.
When it was sure that everything was safe, all students and teachers were escorted out of the building and reunited with their families.
Lincoln saw Lucy walking calmly out of the building and he went for her. - "LUCY! LUCY OVER HERE!" -Said girl saw her brother and went to him, he hugged her tightly and she just fell on his chest and started to cry profusely. Lincoln let her be and comforted her.
- "I WAS SO SCARED!" -She said with her face buried on Lincoln's chest. Then he saw his parents and sisters and took Lucy with them. They had a group hug and Lucy kept crying for a while. Lincoln excused himself and went back to look for Jordan and his friends.
He saw all his friends being comforted by their families and he found Rusty being attended by paramedics, and couldn't but feel angry at him and wanted to punch him on the face.
- "LINCOLN!" -He heard someone calling him and turned around to see Jordan running to him, he also ran to her and hugged her tightly, then they kissed and she cried too.
After a while, Jordan parents found them and went to hug their daughter, Jordan's mom covered her in kisses while crying and thanking god she was ok, her dad hugged her tightly and told her that he didn't know what would be of him if she was hurt. Lincoln tried to leave but he was pulled back by Jordan's mom and hugged along with Jordan.
After a while, people started to leave, taking their kids with them, which talked to the police about what happened before leaving; obviously, the main character in their stories was Spider-man and how he stopped the criminals and saved everyone there.
Lincoln joined his friends to see how were them, he joined Liam, Stella, Jordan, Chandler, Christine and Zach, the only one missing was Rusty, but Lincoln wasn't too enthusiastic to see him. He hugged them all and asked them if they were ok, he took his time with Jordan and they comforted each other, then he saw Rusty being interviewed by a reporter, he got close and heard him say "He got a shot on his arm when he saved me". Lincoln covered his arm instinctively.
Obviously, classes were suspended that day and everyone went home.
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During research on the crime scene, the coroners and officers were checking the school, looking for evidence, one of them was checking the place where Rusty was taken, he found some blood pools, he already heard what the red haired kid said about Spider-man being shot and recovered all the blood he could there and sealed it in medical tests tube, then he put all the tubes in a briefcase and closed it, then he left without saying anything to any officer. He got into a car by the copilot seat.
- "Did you get it?" -The driver asked him, while starting the engine.
- "Yes, I guess so. There was a bunch of blood there, but one of the samples can be of him". - The passenger said while they left the place.
- "Good. We'll find out about it. A sample of him could be very helpful. Good work". -
- "Thanks sir". -