Chapter 4: The Fox's Dilemma

Only thirty minutes remained until the clock struck 10 a.m., though in all fairness, it mattered very little to Nigel. Though truthfully, time really made no difference to him at this point. For in the hour he had locked himself away in his room, his body had barely moved from its initial position. True, his legs no longer sit atop his desk as they remained solid on the floor. Yet still, his navy eyes remain ever intent upon the print he came to know as paperwork Still, did his face remain as stern if ever grumpy than it had looked previously. So intent, he never once noticed, nor heard the slight crack of his door opening.

"Yo, Nigel-kun", replied a familiar female voice, a voice which made the surprised Nigel grimace in slight irritation as he turned to face his uninvited visitor; a happy looking Alex.

"So, you let me in, huh", she asked him rather curiously, not that her bald friend seemed to mind as he returned to his work.

"You do realize you let yourself in, right", Nigel calmly asked as his eyes remained upon his paperwork.

"Yeah, but Abby-sama let herself in", she quickly retorted, much to his annoyance.

"Somehow, you've cemented your drop-in status far better than she ever could", the British bald boy coldly observed, his calculation one which actually seemed to generate a face of understanding upon his mutant friend's face.

"Well, just be lucky I'm not Renge", the mutant girl calmly replied with a wink as she made herself comfortable upon her friend's bed, seemingly oblivious to the growing irritance clear within his eyes before opening her mouth to speak once more.

"So, looks like you're all packed, huh", she keenly observed as she proceeded to chat rather animatedly about their remaining friend's current packing status.

Though in all honesty, Nigel could only feel himself getting lost between Kuki and Wally's desperate attempt for shot-gun as her voice became drowned out by annoyance, though clearly had such irritance reached its boiling point as he turned to face his chatty friend.

"Two-Seventy-Three, do you have any real reason for being here, aside from attempting to yack my ears off", the British leader asked in stern yet irritated authority, the raging storm in his eyes all the more clear to his bewildered friend.

"Well, if you must know Mr. Grumpypnats, I came to check-up on you", the mutant girl replied as she crossed her arms, her moral "high ground" tone rather expected from the bald boy.

"Really? And what makes you so certain I need checking up on", he asked, his tone still clearly annoyed in sound as he crossed his own arms.

"Because I know you...Well that and the fact that your aura was a dead giveaway", she explained.

And though surprise seemed to shine clear within his navy blue eyes, the only thing he could seem to muster up was a small sigh of defeat; there was no way to avoid such a daunting discovery.

"Unfortunately, there's been a slight change in plan", the bald boy calmly explained as he stood up from his chair.

"Change in plan? Oh, you didn't cancel the fishing trip at last notice, did you", she asked in a rather concerned tone, much to her friend's annoyance.

"No, but I certainly wish "Uncle" Ben would take a leave of absence", he replied, a light touch of spite clearly seeping into his tone as he did so.

"Uncle Ben?...Oh, Father's joining us today, isn't he", the mutant brunette asked in a rather disappointed fashion.

" Yes, though you're usually a lot faster at guessing these things", the British boy keenly observed.

"True, but it's not like I know EVERYTHING that goes on in that bald head of yours", she replied in a rather snarky tone as her leader felt his irritation rise ever slightly with such a remark before letting out a small sigh.

"Right, I'll just ignore that one", he calmly stated.

"So, I take it the great hero of Sector V has a few tricks up his sleeve to get through today", Alex asked in a more perky tone from her previous one.

"Well unfortunately, I'm in a situation where I can't ignore him. So, I have no choice but to resort to my next best option", Nigel discreetly explained, as if he were explaining to her a mission basics.

"Deadpan Snarker Mode", she asked, almost confident in her answer being correct.

"What else", he bluntly asked as he returned to his desk area.

"Well...that certainly sounds like it could be fun", the curly haired brunette declared in an optimistic tone, much to the irritation of her bald friend as he rolled his eyes in clear annoyance.

"Well, nice to know that my problems serve as your amusement", he casually replied in sarcasm, receiving the attention of his female friend even as he began to neatly organize his paperwork alphabetically.

"Oh, come on, I didn't mean it like that. I meant it just might be fun to...you know...see your uncle get knocked down a peg", she explained, though never once did she receive any attention from her workaholic friend as he remained sternly attentive towards his work..

"Of course, you should never judge a book by its previous covers...Even for a related arch nemesis...", the mutant brunette calmly iterated, her metaphor enough to draw out a small sigh from her stern leader.

"Yes, but somehow I doubt he'd be looking for peace today", Nigel said rather bluntly, his navy eyes never once meeting up with his hyperactive friend's eyes even as his words reached her.

"Well, so what if he's not? It's not like he can do anything to you in public sight", she bluntly remarked.

"Do you recall that Sousaphone incident with my dad", the bald boy bluntly asked, peering over slightly to glance at her confident face shattering upon realization.

"Oh yeah...Well...", she tried to retaliate, though not very well as her nervous tone suggested, at least momentarily.

"Look Nigel-kun, you know what my advice to you would be; don't let him get to you. Just find the things and people that will help get you through today."

"Yeah, maybe if this were a different day Two-Seventy-Three", the British boy replied, his sarcastic yet blunt sounding tone enough to dishearten the mutant girl ever so slightly.

"Oh come on, there's got to be at least something you can look forward to today", she replied in a rather blunt tone.

"Aside from you guys being there to ease the tension, I think that's all been covered...", Nigel bluntly expressed, much to the confusion of his curly haired friend.

"What about you dad", she asked in a rather confused tone.

"My dad? Oh yeah...I guess that'll be fun...", he replied rather oddly.

In truth, the young leader was trying ever so desperately to mask the nervous feeling which seemed to overtake his tone, even his expression. Though truthfully, his emotions lay out in plain sight for his mutant friend, her brown eyes beaming with confidence the more she observed the greyish tint of his aura.

"Something tell's me it's not just about your uncle today...is it...", she asked rather curiously.

Such words were enough to make the British bald boy turn in his chair, unable to comprehend or even mask the startled look upon his face as he found his friend staring at him in confidence and cockiness.

"I'm right...aren't I...", the mutant girl asked, her calculating presence and tone enough to further surprise the stunned boy, even as he watched her make her way towards him.

"Well, I wouldn't exactly-"

"Oh, come on! Tell me I'm right. Huh? Huh", she asked in a much more chipper tone, unable to comprehend the irritated look growing upon her friend's face even as she playfully poked his ribcage.

"Alright! Alright! Yes! Happy now", Nigel asked, his irritation now clear upon his face and even in his tone.

"Well, not with that attitude", the hyperactive girl admitted, garnering only a face palm of annoyance from her bald friend.

It was only then could silence overtake their conversation only momentarily, momentarily in that it only ceased the instant a uncertain looking Nigel raised his head high to face his mutant friend.

"I know I'm going to regret this later, but do you mind if I admit something to you", Nigel asked, his tone curious yet somewhat regretful.

"Of course; you know I ain't leaving until you do honey", Alex delightfully declared to her disgruntled looking friend.

"Yes, I know", he bluntly replied, even as he took a deep breath before speaking once more. " You see...I'm happy that you guys are going to be with me today...But to be honest, I was actually hoping I could just have some time with my dad today...so I could make peace with a few things..."

"No offence, but as I recall you already made peace with your dad's wishes", she said.

"I did...or at least I thought I did...", he tried to explain, his navy eyes clearly detailed with a smidge of confliction not unnoticed by his female friend.

"Hmm, and yet, you sound so hesitant in that statement...", she remarked in a rather observant manner.

"Well of course I am! You think I want to feel this way", he asked her, his tone an unsettling regret. "I mean, I love my dad the way he is...And yes, I respect his wishes. But...sometimes I wonder what it would be like to have both..."

And as his words faded into memory, that unsettling regret seemed to etch itself upon his face. It seemed to even etch itself into those navy blue eyes as he took his focus away from his concerned looking friend, allowing for a small sigh to escape his throat as that endless abyss seemed to grow within his navy orbs with each passing second.

"Don't be", replied the mutant girl, catching the sudden attention of her friend as he looked up to face her determined face.

"What", Nigel asked, confusion etched upon his face as he raised an eyebrow at this sudden prospect.

"You shouldn't have to feel ashamed; instead, do what you always do and find a way around it, just like the Nigel-kun I know would do", Alex remarked with a deep sense of determination in her tone, even in her eyes.

Unfortunately, it seemed not enough to faze her blunt looking friend once more.

"I appreciate your sentiment Two-Seventy-Three, but I doubt feelings are as easy to solve as actual missions", he calmly explained in a stern tone as he dismissed his friend's notions.

"Then consider it this way; "He who is lost must find peace and importance in one whom cares only about being ones self"", the young brunette sweetly explained.

"Wait a minute, you're giving me a riddle", he asked.

"Just go a long with it why don't you", the mutant girl angrily retorted, though much to her shock and surprise did her bald friend begin to laugh slightly.

"Oh alright; I know it must be important if you start yacking about it like a monkey, so I'll give it a shot. Thanks Two-

Seventy-Three", the bald boy said with a smile, his tone one of genuine gratitude.

"Domotashimashta", the mutant girl replied rather sweetly, a small smile creeping upon her face even as she felt herself stunned by such a sudden change around, only to find themselves interrupted by the sound of a nearby car horn.

"Nigel old bean, it's time to get going", cried out the loud yet friendly voice of Nigel's father Monty, pulling them back into reality.

"Oh, right! Coming dad", he screamed through the window, collecting his bags as he did so. "I'll see you in a bit Two-Seventy-Three."

"Certainly", the young mutant calmly replied as she watched him slowly proceed to leave his room.

Though unbeknownst to him did she begin to lower her head, her once bright and lively eyes beginning to loose their luster as they began to describe deep resentment, even regret.

"Well...I guess it's nice to know that I'm not the only one...", she quietly muttered to herself.

Yet even as she did, she only feel her words being overclouded by the reminder of an evil cackle. It was a cackle which made her grit her teeth, even tense her hands into fists as they continually shook.

They couldn't believe their eyes, they could believe their luck. In fact, neither Wally nor Kuki could convince themselves of what stood before them; their arch nemesis Father, dressed in his normal attire as he too stared at them in stern contempt. Yet their shocked expressions could only pale in comparison to the scowl lingering upon their leader's face, an expression left unaware by Wally as he went to speak.

"Ah, Numbuh 1, just what the-"

"Don't ask, just get in the car", Nigel commanded in a rather cold tone, prompting to frighten Wally before he and his female friend proceeded to call shot-gun.

"Oh wait, Abby", he said rather calmly, catching the attention of his female black friend. "I just wanted to apologize for earlier...I shouldn't have acted the way I did."

"Ah, don't worry about it. Besides, yo' good ta' go the minute ya' cool off that hot head of yo's", Abigail remarked in a spunky, even laughing as her friend felt his irritation rise ever so slightly at such a joke.

Yet unbeknownst to him, the mutant girl could not help but unleash a small smile towards her friend, feeling as though everything will work itself out as she too hopped into the cramped vehicle.

End chap. 4