Pressure

by Little wolf of snow

They've been stuck in this prison for a while now. They deal with the flux trainings, the group life they didn't ask for and their anxieties that eat them away little by little. Mei and Micro-Ice do their best, but everything seems shaky, false, suffocating... Escaping will not be easy, but they will find a way. One that will keep them all alive, preferably. / Translation / Post S4

3. Micro-Ice

All the ways you come back to me

Pressure

Part III: Micro-Ice

Micro-Ice tries desperately to catch his breath. He feels himself taking in gulps of air as if he were drowning, his breathing quick and noisy, while his heart pounds loudly in his chest. His whole body is under tension, his legs stiff, his arms trembling with anticipation while all his muscles feel tense, ready to make him jump at any moment. He has completely lost track of time and can't tell if his training of the day has already gone on for long enough or if he should expect another wave of robots. Anyway, his body is ready to react. Well, if he can calm his breathing and heartbeat enough to focus on what's going on in the big gray room, that is.

However, around him, nothing moves anymore. The more or less destroyed robots litter the floor, the exploded carcasses having scattered parts and oil without any restraint. No android seems to be functional anymore. Some of them only have their big grey torso, their long arms and legs having been lost elsewhere. Others have cracked or bugged screens, pixels dancing randomly on the black tiles, leaving them disfigured in both cases. A few carcasses that threatened to catch fire were covered with foam, unfortunately not preventing the smell of burnt plastic and metal from tickling his nose. The fight lasted long and was violent, as it always is. Micro-Ice got the impression of being beaten way too many times, not seeing an attack coming, retaliating too late, or not hitting hard enough. But in the end, he is the one left standing. Again. His hands are sore, his mind is restless and his body is tired of having drawn on his Breath reserves this much.

But he knows that if all goes well, today was the last time he had to do this.

A crackling sound comes from the speakers, echoing through the room, quickly followed by a cheerful voice congratulating him. Micro-Ice struggles to concentrate to hear it, still tense and out of breath, but he can't help but wince at the compliments. Not that he doesn't deserve them, he knows that he has done perfectly well in his training today. No robot touched him and he destroyed them all, as many and as fast as they were, which implies that next time they will be even stronger. But as he looks around at the scene, the "bravos'' seem out of place, almost creepy. Even worse, part of him can't help but hear Aarch's voice congratulating him after a particularly successful holotraining session, adding a touch of melancholy to his already not-so-great general state.

Micro-Ice only realizes that the voice has finished its monologue when a door opens in one of the walls of the room, letting him see the transport shuttle that will take him back to his converted prison. Not wasting a second to get out of the sordid picture that surrounds him, he hurries to step over the metal carcasses to reach the exit, tripping only once or twice on orphaned pieces. He collapses more than he sits down in the small cabin, not being able to prevent himself from throwing a last glance back. The scene is as if frozen, the chaos almost artistic, overlooked by the large black windows that cut like a crack in one of the walls. He applies himself to address what he hopes is a mean stare towards those who observe him but whom he never sees.

The sliding door closes with a thud, compressing the air in the cabin, as an engine starts up. A second later, the little shuttle snorts and begins to move, taking him with it without him having any control over where it is going. Micro-Ice knows that the journey will be a bit long, so he closes his eyes and breathes intensely, making each inhalation and exhalation last to try to regain composure. It takes many repetitions before his heart calms down and the tension in his arms and legs gradually disappears. Soon, he also manages to calm his mind a little, but he only stops when he is sure he has driven out all agitation, almost violenting himself to leave his anger, frustration, melancholy and anguish in the training room he has just left. It's been a habit of his for years now, leaving all the negativity behind and coming home with only the positive, sparing Mei and the kids from having to deal with it. But that doesn't mean that the exercise has become easier over time, in fact it's quite the opposite.

A little voice in his mind repeats that today is certainly the last time he has to do it, and Micro-Ice grits his teeth in envy. If all goes well, by this time tomorrow they will be free.

The cabin suddenly shakes, breaking the monotony of the journey, and Micro-Ice opens his eyes. A series of clicks resound outside the shuttle, recreating a melody he knows by heart. It ends with a final metallic sound as the cabin clangs against the wall and Micro-Ice stands up before the sliding door even opens. He notices that one of his hands is still shaking a bit, so he makes a fist out of it, dashing down the hallway in front of him the instant he is allowed access. He reaches the door at the end but can't help but watch out of the corner of his eye the vertical plates that line the walls, nervously estimating how much strength he'd need to break through them if plan A doesn't work.

The door behind him and the one in front of him activates before he can find an answer, so he goes through the doorstep with some frustration, landing in the entrance of their little "house". Strangely enough, it is only then that Micro-Ice notices that a war is going on in their home.

Screams of all kinds vibrate in the air, as do heels pounding on the floor, doors slamming, and shocks that he can't identify by sound. The tension he had so meticulously chased away just a few minutes ago surges back, making him rush to the living room, his throat suddenly tied with apprehension as he imagines the worst. Yet, as soon as he steps out of the doorway and into the living room, he finds no intruders to fight or robots to destroy.

The living room is turned upside down, the sofas overturned or pushed, the coffee table far from its place, and objects all over the floor of the room and the hallway's part in his field of view. With his heart pounding and his body ready to fight, it takes him a few moments to recognize Molly's books, the boys' building bricks, marbles, stuffed animals, pillows and board game pieces, all in a complete mess scattered on the floor and the furnitures.

He is still analyzing the room when one of the doors of the hallway opens with a bang, letting Kylian jump out. The teenager goes out so fast that he almost crashes against the wall facing him before turning towards the living room with haste, quickly followed, no, pursued by Ican. Both boys are screaming at the top of their lungs, one obviously trying to attack the other with a blanket. Micro-Ice is stunned by the scene, confused by the discrepancy between what he had imagined when he heard the screams and the situation he has before him.

It takes only a few strides for Kylian to join the living room, going at full speed towards the sofas, but their eyes meet before he arrives at his destination. Although he's moving, Micro-Ice can see his eyes widen just before the boy stops his run. Braking with all his might, he slips on a few inches because of his socks and pushes the scattered mess on the ground in the process. Very soon after that, Ican is forced to imitate his friend so he doesn't run into him, following the action with a small delay.

- Hey ! Why are you stop-

It's Ican's turn to look in his direction, his chocolate complexion immediately taking on a more crimson shade. At the same time, another door opens at the end of the corridor, and Micro-Ice sees Adri and Haan storm out of it, their pillows held high above their heads as they shout a war cry. The young redhead is obviously more observant than the boys because she sees him immediately and stops herself with a grimace, grabbing Haan's arm right away to force him to imitate her.

A tense silence takes place, hardly cut by the breaths of the teenagers. Micro-Ice stares at them one by one, moving from one group to the other, dismayed. It takes him a few more seconds to truly understand that no danger is present and that they were just playing, but that doesn't mean his tension goes away. The realization makes him sigh a little aggressively, more because he's trying to lower his blood pressure than out of any real annoyance, but the kids understand the gesture in another way.

- We didn't think you'd be back so soon-

- And we didn't break anything!

- Yeah, it's a bit of a mess, but we were going to clean it up just like we always do- Ouch! Hey!

- Shut up!

- You shut up!

Micro-Ice can only witness the beginning of an argument between Kylian and Ican, the two boys starting to bicker with low rushing voices. At the end of the corridor, Adri and Haan offer him smiles which are supposed to be angelic, but he isn't fool enough to believe them. Sighing again, Micro-Ice runs a hand over his forehead in the hope of getting rid of the headache he feels on coming.

- Where is Mei?

The argument in front of him stops abruptly, the two youngsters suddenly remembering that he is still there.

- Uh... At her training ?

Micro-Ice swallows a complaint, closing his eyes slowly before opening them again. He knows perfectly well that he's supposed to take the role of an authoritarian and angry parent facing the state of the rooms, of which he surely has only a glimpse here. Yet he doesn't want to. Absolutely not. In fact, he doesn't like acting like a parent at all. He knows that with eight children to care for, they don't have much choice, and sometimes grumbling in a loud voice makes it easier for everyone. He also knows that the kids need it, and that's how they see him and Mei anyway. But it's never changed anything for him. He doesn't feel comfortable. He doesn't feel legitimate.

Sure, he would surely help them with anything, take care of them and defend them, but dealing with the tantrums, the arguments, the nonsense, the crying... No matter how hard he tries, he never feels like he's doing the right thing. Maybe because he didn't have much of a role model, maybe because he's not cut out for it. But in the end, it doesn't matter. Today, he's too tired to pretend anyway.

- I'm going to go take my shower. When I come back out, everything is cleaned up. Good for you?

A multi-voiced "Okay!" rings out and the four heads facing him nod in unison. Micro-Ice hardly prevents herself from smiling and instead goes in the direction of the tiny bathroom, careful not to step on anything during his quick journey. At the moment the door closes behind him, a hubbub rises outside, a sign that the four teenagers are already busy cleaning everything up. He can only make out a few panicked orders and running noises along the hallway, but it's enough to make him smile for good.

The small bathroom, though slightly messy, has obviously avoided the ransack. Avoiding his reflection in the mirror, Micro-Ice turns to the lockers to remove his training uniform, only now noticing the traces of oils and burns that stain it. The clothes are then happily thrown into the trapdoor on the wall, automatically swallowed by the machine which will give him new ones tomorrow. Micro-Ice goes into the shower cubicle and turns on the hot water, letting the jet of water wash away his sweat and the smells of oil and smoke that stick to his skin and hair. He only gets ten minutes of water and the temperature is unfortunately not as hot as he would like, but he let it go.

He stays in the cabin long after the water has cut off, taking advantage of the moment of solitude to clear his head exactly as he did in the transport cabin. And a bit to give the kids more time, too. It's only when the water vapors have faded and he starts to shiver that he decides to move. Still facing the lockers, he grabs his towel to dry himself off quickly, whereupon he searches the cubicle with his name on it for a more comfortable uniform to put on. The tee-shirt and the jogging uniform are not really to his taste, not loose enough and too showy, but he makes do with it.

When he's ready, he walks over to the door to listen to what's going on outside, trying to gauge where the kids are at. He spends a good minute waiting for the slightest sound that might indicate that they haven't finished tidying up, motivated to let them finish if it means he doesn't have to pretend to get angry. Hearing nothing, he finally grabs the door handle to get out of the confined space that was starting to make him claustrophobic. It's when he closes the door behind him that he has the stupid reflex to throw one last glance in the room he's leaving, his eyes meeting his reflection in the dirty mirror. An unpleasant shiver runs through his spine immediately and the door is slammed with haste the rest of the way, knocking against the doorframe with a loud thud.

Shaking his head to chase away his confusion, Micro-Ice turns towards the corridor, inspecting the evolution of the surroundings. All the objects scattered on the floor have disappeared, and when he passes a head in the rooms, he can only notice the tidied up toys and the made beds, something absolutely rare. Moving on to the living room, he is surprised to find the room exactly as it usually is. The old TV has reappeared with its little gaming console, the carpets are straight again, the coffee table is in its place, the sofas are forming a "U" shape. All the toys that were on the floor when he arrived have disappeared, as if evaporated, and Micro-Ice must admit that he is impressed.

Sitting on the sofas, Adri, Haan, Kylian and Ican look at him with more or less worried looks, their cheeks reddened from running around and visibly unsure of his verdict. Micro-Ice takes a malicious pleasure in prolonging the suspense, pretending to inspect every square inch of the room. He lifts cushions randomly, leans over to see under the coffee table, lifts a corner of the carpet with his foot... The quartet stops breathing at each check, scanning his face with apprehension while exchanging panicked glances. It is only when he finally turns to them, nodding, that the four kids exhale in unisson, collapsing on the sofas as if someone had deflated them. The comic effect is not negligible so Micro-Ice can't help but giggle.

- And don't let me catch you again, that was your wildcard!

A grumble runs through the small group, making him smile again. To tell the truth, he could have congratulated them given the rather remarkable cleanliness of each room, but he doesn't want to risk a compliment being interpreted as an encouragement. Besides, he should rather congratulate himself. Making the most reckless kids of the group fixing their mistakes without even having to shout or threaten? He deserves a freaking medal.

Glancing at the holographic clock in the corner of the room, Micro-Ice reads 4:12pm and thinks he deserves a nap before the others return from their respective training sessions. Immediately heading towards the last free couch, he lies down on his side, putting an arm over his head to block the ambient light. In spite of the teenagers discussing at his sides, the sleep takes him almost at the moment he closes his eyes, his body now more than used to the impromptu naps.

Just before he falls asleep for good, he realizes that if they manage to get away tomorrow, the kids won't have a chance to redo that mess ever again. Or any other for that matter. And he will never have to take on the parenting role that bothers him so much ever again.

---

Micro-Ice opens his eyes suddenly, startled by the sound of the front door locking. The sound is followed by the usual metallic slamming, and soon Driss and Leroy appear in the living room. Upon seeing them, the apprehension triggered by his startle flies away and he strives to straighten up by offering them a welcoming smile. The duo return it and they exchange a few words, confirming that everything went well on their side. According to Driss, their workout was "boring" and Leroy describes it as "useless", so Micro-Ice rolls his eyes while guessing they didn't cross any trouble.

The duo quickly disappears towards the corridor from where comes a warm hubbub, a sign that most of the children have gone to their rooms to play with each other or to discuss. Besides, the sofas at his sides are empty and he notices only now that a fluffy blanket covers him. Realizing that he must have slept more than expected, Micro-Ice gets up from the couch to look for the holographic clock, wincing as he reads 7:02pm.

He is grumbling while angrily folding his blanket to put it away when he hears a snicker behind him. He doesn't need to turn around to know that it's Mei who is gently mocking him, but he still tries to give her a sulky look over his shoulder. The young woman, whom he discovers leaning on the back of one of the sofas with two steaming cups in her hands, laughs even more. Straightening up only when he has finished struggling with the plaid, she goes to sit on one of the couches, depositing the cup which is intended for him on the coffee table. Dragging his feet to join her, Micro-Ice grabs the mug and settles beside her.

- Seriously, I think it's the first time I've seen you take such a long nap! I didn't even wake you up when I got home!

Micro-Ice winces a little, embarrassed, but can't help but smile at his friend's obvious good mood. It's been some time now that her mood has improved a lot, but Micro-Ice likes to be surprised by it every time. Because seeing Mei cheerful is good for him too.

- I had a hard training! I'm allowed to sleep a little!

- Don't pretend your trainings are harder than mine! And according to Adri you were closer to a full night's sleep than a nap...

- Nonsen- I slept for three hours!

- That's what I'm saying!

Mei pushes into him with her shoulder to support her teasing and Micro-Ice feels himself being dragged to abandon, so he plunges his face in his mug to avoid the laughing eyes of his friend. Mei giggles even more at the barely concealed dodge, while Micro-Ice notes in the corner of his head that Adri deserves a little revenge. A comfortable silence begins to take place, hardly disturbed by the sounds coming from the bedrooms. Honestly, he would have been happy with this moment of calm, enjoying the hot tea and a light conversation. But, out of the corner of his eye, he sees Mei getting agitated. His friend straightens up, throws a glance in their back to spy on the corridor leading to the bedrooms, then pretends to sit down again by settling more comfortably. She brings back her legs under herself, taking advantage of her maneuver to approach him a little. The next sentence is said in a tone which wants to be nonchalant, but he already knows that she tries to approach another subject with concealed words: their plan of escape.

- Almost all the kids returned yet, Molly's the last one lacking, she should arrive in a short half hour. It seemed to go well for everyone.

- Yeah, I saw Driss and Leroy, they seemed fine.

His neighbor agrees, then tilts her head with a falsely detached look, her eyes locked on her cup.

- Sanja came home a little before them too, everything went very well during her training.

- Okay, great! Do you think you'll be able to work on her shields during your shared training tomorrow?

- Yeah, sure. She's doing well now but she can always work on her resistance. Besides, you'll have to start making lunch before we get home, we'll be the last ones home...

- Yeah, don't worry, we'll be waiting for you all together in the living room.

Mei approves with a smile before dipping her nose in her mug, leaving only her eyes suddenly shining with mischief. Micro-Ice nods discreetly, trying for the hundredth time this week to confirm to his sidekick that they understand each other.

Because he has to admit, if there is one thing he reproaches to their captivity (apart from the "captive" side in itself, of course), it is that they have no interaction with their kidnappers. Sure, they are treated well. They all live together in a small but reasonable space for the ten of them, they receive the food they ask for, each one is entitled to small gifts from time to time, correct schedules, resting times... Well, as long as they follow the rules, of course. The first weeks had been complicated and they had been "punished" several times, cut off from electricity, hot water or put on a diet. The voice in the loudspeakers often spoke in the "house" to give them instructions, which they followed with more or less good will at first, and then, after a while, they got used to it. They found a rhythm, began to think less about rebelling, and accepted their fate. The voice in the loudspeakers had become more scarce in their home, and then it disappeared completely, leaving them in charge with a semblance of freedom and free will.

But the issue is, now they have no way of knowing who is listening or spying on them. Or when. Or which of them. So of course, making an escape plan was a bit tricky.

It all started the day Sanja told them she wanted to make shields with her Breath. Not that they hadn't thought of escaping before, but without any means of defense, any plan would quickly become dangerous for the kids. So a shield was a game changer.

Back then, Mei and him had started to exchange their hope in subtexts, then when Sanja and Mei had come back from a training session with the formal proof that the little redhead was able to handle her Breath in this way... The subtext conversations became a habit.

First, they managed to figure out that they both agreed to wait for the girl to improve. And also not to tell her anything to avoid any pressure.

It took Sanja two months to produce a shield big enough to protect her completely with each try. Another month of work to make them stronger. Three months to improve her speed of execution. Then more painstaking work: larger projections, create them at distance, erase them quickly, run with an active shield, change the angle of an already projected screen... And finally, almos nine months after Sanja managed to project her first shield, he and Mei came to the agreement that she was ready.

But this cheerful resolution brought another complicated issue to the table: when and how?

Micro-Ice spent many nights racking his brain, trying to visualize which scenarios would promise the best chance of success. A safe plan that would allow all ten of them to escape unscathed, but most importantly, as quickly as possible to avoid any retaliation from their invisible guardians. Many ideas played in his head, from him blowing up a random wall of the house, to faking an emergency to force their kidnappers to physically come to their house and then take them hostage... But each idea was too risky, had a high chance factor or required the help of children who wouldn't know anything in advance...

Without any surprise to him, it's Mei who finally managed to find the perfect opportunity. The one which happens tomorrow.

The tall brunette came to him last weekend, the week's training schedule in hand, pretending to have a scheduling conflict they needed to discuss. Micro-Ice played along, of course, all the while following out of the corner of his eye the finger discreetly pointing out the Thursday morning schedule:

...

8am : Driss (flux training)

8am: Adri + Haan (gym session)

9h : Sanja + Mei (flux training)

...

It took him a moment to understand, but by insisting and bringing up the subject in various concealed ways, Mei managed to get the message across to him: on Thursday at noon, she and Sanja will be the last to return for lunch. Meaning all the other children and him will be waiting inside the house, while they would both be waiting outside.

From there, with a few more conversations and quick mimed examples with some of the children's toys, a more complete plan fell into place between them. With the right timing, Mei could break free from the transport shuttle and use one of the walls of the vehicle to block the security doors opened for their arrival while Sanja protects her from any attack. He would only have to hit the front door of the house, make the children cross the hallway and that would be it.

Not the easiest plan to establish in concealed words. Nor the safest. Not to mention that they've never seen the place where they're being held captive outside of the training rooms, the shuttle and their home. They're not sure if they can find a phone or a ship, or if they can even get away. In fact, 80% of their group doesn't even know they're planning to escape, leaving far too many opportunities for everything to go wrong.

With less than 24 hours to go, Micro-Ice has to admit that he is a little worried that one of the kids will get scared and not follow, or on the contrary, that one of them will get too confident and put themself in danger unnecessarily. But, in the end, they don't have a better way. And they have to try. They have to succeed.

Somewhere behind them, a loud crash resounds, quickly followed by the sound of arguments. Different voices shouts over each other, making accusations and reproaches echo all the way back to the living room, suddenly breaking the warm atmosphere that reigned until then. Sitting next to him, Mei sighs and looks at him, as if to say "I deal with it or you do?". Aware that he has already escaped his parental obligations for the last three hours, Micro-Ice designs himself, offering his friend a time out.

When he arrives in the bedroom where the crime took place, many voices try to explain the situation to him, all the kids present talking at the same time and pointing at different things. It turns out Leroy, who is crying his heart out, has had his brick building destroyed. Haan is the culprit which is immediately pointed out to him but the boy denies strongly, accusing Kylian and Sanja. The redhead gets angrier with each reproach she receives, while the brown haired boy finds a thousand alibis for himself. Both adding even more noise to the painful cacophony. In the end, Micro-Ice is obliged to scold them more dryly, just to impose a bit of calm. He spends the next fifteen minutes comforting the blond boy as much as he can while supervising the reconstruction imposed on all the defendants. Very quickly, the chore becomes a game again, and Leroy even joins them, releasing him from his parenting role for the moment.

And then, very quickly, their evening ritual begins. The moment Molly gets home, dinner is on the table and the kids are called into the living room. Some help prepare the meal, others gather plates and cutlery, and soon they are all gathered on the couches enjoying their fish sticks and peas. The atmosphere has become festive again, a multitude of discussions overlapping in a warm hubbub: Micro-Ice lies to Haan about the number of robots he has beaten during his training, Leroy goes to get his last drawings to show them to Molly, Driss tells the progress he made the day before with the Furnace, Mei and Ican help Adri to find the lyrics of her new song, Sanja participates a little bit everywhere but gives the impression of listening to the others rather than telling her own adventures…

Then it's time to clear the table, brush their teeth and go to bed. As usual, Micro-Ice passes his head in each room to say good night before leaving for the living room. The coffee table is pushed and Mei and him lie down in the center of the carpet, knowing full well that everyone will eventually join them during the night. At 9pm sharp, all the daytime lights go out leaving only the night lights and their faint blue glow.

Lying over his left, Mei turns her head towards him, inviting him to do the same. They stare at each other for a few seconds, without saying anything and are hardly seeing each other because of the darkness, yet Micro-Ice perfectly detects the tense but determined look of her friend. This time, they don't need to speak to understand each other.

This evening is the last one they'll ever spend in this place.

---

Micro-Ice is awakened by the automatic light burning his eyes.

Placing his hands over his face to protect himself from the cruelest alarm clock in existence, he hears a concerto of grunts around him, the voices of all the children joining in a single complaint. They may all be awake the instant the lights come on, not a single one of them moves for long seconds, each of them trying to wake up or go back to sleep at their own pace. The break, as short as it is, is extremely welcome, and Micro-Ice is even tempted to turn over and sleep for a few more hours.

But of course, Mei's voice suddenly rises to motivate the room to move while clapping in her hands. Three seconds later, his blanket is savagely ripped away from him, as well as the pillow on which his head was resting. Micro-Ice grumbles but abdicates when he is flicked on the forehead, finally capitulating to set a good example.

It still takes him some seconds to really wake his brain up and to set himself in motion, but after that he manages to get into the morning's preparations. He struggles a bit to follow Mei who is wide awake, as every time he sleeps the second half of the night, but he manages to do his part. He prepares the children's breakfasts, organizes the queue to the bathroom according to the morning trainings, presses Driss so that he is ready on time, folds and arranges the mountain of plaids which invaded the living room, stops Kylian from stealing more than his ration in the cupboards, helps Adri to make her piggytails, makes a tea for Mei before she leaves for her training...

Thanks to their organization, Driss is ready in time and leaves at 8 am, then Adri and Haan at 8:30 am, and finally, Mei and Sanja go to the entrance at 9 am. Micro-Ice is about to continue his chores, as every time he stays in the house without his teammate, but then, his friend looks at him with an intense glance which wakes him up like a big slap, bringing him back to reality. Mei and Sanja disappear behind the front door with the usual beep, leaving Micro-Ice in the middle of the living room, suddenly fully aware that no, today is not like usual. That today is the big day. The one they've been waiting for since they got here.

The realization hits him suddenly, making his pulse fasten, his hands sweat, and his blood pressure rise. Micro-Ice grits his teeth, straining to stop any outward sign of the panic that so suddenly grips him, and he even has to make a conscious effort not to freeze in the middle of the living room. Breathing as deeply as he can, he forces himself back into his routine, returning to sit on one of the couches to make small talk with Kylian and Ican as they finish their breakfast. After that, he helps Molly and Leroy to clear the dishes, pestering internally each time his shaky hands make the pile of plates he carries clash together. Once the last crumbs have been collected and the last plaids put back in their places, the children present slip away to their respective bedrooms, and Micro-Ice lets them go, far too close to a panic attack to propose them to do a collective activity. He waits until the last of them disappears behind one of the doors of the corridor to finally rush towards the bathroom, in a hurry to isolate himself for good.

The small room bears the traces of the nine other people who used it before him. Nothing is in its place, the towels on the floor, the lockers look raided, the toothbrushes are messy, but today, Micro-Ice doesn't care. In fact, he doesn't even notice. As soon as he enters the cramped room, he pushes the door shut, locks it and leans against it. His heart is pounding, his hands are shaking a bit, and the white neon light hanging over the mirror is more dazzling than usual.

It takes him a long time to regain some control over himself, eyes closed, counting the seconds on his fingers as he takes deep breaths to get through most of his panic. Even when he's pretty sure his episode is over, he still feels an unpleasant feeling gnawing at his stomach, as if his fear and pressure have combined to make him doubt the plan that's already begun. Mei and Sanja are already gone, he has no choice but to go with the flow now. He wants to follow the movement. But his mind panics without leaving him any option.

Micro-Ice sighs, the sound of his breath echoing strangely against the tiled walls around him, and then, finally, he opens his eyes again. In front of him, the mirror covered with mist and fingerprints reflects his own image back to him. The white neon gives the image a ghostly aspect, the lights and shadows too sharp, and Micro-Ice feels the usual shiver go up his spine. Yet, this time, he holds his gaze. He doesn't look down. He doesn't run away. He observes. The reflection follows his movements, moving his eyes as he moves his, with his tired gaze, his strewn beard, his ruffled hair, his pale complexion. The man in the mirror scrutinizes him, observes him, and an impression of déjà-vu strikes him, bringing with it a new shiver which makes him tremble.

Micro-Ice forces himself to take his eyes off his father, and hurries to remove his clothes, jumping into the shower stall to drown under the hot water spray. He emerges from the bathroom about fifteen minutes later, his eyes red, his hair damp and his gym uniform on his back, his mind clearer and his body fresher, finally ready for what's to come.

Aware that he has at least two hours to kill before Mei and Sanja are on their way back, Micro-Ice sets out to make his morning as conventional and boring as possible. He pokes his head into the different rooms to see what the kids are doing. In their room, Kylian and Ican are chatting quietly while bouncing a ball on the wall, Leroy is not in his room but he finds him in the girls' room, lying on the floor to draw, supervised by Molly who gives him comments when she looks up from her book. The other rooms are empty but a bit untidy, so Micro-Ice puts the board game boxes back where they belong, puts the blankets back on the beds which don't have any, retrieves the pairs of shoes to put them back in the entrance. When he thinks he's done, he goes into the kitchen to clean up what needs to be, then searches the cupboards for their lunch. He nearly gets knocked out several times by pots and pans, but eventually gets his hands on a pack of pasta, which he leaves on the counter for later.

Driss comes back at 11:30 am, disappears in the bathroom then comes back to him to ask for tea. The young Xenon tells him with enthusiasm about his last progress, describing with lots of details how he managed to immobilize a moving cube with his flux. A long conversation about the Furnace follows, and Micro-Ice even finds himself sharing some of the feelings he had about Luur, smiling as he sees Driss is listening with conviction.

Adri and Haan return at 12:00 am, their arrival immediately filling their house with laughter and playful exclamations. Micro-Ice barely gets a wave before the two friends slip away to their rooms, obviously more motivated to go relax than to tell him about their fitness session. If he grimaces a little at the idea of being ignored, he lets it go, knowing full well that the next ones to return will be Mei and Sanja.

Feeling his apprehension rise, Micro-Ice claps his hands and calls all the children present to join him in the living room, invoking the desire to play a board game all together before making lunch. Some of them run over happily, while others grumble and prefer to stay in their rooms, so Micro-Ice gently forces them to cooperate, giving Adri and Haan a delay so they can take their showers in a hurry. Soon, all seven children are sitting around the coffee table in the living room, arguing about the color of their pawns and the starting rules of the game they chose. Reading 12:22 am on the holographic clock stuck in the corner of the living room, Micro-Ice takes a deep breath, and leaves the little group to take a last look around the bedrooms.

The urge to check that he hasn't forgotten anything is a bit silly since they don't have much of their own here, yet he can't help but make a last minute inventory. He goes into the room occupied by Driss, Kylian and Ican, turning around to go through all the objects scattered on the floor and the beds. He knows that Driss will be sad to lose his comic books, just as Ican will miss his bouncing ball, or Kylian his small gaming device. In Haan and Leroy's room, he can only notice the multitude of drawings hanging on the walls and the marbles scattered in a corner, gathered in the center of a structure made of folded paper that is meant to be a circuit.

Passing the empty room that should have been the adults', Micro-Ice enters the last room. On Adri's bed, he sees the guitar and the headphones that accompany it, as well as the little notebook where she writes all her melodies. Further down, Molly's few books are piled up against the wall, each more battered than the other, with only one bookmark sticking out. On the opposite side of the room, Sanja's bed is emptier, her shark plush sitting on top of her covers, the toy seemingly grinning at him.

Micro-Ice is about to turn around when something else catches his eye. Forgotten on the post of the single bed that the redhead occupies he notices a pair of aviator glasses. The memory that Sanja was wearing them when they arrived immediately comes back to him, so without thinking twice, Micro-Ice grabs the pair and buries them in one of the pockets of his pants.

Strangely reassured to have made these last checks, Micro-Ice returns to the living room where exclamations still resound. He passes the group of children, reading 12:26 out of the corner of his eye, and heads for the kitchen. He hurries to put water in a pan and puts it on the stove, pretending to prepare their meal as usual. He returns to the living room, making an effort to walk slowly, positioning himself behind the couch closest to the entrance to observe the game that is just beginning. However, all his attention is on the entrance at his back, all his concentration focused on his hearing. He waits for the signal.

The following minutes are absolutely unbearable. He tries to breathe softly and not let his hands clench on the back of the couch as he studies every sound. The kids across from him are chattering, bent over the game on the coffee table. The kitchen stove vibrates. Water gently trickles down in one of the pipes hidden in the ceiling.

Metallic clanking sounds rise somewhere in his back, recreating a melody he knows by heart. The notes follow one after the other, as if in slow motion, creating a grating music for which he stops breathing in order to listen more clearly, waiting for a variation that would give him a signal to start.

It is only when it plays its last note that the melody is interrupted by a crash so powerful that the ground vibrates under his feet. Suddenly, a series of metallic shocks are triggered, immediately followed by a monstrous creaking. The strident screams of the abused metal tears a shiver of fright out of him, but Micro-Ice does not lose a moment to make a jump backwards, losing sight of the children who suddenly froze in their game. Micro-Ice passes through the doorway in a few quick strides, dashes to the locked door, takes a deep breath, forces his Breath to manifest itself, and strikes.

The impact of his fist against the door bends the smooth surface with a deafening sound that joins the screaming of the metal outside, barely masking a cry of surprise from the living room. The second blow is stronger and pushes the entire door a few inches outward, forcing it to pull on its joints. The third blow is the right one.

Just as the door gives way in a spray of blue flux, Micro-Ice comes face to face with Mei, who is standing at the other end of the hallway a few meters away from him, as the sound of screaming metal increases a hundredfold. The security plaques of the corridor try to close in forcefully, pressing relentlessly on the door of the transport shuttle that is blocking it horizontally, threatening to lock them in again the instant the resistance gives way. Micro-Ice doesn't need anything else to turn around with haste and to run again towards the living room where he discovers with surprise that none of the teenagers moved. The small group is as if petrified around the coffee table, their hands on their ears to protect themselves from the noise, standing close to each other to reassure themselves. The moment he enters, all eyes are on him, each of them staring at him with a mixture of fear and questioning.

Micro-Ice knows he'll regret his tone later, but he's forced to be a little brusque. Jumping over the couch to join the kids, his adrenaline drives him to yell at them to hurry up. Ican and Driss seem to understand immediately, running towards the entrance the first time he orders them, but the others are more difficult to convince. Adri follows with a delay, Kylian plants his feet in the ground first before his friend pulls him forward, and Micro-Ice is forced to grab Molly and Leroy by the arms to move forward with the group. Shouts of excitement and fear mingle with the commotion, echoing unpleasantly in his head as he tries to think at a thousand miles an hour. They only have a few meters to go to the door he broke down, but the journey seems terribly slow. But soon enough, the seven of them reach the broken door.

He yells Mei's name, sees the tall brunette nod across the hall, then Micro-Ice grabs Leroy and lifts him as high as he can. The next moment, a lightning of Breath runs down the hallway and hits the little blond boy, suspending him in the air and enveloping him in blue smoke. At the other end of the corridor, Mei folds her arm, and the boy follows. Leroy goes over the broken door at breakneck speed, covering the distance separating them in a fraction of a second to be caught in his teammate's arms.

Micro-Ice sees the blond boy fall back to the ground, trembling, then Mei nods again.

All the children pass with more or less good will. Ican and Driss fly away without any trouble, Adri lets out a terrified scream the moment the blow catches her, and Micro-Ice is forced to pull Kylian out of the living room to make him pass as well. All the children cross quickly and without any trouble, and Micro-Ice almost lets out a sigh of relief when Kylian lands, reassured that the shuttle door has held up so far.

Stepping into the doorway to be finally pulled out, Micro-Ice puts a foot on the step to elevate himself and sees his teammate nod. Behind her, the children are talking with more or less panicked postures, spinning in circles or clinging to each other, clearly shaken. Mei raises an arm towards him at the same time that Adri turns towards him with a frightened look.

Micro-Ice couldn't say exactly why, but the wide eyes and the shouts he sees her scream make him dodge the bolt of Breath that is propelled in his direction. At the other end of the corridor, Mei staggers before staring at him, flabbergasted, shouting a reproach that he doesn't hear because of the metal screaming between them. Right after that, Adri jumps on Mei's arm, pulling her energetically to get her attention. The little redhead screams while gesturing in all directions, and Micro-Ice doesn't understand until she turns to him again, putting her fingers around her eyes to mimic glasses.

Micro-Ice pushes off his feet to gain momentum, going backwards so hard that he almost hits one of the walls of the entrance. He stumbles into the living room, looking around frantically as he continues to move forward, cursing himself more with each lost moment. He slams his shoulders into each door, scanning each room as fast as he can before moving on to the next, his heart drumming so hard in his chest that its sound thunders to his ears.

He finds Haan curled up in a corner of his room, hidden under a blanket pulled over his head, his arms wrapped around his knees and his eyes full of tears behind his large round glasses. The relief that overtakes Micro-Ice is accompanied by a violent rush, the strange cocktail not stopping him from hurriedly picking up the teenager. He is forced to take the kid out of his hideout, while trying to reassure him in spite of the infernal noise which makes the walls vibrate even here. With a few words of encouragement, he manages to convince Haan to put his arms around his neck and with a few more efforts, he manages to hoist him onto his back. Despite his size, Haan ends up clinging to him tightly as if he will never let go and when Micro-Ice feels the boy shaking against him, he knows that he will relive this moment many times in his nightmares.

In the distance, the metal screams with a different cry, then falls silent. The walls and floor stop shaking as a chilling silence takes over for a short time. Suddenly, there are shouts, the voices of the children and Mei joining in a panicked and hurried hubbub. Feeling his tension jump suddenly, Micro-Ice dashes back down the hallway, running towards the entrance in a hurry, praying that his mistake hasn't cost him his freedom.

Following the shouts and calls, Micro-Ice rushes out of the bedroom, Haan clinging tightly to him, leaping from room to room before finally reaching the entrance. When he arrives at the gaping door leading to the corridor, he first notes with horror that the passageway has drastically narrowed and that the shuttle door is no longer in its place. The metal is strewn on the ground, the pieces roughly cut and bent, clearly not having survived the pressure. And then, he sees the blue screen on the right, and the green smoke on the left, both fluxes shaking painfully to keep the passage open. At the end of the hallway, Mei is now surrounded by Sanja and Driss, the two teenagers terribly focused on their tasks while Mei gives him a panicked look.

His teammate projects a flash of Breath the instant their eyes meet. Micro-Ice feels the flux hit him right in the chest and spread over him, running over his body at breakneck speed. Haan, clinging to his back, grips him tighter and raises his head, letting out a surprised hiccup as the Breath reaches him too. Micro-Ice expects Mei to pull them toward her right away, but in front of them, she suddenly seems to hesitate. Her eyes move from his face to the teenager's on his back, while doubt tenses her face and body.

Around her, the children shout words that he does not listen so much, jumping to pass their heads above the front line. An interminable second passes, and Micro-Ice is about to make the decision to run rather than wait for her friend when Driss lets out a warning cry. All of a sudden, the Furnace that illuminated the corridor goes out.

Micro-Ice feels his feet being lifted off the ground and his whole body being violently pulled forward. He can barely see the hallway go by around him, passes Mei and the group of children in an instant, and suddenly discovers a much larger space tha he had ever seen here before. He only has a few moments to notice the bluish hues of the room and the smoking, gutted carcass of a transport shuttle before he feels himself falling.

The loss of speed takes him by surprise so he activates his Breath only at the last moment, using the flux to try to control their fall. When one of his feet hits the ground, his body spins painfully, propelling him forcefully to the side. Micro-Ice hits the ground with very little grace, feels Haan fall off his back, and then begins a number of rolls that completely blur the landscape around him, making him lose the very few bearings he still had. He feels the ground knocking against him many times before he feels himself losing velocity and then, his body finally stops after an umpteenth gallop, his back hitting flat against the ground. A little stunned, he remains motionless for a moment, staring at the grey rock ceiling that forms a vault above him. Blinking several times to chase away the dizziness, Micro-Ice struggles to regain his senses.

It is Mei's urgent voice that reminds him that they have an important activity in progress.

Pivoting hastily to go flat on his stomach, Micro-Ice feels dizziness compressing his skull, but he strives to turn his head towards where he came from. A dozen meters away from him, Haan slowly stands up, grimacing as he runs his hands over his pants to chase away the light-colored dust that has stuck to them. Even further away, Mei runs in their direction, the group of children right behind her. It doesn't take long for the tall brunette to reach Haan, quickly making sure he's okay, then rushing towards him while giving him a wide-eyed look.

- You're good?! I'm sorry I pulled you so hard! Tell me I didn't break you anything!

Micro-Ice barely has time to nod and tell her he's not mad at all, when Mei grabs him and pulls him up, forcing him to get back on his feet as quickly as possible. Around him, the world rocks a little and his head gets dangerously heavy for a moment, but the feeling soon subsides. It takes another moment for him to truly stand on his feet, adjusting his posture so that his body carries itself rather than use Mei's support. Micro-Ice feels only a few sore spots, but definitely nothing broken or sprained. Silently thanking the Breath for protecting him from an injury that seemed inevitable, Micro-Ice looks up at his teammate and offers her a smile, nodding to let her know that everything is fine.

Mei's face relaxes all of a sudden, her relief more than visible, and her teammate rushes over to hug him. Micro-Ice returns the embrace by passing his hands in her back to reassure her, ignoring the shoulder which crushes his nose and the size difference which it underlines. The moment lasts only a few seconds, but very quickly, he hears the children joining them, grabbing his clothes while shouting in all directions. Some voices are concerned, others shout with joy, and soon he and Mei are forced to return their attention to the young teens around them and the situation at hand.

Glancing around the room he hasn't had much time to detail, Micro-Ice quickly observes the surroundings, noting the gray stone walls, the bluish metal floor, the carcass of the transport shuttle, the other shuttles parked in a corner as well as the large numbered doors that hollow out the huge walls. The hall, because he decides that the room looks like a hall, extends on easily fifty meters, the space overhung by a vault of gray stone. He is cut off in his observations by Mei who claps her hands to silence the group, her voice rising with calm and authority.

- Okay, well done everyone, we made it out of the house, Mice and I are super proud of you! Now our goal is to get out of here! I want you all to stay between Mice and I, no deviations allowed and no tantrums. We're going to have to look for an exit, maybe for a long time, so I want you to follow us without making a fuss, is that okay with you?

The more cheerful children, such as Driss and Ican, shout a motivated "yes", while others, such as Kylian, Adri and Sanja nod silently. Molly, Leroy and Haan remain motionless, casting tense glances at the new scenery that surrounds them. If Mei is unsettled by the lack of enthusiasm, she doesn't show it at all and claps her hands again, encouraging their troops as much as herself.

- Perfect, it's great! Mice, you are more effective in close combat and I at distance, so you go first, the children follow you and I stay behind. Sanja and Driss, you stay in the middle, you have the responsibility to protect us all if ever necessary, okay?

Driss jumps out of joy, the young Xenon more than happy to have a responsibility all to himself while Sanja blushes and lowers her head, clearly less at ease. Micro-Ice is satisfied to approve with a "Ma'am, yes, ma'am" that he hopes is reassuring for the children, quite happy to leave the strategic organization to his teammate.

A reorganization of the group later, Micro-Ice finds himself breaking down the largest door in the hall. He is forced to strike several times before the large plate twists and breaks, sending a section of the wall off with a noise that is more than indiscreet. If he expects to hear a siren at the moment the passage opens, he simply watches the fall of the door in the adjacent room without anything particular happening. Deciding that the lack of reaction from their captors is a good sign so far, Micro-Ice turns to the group and encourages them to follow him, beginning a jog through the new space.

The same pattern is repeated so many times that he loses count. With each broken door they only find empty corridors or empty rooms, none of them standing out from the others. However, it is now obvious that the place is huge. Each room often has multiple doors leading out of it, so they improvise a path as they go. Sometimes they find themselves back at a door they've already broken through and his hands become increasingly painful despite the Breath that protects them, but that doesn't stop Micro-Ice from feeling like they're making progress.

Through the maze, they make some discoveries. They find some of the training rooms they used, some of which are equipped with equipment he has never seen but some of the children recognize. A room filled with uniforms that match theirs. A few messy rooms that look like offices, obviously cleared out in a hurry. Some kitchens where they rush to take some snacks in their pockets. They even manage to find one of the observation rooms that overlooks the training rooms, discovering for the first time what is hidden behind the tinted glass. A few chairs overlook the room below, consoles with many buttons that remind him of Clamp's, dozens of holo-projection screens. The whole installation is disconnected, as if cut off from the electricity, and neither of them can find a way to turn on a screen or find a phone, so they continue their exploration.

All in all, Micro-Ice estimates that they run around for almost an hour without ever finding anything. If at first he was anxious with each new door destroyed, fearing what he would find on the other side, he soon realizes that no one is there to stop them. A few signs of hurried departure are visible, from the messy but empty desks to the few still-warm cups of coffee they find. Yet the deserted place gives him the unpleasant feeling of being in the middle of a giant prank, as if no one had ever been there to keep them locked up. Worse, the obvious flight of their captors makes him think that they could have escaped much earlier, without having to wait for Sanja to be ready to defend them. Mei too has an angry look plastered on her face, barely masked by the encouraging smiles she directs at the children, whom keep pace remarkably well.

Even the hangar full of fighting robots they find is deserted and deprived of power, the hundreds of metal carcasses left there, abandoned by their owners. Mei gives him a flabbergasted look the moment their group enters the large room, a look he is quick to return. Because why would people with such a strong attack force run away? Why not use all the robots to stop them? Of course, Micro-Ice isn't sure that the armada of robots would have been able to stop them. He would have been able to destroy a lot of them and Mei would have been able to destroy just as many, if not more. And with the protection of Sanja and Driss, plus the possible help of the other children's fluxes... The fight would have been hard, of course, but they might have won. But he doesn't understand why they didn't try. They could have slowed them down, outflanked them, taken advantage of their lack of field knowledge to trap them or corner them…

A shiver of discomfort runs down his spine as he imagines the scenes, so this time he's the one who urges the group to hurry up. Kylian and Ican are forced to stop playing with robotic parts, negotiating in vain with Mei to bring back a metal arm with them, just like Adri and Haan who had rushed to rummage in the gigantic mechanical workshop present in the room. The others are more content to leave the hangar, scanning the silver figures with an evil eye until they disappear behind them.

They run for a long time. Gradually, the doors already open get in their way more and more, systematically triggering grumbles of despair in their ranks. New passages become rarer and rarer, and every new path ends up in areas they've already explored. Frustration mounts within the group, with desperate or tired comments rising at regular intervals. And even though he is supposed to be the responsible and motivating adult, Micro-Ice must admit that he too grinds his teeth. The repeated use of the Breath is beginning to weigh on him, his body unhappy with drawing on its reserves, not to mention his hands that have begun to shake from the shocks.

A door drastically different from the others eventually appears. Cutting through an entire floor-to-ceiling wall at least a hundred feet long, it displays numbers painted in gray on the brown surface. Micro-Ice can't help but recognize the structure, his brain immediately making the connection between what he's looking at and the garage stations back at the Genesis Stadium. Even without consultation, he knows that Mei has the same image in mind. Moreover, they do not lose a moment to put themselves to work.

Although it is much more resistant than the others, the huge door shatters after long minutes of hard work. Micro-Ice takes a few steps back to deliver the fatal blow, darting forward to slam against one of the cracks Mei and him are working on. The reinforced metal gives out on impact, letting him pass through the structure, taking with him the debris which are violently flying around. He lands in the ship hangar with a bang, controls his landing with the Breath, and hurries to detail the surroundings. In front of him, the big hangar is revealed, painted in brown tones and overhangs by an immense vault made of bluish rocks. The room is hardly illuminated by the night lights which ensure a soft glow, but is sufficiently clear for Micro-Ice to affirm nobody is waiting for them here either. In fact, it is rather the few machines still parked in the immense room that seem to be waiting for them. They're parked in predefined zones which let him guess that at least the triple amount of ships could have been contained in the place.

Micro-Ice knows he should be jumping around from the joy of such a sigh. Behind him, the children are screaming with excitement, running in his direction until they pass him and rush towards the ships. Even Leroy and Molly end up being carried away by the general effervescence, their enthusiasm greatly multiplied now that the promise of their escape is in front of their eyes.

He can't take his eyes off the huge hole that cuts open one of the hangar's walls. The rectangle must be hundreds of meters high and probably twice as wide, and a almost invisible iridescent veil shines over it. A veil usually used as a frontier between the galactic void and the artificial atmosphere in which they are here. And behind the hole, beyond the veil, a galaxy of a purplish blue show itself. Wisps of colored dust move slowly, their materials too delicate to mask the stars that pierce them like needle holes. A few drifting rocks float, scattered across the picture, their gray color revealed by a star that must shine close to them.

This scenery should be absolutely of no interest to him, terribly banal and boring, but Micro-Ice cannot take his eyes off the slow cosmic dance that is happening in front of him. He had not realized he had forgotten what the outside looked like. He hadn't realized that he missed it so much. No matter how many times he blinks, the infinite space is almost impossible to conceive for his mind that has been trapped in a box for so long.

The realization makes him shiver, the desire to see all the places he loves so much again taking him to the guts. Akilian's mountains, his mother's little apartment, the Academy, Genesis Stadium's buildings, all the stadiums he's had the chance to play in... He feels lost, far from home, the feeling suddenly exacerbated by the melancholy that strikes him as well as the realization that they are almost there. That the way out is open for them to take. That they will soon be free.

Hope strikes him like a bolt of lightning, making his heart race as his eyes widen with envy, and, finally, Micro-Ice sets off in pursuit of his kids and the ships that await them.

It doesn't take them long to discover that all the ships in the hangar are ready to take off without any restriction, so it is quickly decided that they take possession of the biggest of them. The spacecraft they borrow is big enough to offer a kind of small lounge fitted into it, the arrangement suggesting that distinguished guests usually use the place. The children obviously take possession of the space with haste and fury, their cries of wonder quickly turning into squabbles for the best seats. Micro-Ice squints a little at a bench that seems perfect for a nap, but he is pulled towards the cockpit without warning, the little room separated from the cabin by a thin metal wall. Mei pushes him into one of the seats facing the windshield and sits in the second one, not giving him time to remind her that he knows absolutely nothing about flying a ship.

- I think I know how to activate the autopilot, but I need you to keep an eye on the report screen, the GPS and the carburetors when I start up, okay?

- Uh... The carburetor screen of the-

Mei leans to his side and point her index finger at several screens.

- Just tell me if there's an alert coming up. Or if something starts flashing insistently.

- O-okay

Micro-Ice nods, his eyes now jumping between the three areas his friend has pointed out to him, afraid of losing his bearings or missing a message by staying focused on the wrong panel for too long. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Mei inspecting her side of the panel, going over the levers and buttons while whispering what she sees to get her bearings. She presses a first button and he hears the outer door of the ship close with a mechanical noise, accompanied by some remarks from the children. Then, Mei pushes a latch and all the lights of the cabin change in unison, turning into a more subdued atmosphere. The next button starts up the engines with a roar, and Micro-Ice feels the floor vibrate under his feet as one of the screens he is responsible for lights up. A side view of the ship appears before his eyes, some areas highlighted to indicate their activation, but no alerts appears.

- I think we're good?

- No engine indicator?

- No. I mean, I don't think so.

- The fuel level looks okay?

- Hmm... We're far from the max, but I'd say it's not catastrophic. We've got maybe a quarter of a tank full?

- Okay.

Mei places her hands on the two joysticks in front of her, clearly focused on her every move. His friend continues to observe the various buttons and levers in front of her, glancing at the windshield where the brown and blue hangar is still visible.

- I think we can take off... Set a destination on the GPS already, so the autopilot takes over quickly when I get the ship out of the hangar.

Micro-Ice looks down at the few screens he's responsible for, taking a moment to discern which one is supposed to be the GPS. The geolocation system activates when he presses one of his trembling fingers on the touch screen, suddenly displaying their position and a close up of the small part of the galaxy that surrounds them. The whole thing is accompanied by a multitude of small texts that inform him as much about the outside temperature as the names of nearby stars. At the bottom right, the day's date is written in small white pixels, and Micro-Ice tries not to pay attention to it. In the corner of his mind, his brain quickly adds five years to the nineteen he knew he had celebrated.

- I- What destination do I put in? Akilian? The Genesee? I think we're not too far from the Flux Society too, we could-

- Are there any small planets around? Or resupply stations?

- Hm.. I see some planets I've never heard of, and some stations, yeah. Do you want to make a stop before we go get help?

- I don't think it's safe to stay in this ship too long... At best we find a phone or a computer somewhere, at worst we sell this ship and buy another one as soon as possible.

- And why not go as fast as possible to people who would help us...?

- Just because we haven't seen anyone so far doesn't mean they're not watching us or won't try to stop us later. And if you ask me, the ships they kindly left for us are no gift. They're not going to hesitate about tracking us.

A lump of stress gets stuck in his throat at the thought of them still being spied on, so Micro-Ice squints at the GPS again, pouting. He scans the markings and shapes at full speed, trying to figure out which destination would give them the best chance of making contact with their friends or finding another ship. He is about to direct them to a moon nearby where a town icon is shown when something makes him tick.

- But... If we change the ship but they spy on the Snow Kids or the league when we contact them, they would find us anyway, wouldn't they?

Mei takes her eyes off her controllers and turns to him to give him a worried look. Micro-Ice sees her eyes jumping from left to right as if she's studying his theory, so he crosses his fingers, praying that she finds a flaw in his remark. The tall brunette finally purses her lips and shakes her head, her eyes returning to him.

- Shit.

Micro-Ice grits his teeth and tries to stop himself from wincing. It's rare that he finds anything wrong with Mei's organizations, and usually he's quite happy to point out flaws to annoy her. But this time, the finding is much less satisfying.

- But what do we do then? Do we change the ship anyway? And then what? Do we take the risk?

- We change ship and then we go for help without announcing ourselves.

- Without telling anyone? We don't even know where to find the Snow Kids or the Pirates!

- We change ships and go to Akilian. Or... Or the Flux Society, you said it was close, they'll have to help us!

- Yeah, and it'll be so funny when we tell them that people are forcing us to use our fluxes outside of football, they'll be so understanding- AH-!

Micro-Ice massages his head at the place where Mei did not hesitate to hit him with a more than painful flick. The tall brunette sitting next to him looks at him with a reproachful glare that she usually reserves for the kids, her lips pursed and her eyebrows frowned. He could even have got scared if the beginning of rictus on his friend's face did not betray a bit of amusement.

- This is not the time to be sarcastic!

- It wasn't that sarcastic! If we can avoid going to jail right after we escape...

- They won't put us in jail because we used our fluxes under duress, Mice. Can you see the Flux Society putting twelve or thirteen year olds in cells?

- Who knows... Brim Simbra would have never dared, but Brim Balarius I bet you he's a psycho...

- Nonsen- Hey, how do you even know those names?

- Molly has a book on the Society, I had the misfortune to ask her for details once...

Mei roles her eyes but lets out a small laugh, shaking her head with a smile.

- Well, okay, maybe that's not the best idea. How about we change ships and figure it out from there, is that okay with you? Or maybe we should stay in this hangar for another hour?

It's Micro-Ice's turn to let out a laugh at his friend's falsely petty tone. He hastens to agree to the compromise, promising to send them to the most luxurious space station of the galaxy for the occasion. Mei laughs again, finally taking the controls in hand while granting him a look that he likes to interpret as affectionate.

The metal bird rises into the air with a dull roar, crushing the occupants of the cabin a bit on the first vertical push. At his side, Mei pulls on the levers and the ship follows the movement smoothly, quietly pivoting suspended a few meters from the ground. The hangar scrolls gradually through the windshield, letting see the ships they did not take and the numerous empty spaces. Very quickly, the big hatch where appears the galaxy enters in their field of vision, and Mei hurries to press on a latch, forcing their ship to lock its orientation in this direction. Micro-Ice surprises himself by getting hypnotised by the sight once again, mesmerised by the dances of the various celestial bodies and their soothing colors . The floating rocks, the stars that shine in the distance, the dust that glides gently, the bright lights that strike the landscape, the elusive horizon.

The gas boost surprises him as much as it surprises Mei. The ship leaps forward, gaining about ten kilometers per hour at once. Mei hastens grips her hands on the steering levers while he finds himself pushed back into his seat, his back suddenly stapled to hit, his hands gripping on the armrests. Behind them, a few children's cries resound, accompanied by some flowery insults that he'll maybe remember to reprimand later. But in the meantime, all his attention is focused on the ship which takes speed at a dizzying rate, on the hangar which scrolls so fast that the brown and blue colors join in the blur, and on the celestial window which grows every second. The engines howl with a hoarse sound, the cabin vibrates but holds solidly, and quickly, very quickly, they exceed the frame of the hole and find themselves outside.

The end of the artificial gravity takes them by surprise. Their ship goes straight forward once out of its grip, and the only reason they don't end up embedded in one of the asteroids that Micro-Ice was admiring a few moments earlier, is that Mei has the reflex to pull on the levers with all her strength just before the impact. Her action is perfect, but has the unfortunate drawback of making them spin at a crazy speed, making all the occupants of the cabin scream with fear.

The autopilot button is found after long seconds of torture where Mei and him argue and scream about the probable location of the button, then the ship stabilizes with a reactor blast, shaking its passengers again. A synthesized voice cheerfully announces their destination while Micro-Ice tries to figure out where is ceiling and where is the ground, collapsed at the foot of the chair he was previously sitting on.

- You said you knew how to use the autopilot...

Halfway passed over the control console, Mei answers without him being able to see anything but her legs.

- I know how to! You just have to press the right button! I didn't think to look where it was before taking off, that's all...

- Mei, I'm gonna throw up.

- Mice don't you date! We have three hours to spend here, you better not do this to me! Mice!

After the first few minutes of nausea, Mei and him finally joins the children who are eager to tease them. The kids had the great idea to fasten their seatbelts at the first jolt of the ship while they still were in the hangar, and are having a field day lecturing them on the galactic safety standards they all know. The terribly long speeches sometimes sound like ill-learned poetry, reinforcing the punitive side non negligibly.

In the end, Mei and him both get a few bruises and a headache. Not so bad considering their starting point.

---

The trip to the resupply station they set as their destination turns out to be quite pleasant. The three hours pass quickly, occupied by radar surveillance, rest, or space observation. They pass only two ships that do not try to make contact with them, as well as some small planets in the distance but they don't linger around.

It is the synthetic voice of the autopilot which announces them that their destination is in sight. The resupply station that Micro-Ice has selected at random on the GPS map turns out to be a fairly large asteroid that seems to be teeming with life. Numerous flashy neon signs on its walls announce different services, and a multitude of ships of all sizes pass through the center of the station where a gallery is dug. If a garage, a grocery store and a gas pump are clearly indicated as being available inside the asteroid, the size of the place and the concentration of people suggest that many other services are available to customers.

Soon, their ship is surrounded by others and Mei is forced to go back to manual piloting in order to follow the flow leading to a crater mounted with a giant "Entrance" sign. If seeing so many people surrounding them all at once makes him sweat, Micro-Ice is even more overwhelmed when he sees the inside of the huge rock for the first time. What he had taken for a simple crack through the celestial body turns out to be digging the structure from top to bottom, using the asteroid only as an outer shell. As a result, the interior is absolutely immense, and teeming with people.

Their ship is led by a circuit to a free parking area where many ships are piled up in scaffoldings which make the place look like an open-air hive. They end up parked in a spot, their vehicle firmly attached to the structure by cables and magnets. Mei, who was until then too concentrated on the piloting to really take the measure of the place, really notices the size of the place only when they all go down on the bridge where their ship is docked. She hastens to address him a widened glance after having detailed the area which swarms all around them. Because that's the only word Micro-Ice manages to apply to what he sees. It's swarming.

Everywhere, people of various species pass back and forth, forming an extremely heterogeneous and noisy crowd. Ships park, others leave, a neon sign creates sparks, miniature robots speed by with various loads, voices shout the price of their goods, others laugh, and some even get into heated arguments.

At this very moment, Micro-Ice does not miss their cell-house, but almost. The change of environment is brutal, and he has the strange impression that all his senses are assaulted and satiated all at once. The people, the noise, the smells, the colors... He had missed this kind of scene. But it is also a bit too much at once.

Moreover, unsurprisingly, the kids who accompanied them out of the ship hastened to gather at their sides, observing the scenes silently, using them to hide themselves. The atmosphere within their little group suddenly became tense, an atmosphere that he can't help but break with a joking tone.

- I swear it looked smaller on the GPS.

Mei gives him a tense smile that is somewhere between panic and dismay. Yet his friend forces a thin smile, joining his faked lightness as best as she can.

- At least we won't have any trouble selling the ship and finding a new one...?

- Yeah, right. Exactly.

Indeed, finding a buyer is very easy. The problem is more about finding thirty of them. The children behind them, Mei and him only have to walk two minutes through the crowd to see a first sign leading to the market area. The space they quickly reach is composed of a multitude of small stalls that are squeezed together along an imaginary alley. Everywhere, stands, displays and holograms showoff offers and services, each more attractive than the other. A compact crowd jostles to circulate from store to store in a monstrous cacophony. Some brandish their latest finds, others lean over the counters to negotiate with the merchants with low voices. All in all, Micro-Ice feels a bit like he's back in the one of Shiloe's black market, but in a slightly more legal version, and twenty times more furnished. A place Thran or Artie would have loved, he is absolutely sure of it.

The merchant they go to is chosen by mutual agreement between Mei and him, their choice depending entirely on the spare parts displayed on his stand and the pictures of ships hanging everywhere in his decor. The small shop features several signs extolling the virtues of its owner as a "non-scamming-scrap dealer-dismantler-embelisher-ship specialist", and Micro-Ice makes a conscious effort not to squint at the colorful ships he sees in the photographic collection. The kids at his side don't show as much mercy.

Once again, it's thanks to Mei that they get away without getting ripped off. The tall brunette gives the reference of the bridge their ship is parked at, and doesn't bat an eye when the salesman looks up from his screen and announces an absolutely ridiculously low purchase price. For his part, Micro-Ice almost chokes on his saliva. Fortunately for him, Mei has never let anyone push her around, and today isn't the day she has decided to change that. The negotiations are brutal, his friend answering the warm justifications of the merchant with a cold and implacable tone. It had been a long time since he had had the opportunity to see Mei in action, and Micro-Ice must admit that seeing her in her role of infectious and venomous princess again is somewhat pleasant.

Without any surprise for him, Mei crushes her opponent without any problem. The man retrieves the codes and the key of the ship, then gives them a bag where an impressive number of standard credits are piled up in exchange. Micro-Ice sees Mei look at the contents of the bag with a calculating eye, before nodding and shaking her rival's hand, thanking him in a tone so warm it almost sounds mocking after the exchange they just had.

With their treasure slung over her shoulder, Mei hurriedly leads their little troop out of the shopping area, directing them to the first quieter corner she can find. Wedged between a particularly bad-smelling fast food joint and a staircase leading to the main road, the corner is just big enough for the ten of them, but they don't have time to feel cramped as Mei shuts down any comments.

- Well! That went well, great job everyone!

Some of the children repeat the congratulations. Micro-Ice gives a thumbs up. Others are less certain of the success of their plan.

- But how are we going to make it back now without a ship...? We needed it to get home...

Molly mumbles her question with little conviction, her mouth too busy nibbling on her bottom lip to articulate properly. Yet the question causes a few other children to frown, as if they suddenly realize that the question is completely legitimate. Sensing a new tension, Micro-Ice quickly puts a hand on Molly's shoulder and leans in to give her a hopefully reassuring smile.

- Don't worry, Molly. Mei has thought of everything! Now all we have to do is go buy a new ship and we'll be on our way! We're in good hands, I assure you!

The young Xyionnian's grimace relaxes a little, replaced by a small smile that Micro-Ice considers a victory. Behind her, he sees Kylian and Haan nodding, as if they were as worried as Molly without daring to express their fears. Mei takes a step forward towards the group, and hastens to continue his reassuring speech.

- Exactly! We got a very good price for the ship, finding another one shouldn't be too much of a problem. This was the first part of our plan and everything went very well, so I congratulate you all, sincerely.

This time, the congratulations are more successful, with all the kids showing triumphant smiles. Mei also seems more serene, certainly reassured that the whole group is in a good spirit.

- So, now, the next part of the plan!

- Let's go buy a-

- Let's split into two groups!

Micro-Ice swallows the end of his sentence and addresses round eyes to his friend. Mei, smiling brightly, holds up two fingers in front of her to emphasize her idea.

- We'll make two teams, one will come with me to buy a ship, and the other one will go with Mice to go shopping and get supplies!

- Shopping? What shopping?

- Clothes and a few snacks, just to keep us going for the trip.

- But since when do we need-

- Mice, we look like an athletic club. Or a karaoke team, or even a summer camp group, at best !

Micro-Ice frowns, about to take offense, but looks down at their group before responding. It's not that their uniforms aren't nice. Certainly, they have the merit of being worn in different ways, with more or less casual or sporty versions. They also have the advantage of being light, of good quality and free. Right. However, if there is one thing that Micro-Ice has to give her friend credit for, it is that they are not particularly discreet. Their clothes are decorated with several colored stripes that create patterns which are found on all their outfits. And indeed, now that he observes their group with this detail in mind, he must admit that they look like a rather strange dance troupe. A fluorescent one.

Several children have imitated him in his observation, and he sees a few heads turn towards him with dismayed looks. Sanja even gives him a discreet grimace and nod, as if trying to convince him to accept that a change of wardrobe is mandatory.

Micro-Ice is on the point of abdicating to the request which is becoming generalized when a detail suddenly titillates his mind. Hiding a smile which threatens to spread on all his face, he straightens up towards Mei.

- Are you really sending me shopping for you?

His teammate frowns and opens her mouth as if she's going to answer him with a straight face, but stops short. He sees the crimson rise to her cheeks and her eyes crinkle softly, a sign that his joke was unexpected and hit home.

- Mice-

- Do you have a list of clothes you want? Or drawings? Because I might find random things and-

- Micro-Ice, I swear to the gods, if you come back with ugly clothes I'll-

- Do you think pink is still in style? Or turquoise? Salmon maybe? Or we can try different things like checkerboards or-

- You wouldn't dare!

- Why not? Checkerboards are nice, aren't they? Don't you like them?

He's pretty sure Mei's face has turned two shades of red again, and if the prospect of seeing his teammate in an outfit he picked himself wasn't so funny to him, he'd be afraid of the threatening finger pointing in his direction and the blue eyes shooting lightning bolts at him.

- If I don't like the clothes you find for me, I'll take yours and you'll manage with what's left.

- Or you could go shopping and I'd go buy the ship!

- Mice, you didn't know the difference between the control panel and the GPS, don't tell me that you can tell if an engine is working or not!

- Oh, because you can?

- More than you I think, yes!

Micro-Ice is about to retort that he would absolutely be able to, before thinking for a second, and realizing that no, he would be absolutely unable to. His realization must show on his face because Mei shows a smile, obviously very happy to win their little verbal joust. Their assembly also displays some smiles, some mocking, others more laughing, as well as some disillusioned looks that he can only accept.

- Or we could do everything together...

- And take twice as long?

- ...

- Gooood. Since it's settled, let's say Kylian, Haan, Adri and Driss stay with me, and you take Sanja, Ican, Molly and Leroy. Sanja I count on you to prevent him from buying stupid things, Molly you try to find clothes that will fit you and Driss. And Leroy and Ican, you're in charge of making sure we'll have enough food for the trip, okay?

A general "Okay!" immediately rings out, and Micro-Ice is quick to complain about having babysitters, forcing his tone to make the children around him laugh. The truth is that he is rather relieved that Mei has done the repartition for him, separating the disruptive elements while giving a role to each one to occupy them. By the way, Mei winks at him in amusement.

- Perfect! We'll take care of finding the best possible ship. Adri, Haan, you will test the comfort of the seats. Driss, you'll be in charge of searching all the ships, if sellers try to hide anything you'll have to tell me! And Kylian, you'll come and help me put pressure on the merchants, we'll get the best deals!

A few affirmative shouts and a sharing of money later, their two groups separate with the promise to meet again at this very spot as soon as their tasks are fulfilled, and even if a good-natured atmosphere reigns over the two groups, Micro-Ice can't help but look back. Even though he knows it's the right thing to do, and that there's little chance of anyone coming after them with so many people around, the separation is still somewhat anxiety-inducing. And from the way Mei turns around to give him one last look, he knows the feeling is mutual.

---

It's not that Micro-Ice doesn't like shopping. Let's just say that he has a much simpler vision of this activity than most people. His wardrobe has always been filled with simple, practical, go-anywhere clothes. Those too damaged are replaced identically if possible, and in general he doesn't try to innovate, nor to enter any fashion trend. He likes to wear his clothes large and in neutral colors, he never got the need of searching further.

Obviously, the four children who accompany him do not share this opinion.

Finding ready-to-wear stores is more than easy but faced with the different fashion universes that each one puts forward, Micro-Ice is obliged to impose the one they enter in. He vaguely recognizes the sign, and the posters in the window promise clothes adapted for all races as well as low prices. That's all he needs, but he understands the frustration of Ican and Molly as they beg him to enter the more flashy and trendy stores. Ican even has a field day commenting on his displeasure, crossing his arms while dragging his feet to follow them. Micro-Ice dreads having to raise his voice to get the boy to follow the group and participate in the search for clothes with good will, but is happy to note that the teenager's bad mood is forgotten the moment they enter the store.

The place is not huge but is literally overflowing with choices. Numerous racks are organized in rows and the walls even offer several floors of clothes. Signs vaguely indicate the contents of each stall, leaving the customer to figure out the organization of the place on their own, while informing of the low prices charged for each section. Neon lights on the ceiling illuminate most items with a bright light, but numerous spotlights are placed in several locations to highlight the top offerings or fitting rooms. Near the entrance of the store through which they came in, a small desk almost glued to the window offers a wide range of small items, candy, magazines as well as some snacks. The man who is slumped behind the cash register addresses them only a glance at the moment they enter, his magazine obviously much more interesting than the potential customers that they are.

Glancing around at the scenery before them, Micro-Ice also notes that only two other people are currently browsing the shelves, so he leans toward the four young people who are still miraculously beside him.

- Okay. Let's say we start by looking for clothes for ourselves, okay? A T-shirt and a pair of pants each, and if you can find a jacket or a sweater to go with it, that's great. As soon as you have your outfit you come and show me, you try it on, and we validate it or not. When we're good, we'll look for the other's clothes, okay?

Leroy, whose face became more and more tense as he gave his instructions, hasten to answer.

- But- What if we don't know what to choose?

- Take what you like, and we'll figure it out together afterward. If you don't find anything, I'll help you out.

- Don't we change our shoes?

Ican grimaces again, holding his leg out to show off the gray sneaker he's wearing, of which they all own the same pair.

- Nah, we don't need to change them. And I don't know everyone's shoe size, so...

- But it sucks if-

- No shoe changes! Too bad if they don't fit perfectly with your new outfit, you'll get over it. And no leaving the store by yourself or going to see the other customers. We keep a low profile, I'm not kidding.

Ican crosses his arms, clearly displeased, but nods. Even though the order was somewhat directed at him, the others are quick to nod, Sanja and Molly immediately promising to help each other while Leroy looks down the aisles with a worried look. The four kids set off in the direction of the piles of clothes with varying degrees of enthusiasm, and Micro-Ice lets out yet another sigh. He doesn't like to play the responsible parent, and even less to raise his voice to be obeyed. Even if this time he is quite happy that everyone follows the plan with a minimum of involvement.

Advancing too towards the messy aisles, Micro-Ice tries to keep his kids in his field of vision as much as possible while he starts searching the stalls. Fortunately for him, finding neutral clothes is easy, but he has a hard time estimating if he wears the same size as he did back then. He may not have grown in five years, or at least not significantly, but he hesitates about the width of his pants and the size of his jacket. He ends up betting on a pair of cargo pants that seem adjustable, two loose-fitting T-shirts and several jacket styles before slipping away to the fitting rooms.

The small side-room he discovers is narrow and less well lit than the main room. A dozen booths with drawn curtains are arranged along the walls, creating a corridor that seems strangely sordid. Arms loaded with his various findings, Micro-Ice hesitates a little towards which one to go into, and is about to try his luck on one of them when fast steps are heard behind him, quickly accompanied by not so discreet whispers.

- Hey! Micr- Uh... uuuuuh... hey? I found some stuff, can I try them out...?

Sanja is barely visible behind the pile of clothes she carries in her arms, letting only her big eyes, her bangs and her voluminous ponytail be seen. Yet, her posture and hesitation let him guess that the young girl is not very sure of herself, making Micro-Ice raise an eyebrow.

- Why are we whispering? And that's it, have you forgotten my name?

The redhead blinks slowly and he guesses a stunned look although he can only see her eyebrows frowning to gauge her expression.

- I wasn't sure that calling you by your first name really followed the "perfect discretion" rule...?

It takes Micro-Ice a second to understand, then the image of Ican screaming his name across the store comes to his mind, as well as the potential reaction of the other customers present, and he can only curse himself for not having included this rule during his instructions. Mei would have thought of it.

- You're not wrong... Hmmm. Can you go and spread the word to your friends? So we avoid a disaster? And then you can try anything you want, of course.

- Yeah, okay!

Sanja nods cheerfully, obviously happy to help him, and Micro-Ice tries as well as he can to mask the pressure that the few images that followed one another in his head put on him. Besides, he hastens to make a step towards the changing room at his side to end the conversation as quickly as possible, and he is about to invite Sanja to leave her things in one of the nearby booths before leaving to see her friends, when he opens the curtain.

His reflection takes him by surprise.

He doesn't feel himself jumping back. He does not control his two hands which come to cling to the curtain to close it with a sharp blow. His jaw clenched as his heart began to drum in his chest and his stomach tightened, freezing his body in place for what seems like an eternity. Micro-Ice takes several breaths before realizing that he is breathing too fast, forces himself to exhale slowly, and repeats the exercise several times before his mind comes out of its torpor. Blinking quickly, he notices that his hands are still firmly gripping the curtain, closed to tight on the fabric for them to shake, but still painful. Also, if his hands are there, it means that the clothes he was carrying in his arms are gone and that they are certainly-

- ... Are you okay?

Micro-Ice slowly swivels his head until he falls on Sanja. The redhead looks at him with round eyes, her eyebrows just furrowed enough that he can't tell if she's surprised or scared. Her blue eyes pass incessantly from his face to the curtain, and her posture changed a little, as if she also jumped back a bit. He feels his throat knotting up suddenly, and feels as if caught red-handed.

He never had to explain this. No one has ever seen him, no one has ever noticed, so he just doesn't know what to say.

His mind speeds at a thousand miles an hour, and ends up doing what he does best: he jokes.

- A spider.

Sanja frowns, looks at him with wide eyes, then finally nods slowly. Micro-Ice is not sure that the excuse is plausible, nor that his slightly shaky voice is very convincing, yet the girl steps back, then heads back towards the main room. She disappears behind the wall with a last glance at him, and Micro-Ice cannot help but give her a smile that he hopes is encouraging.

However, the moment she leaves his field of vision, Micro-Ice takes a deep breath and unhooks his hands from the curtain to put them on his lap. It takes him a few seconds of intensive breaths while walking in a circle to really calm the stress that rose in him, after what he hastens to collect the clothes fallen on the ground and enters the fitting room, walking backwards.

Ignoring as much as he can the cold glass pressing against his back, Micro-Ice hurriedly kicks off his shoes, removes the uniform he's been wearing for far too long, pulls the dark gray pants from the pile of clothes he's tossed into a corner of the small cubicle, and changes. Slipping into the loose fitting pants gives him a comfort he wouldn't have suspected, and when he tightens the elastic bands at his waist and ankles, he almost sighs with relief. Of course, the cargo pants are not as comfortable as his favorite pants that he wore absolutely every day, yet the similar cut is enough to bring him a sense of comfort that partially erases the panic his mind has just gone through.

He puts on one of two random T-shirts, and decides to keep it on when it falls amply against his ribs. The jackets he has selected are tested more thoroughly. All are in neutral and dark tones, but their cuts and sizes are not the same, so he takes some time to check if he is comfortable, where the pockets are, the size of the hood, the thickness of the lining... Finally, he opts for the one with inside pockets where he stuffs the money which was entrusted to him by Mei, while congratulating himself to have found a model with an adjustable hood. Still a pale copy of his favorite vest, but a nice jacket anyway.

Judging his outfit acceptable, Micro-Ice puts on his shoes and picks up his old uniform which still lies on the ground. He hesitates between leaving it there or buying a bag to bring it back when his hands pass on a more rigid part through the fabric. He discovers with surprise Sanja's glasses in the pocket of his old pants, confused to have forgotten them whereas he had recovered them only a few hours ago. In truth, he has the impression that their escape occurred days ago, so the reality-check feels a little odd. Shaking his head to keep himself from freezing again, Micro-Ice quickly stuffs the pair of aviator glasses into one of his jacket's pockets, and promises himself to return them to their owner as quickly as possible.

Coming out of his fitting room, taking care to draw the curtain behind his back, Micro-Ice immediately finds himself surrounded by the children who have taken possession of the adjacent booths. Seeing him appear, Leroy leaps in his direction, brandishing at arm's length the five pants between which he hesitates. Just beside him, Ican is busy walking along the corridor, testing the new clothes he wears with lots of concentration. The teenager squats, twists, stretches, jumps, and does a whole routine on a loop under Molly's observant eyes. The young Xyionian is now wearing a purple jogging suit and a grey starry sweater that perfectly match her blue skin and long white locks. She hastens to show him her new outfit the moment she notices him, and offers him a big smile when he approves with a thumb in the air. Ican, for his part, doesn't ask him for his opinion on the red jeans and the jacket stripped with black and white he chose, obviously very sure of himself.

Leroy is not exactly there. The little blond boy has piled up a rather impressive amount of clothes in his booth, and Micro-Ice is forced to search through it to find more casual items than the ones he's pre-selected. Doing so while ignoring the reflection that follows him in the periphery of his vision is not easy, and he must admit that he comes close to disaster on several occasions. However, by dint of negotiations and encouragement, Leroy finally accepts the combination of loose-fitting pants, a T-shirt with a humorous motif and a thick vest whose sleeves retract with a zip. That's about the timing at which Ican validates the tests of his outfit as well, depriving Molly of the show that had kept her occupied until then. So three heads turn to him in unison, and Micro-Ice feels a little unprepared for the attention.

- What do we do now? Can we go wait outside since we're done?

Wrinkling his nose at the question, which goes against the instructions he had given earlier, Micro-Ice gives Ican a disapproving look.

- What about your friends? Don't you want to choose Kylian's clothes?

- Well, not really.

- Ican, it's not a question. You go and get your buddy a new outfit, Leroy gets Haan's, Molly gets Driss' and Sanja gets Adri's.

Leroy immediately looks terrified, as if the task is impossible, while Molly nods willingly and Ican almost falls to the ground in boredom. And also, this is the moment Micro-Ice realizes that his quartet is missing a head.

- Where is Sanja? Has she finished finding her outfit?

Between the two boys who are desperate for different reasons, Molly shrugs and points to a booth with the curtain drawn.

- I think she's still trying on some stuff, she got in there before we arrived.

Pivoting on the spot to see the closed booth the redhead is in, Micro-Ice frowns, but nods. Given that the girl was the first of the kids to be ready to try on her findings, he expected her to be finished before the others. At the bottom of the curtain, he sees Sanja's sneakers, motionless, and positioned in a way that gives him the impression that she is waiting.

- Good. That doesn't stop you from starting to look for your friends' outfits. Try not to dawdle, and pick up some nice things, okay? We'll check out as soon as you're done.

The three kids present approve and leave in the direction of the main room with more or less enthusiasm, some passing against him while muttering their displeasure. They quickly disappear behind the wall and Micro-Ice sighs, disillusioned with the lack of enthusiasm but relieved that they are obeying. Passing a hand on the face to soften the tiredness which he feels returning to him, he turns now towards the cabin in which Sanja hides. Waiting a few seconds without the girl going out, he ends up leaning against the frame and taps one of his phalanges against the wall, pretending to knock so that she opens.

- Excuse me Miss, would you be ready to join your friends?

A silence follows his question, and Micro-Ice begins to wonder if she really is inside when a hand grabs the curtain from inside and pulls on it. Sanja appears right after that, leaning against one of the walls of her booth, arms crossed and and fierce look on her face. The redhead, who wears her new clothes, a blue jean, a beige tee-shirt and a pink sporting jacket, addresses an angry glance to him and a small grimace which lets him think that she is not delighted to be forced out of her hiding spot.

- Are you hiding?

Sanja frowns, obviously not happy with his question, and replies with a mean tone.

- Are you afraid of spiders?

The reply sounds more like an accusation than a real question, so Micro-Ice tries to change subject as quickly as he can, not wanting to bring back the subject of his temporary panic.

- Sometimes. What's going on? Didn't you want to show your outfit to your friends?

- They're not my friends.

- No?

- No, they're not.

- I thought you were getting along with Molly.

The redhead suddenly looks down, looking away to stare at her shoes, and shrugs strangely. A small voice finally mumbles "a bit" after a second of hesitation, and Micro-Ice can only tilt his head, undecided on what to do. He knows that Sanja is not always at the center of the group. It is even rather common for her to participate less in the others' games, or to argue openly with the other kids. He's not sure if hiding is a habit of hers, but with eight kids to look after on a daily basis, he's not sure he would have noticed.

Micro-Ice passes a hand on his neck with a sigh. He doesn't know what to do about this kind of behavior. He doesn't feel legitimate to force her to move on or, on the contrary, to give her a comfort speech. However, he knows that he cannot do nothing. So, after a short internal debate, he chooses to say what he would have liked to hear if he had been in her place.

- Do you want to talk to me about it or do you want me to leave you alone?

Sanja raises her head towards him, her face still angry but less fierce. He sees her hesitate, her eyes staring into his for a moment, before she finally wrinkles her nose and winces.

- Ican laughed at me when I went to tell him not to call you by your first name, then he spent his time in the hallway afterwards and I didn't want to see him. So I just stayed here.

- What did he make fun of? The clothes you had with you?

- Nah, he- well... Some of them say I'm your favorite, to Mei and you, so... So he mocked me for spreading the word for you. That I'm showing off and overdoing it to make myself important, that kind of stuff.

Micro-Ice is surprised at first to see Sanja so hurt by a remark that seems rather trivial, before the memory of Rocket comes back to him. He himself had had a field day when his relationship with Aarch had finally come to light, and while his own remarks had not been very mean, he remember that others had not been kind. He never really asked Rocket what he thought of it all, and right now he kind of regrets never apologizing for the unfair remarks he must have made.

- Do you want me to go talk to him about it?

- Hmmm... That would kind of prove his point, wouldn't it?

The girl answers him with a grimace that suggests he is an idiot, and Micro-Ice can't stop a laugh from passing his lips. He fears for a moment that Sanja will take his reaction badly, but on the contrary, a shy smile appears slowly on his face. The pain and anger have not entirely disappeared, Micro-Ice still sees some traces of it in her posture and in her eyes, but it is undeniable that her mood has improved.

Keeping his smile on his lips while nodding to let her know that he had taken her remark into account, Micro-Ice opts for another solution, one he should have thought of from the start.

- I see, I see. And if I offer you a consolation prize, would that be all right as compensation?

- A prize? What kind?

Micro-Ice shrugs and dips a hand into his jacket pocket. His fingers close almost immediately on a leather strap, so he only has to pull for the pair of aviator glasses to fall out of his pocket and start wiggling at the end of their headband. Sanja makes a sound so startling that he almost jumps, but the redhead immediately stands up to catch the object hanging in front of her eyes. Micro-Ice releases his grip as soon as he feels her pulling on the glasses and he watches with amusement as the girl turns her gift upside down. Sanja turns the glasses in all angles, her eyes skipping over all the details at a crazy speed. Suddenly, she raises her head towards him.

- Are those mine?!

- Of course they are, I took them before we left.

A new uncategorizable sound is heard and Sanja suddenly jumps up and down, clutching the glasses before turning to the mirror to pull the headband over her head. Micro-Ice looks away to avoid glancing into the reflection, but when the redhead turns to face him again, he sees that the glasses are now sitting on her head, neatly placed between her bangs and the top of her ponytail. Now that they are in the light and in position, the glasses look a little damaged, the leather of the fastener slightly fragmented and the lenses tarnished, yet Sanja does not seem to care in the least.

- Compensation accepted?

- Yes! Definitely! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

- You'll excuse me, I didn't take the time to get your shark though.

- Excused! I'll buy another one!

The excessive enthusiasm contrasts sharply with the state she was in a minute ago, and Micro-Ice can't help but giggle. Sanja, on the other hand, keeps her hands on her head to continue touching the accessory she has just retrieved, and which she certainly thought she had lost. Stars are now twinkling in her eyes and Micro-Ice wonders if she will have the same reaction when she will reunite with her parents and brother.

But before that happens, they have a few more errands to finish. Sanja accepts immediately to get out of the cabin, just like her mission to find an outfit for Adri. The redhead passes him with jumping steps, then disappears behind the wall where the door leads to the main room. Now alone in the fitting area, Micro-Ice hesitates for a second to recover all the clothes tried on and not chosen by his kids, just like the uniforms abandoned in the corners of each of the booths they changed in. Quickly listing the pros and cons, he ends up leaving the place with a small thought for the employee who will pass behind them.

In the main room of the store, not much has moved. The customers who were present earlier have been replaced by new ones, and next to them, he quickly counts the four heads that search the shelves for the perfect fit for their comrades. Quickly finding an outfit for Mei, Micro-Ice grabs a pair of purple pants whose cut reminds him of the one she often wore back in the day, as well as a loose-fitting t-shirt featuring a stylized dinosaur on a white background. The jacket he finds for her is not as long as the coats she always wore back then, but its cut leads him to imagine that it would fall at least to her mid-thigh. He's less sure if the somewhat drab color will appeal to her, but he hopes the roomy hood and numerous pockets will be enough to compensate.

Once the few clothes chosen and safe in her arms, Micro-Ice turns again to the children who accompany him. Molly waits patiently in a corner of the store, the outfit she has chosen for Driss neatly folded in her arms. It only takes one look at the selection for him to approve immediately, the clothes looking large enough for the Xenon to be comfortable in. The situations of Ican and Leroy are a little bit more chaotic. The little blond boy is literally drowning under the clothes he's carrying, so much so that it's even miraculous that he still manages to see the items he's grabbing. It takes a little sorting for Micro-Ice to help him organize his finds and a little patience and compromise for them to agree on an outfit Haan might like. Ican, on the other hand, walks around with a centerpiece at arm's length, comparing each item to it in hopes of finding the perfect match. Micro-Ice can't help but taunt him a bit about his method, causing a blush to appear on the teenager's chocolate complexion. It takes them a while to find a set that Ican considers "passable", but the boy still seems satisfied, although he refuses to admit it openly.

Turning now to find Sanja and finish their shopping, Micro-Ice finds her in the middle of a conversation with Molly in the back of the store, the two teenagers chatting in low voices with shy smiles. Smiling inwardly at the obvious friendship, Micro-Ice goes to meet them to make sure Adri's outfit has been chosen, and immediately approves the few clothes Sanja proudly hands him.

Finally. Finally, they're done.

The announcement is greeted with joy and relief by all the children around him, most of them are eager to get out of this place and they push him straight to the cash register, the last step before they can really cross the mission off their list.

Placed perpendicularly against the window at the entrance of the store, the desk that serves as a cash register is amply supplied with trinkets and small items of all kinds. A man wearing a polo shirt with the colors of the establishment is slumped on a chair which looks uncomfortable, completely absorbed by the magazine which hides half of his face. Behind him, large pictures decorate the wall, displaying models of different races wearing the brand's clothing in various situations. The pictures are a bit ridiculous, and the big smiles displayed by the actors make a great contrast with the disillusioned look of the salesman.

The man, to whom he would give forty or fifty years, hardly looks at him when he presents himself to the desk. To tell the truth, he takes his eyes off his magazine only to squint at the pile of clothes he's placing on the counter, and he frowns when he tells him that the clothes they're wearing are to be counted too. Placing his magazine limply on his lap, the salesman grimaces, and without saying anything, taps on the digital screen of his register. He spends long seconds observing each kid, his eyes barely open, while tapping on the screen for each item. The pattern repeats itself five times before he turns to the pile of clothes on the counter, at which point the man sighs deeply.

- Gosh... What happened to you to need so many clothes at once...?

Micro-Ice just answers with a polite laugh, but the man looks up at him, indicating that he is waiting for a more constructed answer.

- Oh- hmm. We lost our luggage on the last planet we visited and... we needed some change before we went back? You know how kids are!

- Ah, classic, classic. Are these yours?

- ... What's mine?

- The children?

- Ah! Uh- Yes, yes. They're my kids.

The man stares at him for a moment, then glances at the four teenagers at his back. His observation is just long enough for Micro-Ice to feel compelled to mimic it, and as he catches a glimpse of Molly's half-panicked, half-smiling face, as well as Sanja's desperate look, he realizes that lies are still not his strong suit. The salesman turns to him again with a particularly strange frown, so Micro-Ice hastens to complete his answer.

- You know, life, huh?

The salesman nods his head with abominable slowness, and Micro-Ice grits his teeth to keep himself from running away. Despite this, the man finally begins to scan the items waiting between them, and Micro-Ice feels himself breathing again. He didn't expect the biggest obstacle of their escape to be a cashier with an obvious lack of motivation, and yet, here they are...

Now stressed, Micro-Ice watches the clothes disappear from the pile at a painfully slow pace, carried one by one to the scanner under the counter. Feeling his feet begin to wiggle and his fingers tapping impatiently on a small part of countertop, he tries to distract himself as much as he can. Sweets lined up on the front of the desk are accompanied by childish drawings as well as slogans based on silly puns. Chocolate bars are neatly arranged in small boxes, multicolored keychains are hung on a small portico, fake sunglasses are presented on a tiny stall, caps embroidered with cute drawings are piled up. A little further on, a rack presents a complete collection of paper magazines whose covers are overloaded with information and teasing sentences that he reads fastly: "Recipe for sandflake bread", "Is love still within your reach?", "300 exercises to muscle up your brain", "Discover how to shine in society!", "Flower with batteries included", "Victory of the Lightnings - will they win the quarter finals?".

Micro-Ice feels his brain freeze, his eyes rereading the sentence to make sure he hasn't confused one word with another. Yet, he only has to look up to see Warren's silhouette on the cover and a host of other Galactik Football-related vignettes and illustrations. In one corner of the cover, a sentence written in bright orange asks "Snow Kids winners for the fourth time in a row?".

- Is there a Cup going on ? Right now?

The question is asked without him really thinking about it, as if he was giving the information to himself to really integrate what he has in front of him. However, the salesman raises his head again, his disillusioned look having faded a little to show interest.

- Heck yeah! Did you miss the start of the season? The quarter finals are supposed to start this weekend, it's been on every channel for at least-

- But then they're already playing at Genesis Stadium?

- Well- yeah, of course. But frankly, if you ask me, this year it's going to be a breeze again. I would have liked to bet on the Xenons or the Lightnings, but the Snow Kids still have their fighting spirit this season, I wouldn't be surprised if they won the Cup for the fourth time in a row!

- Are the Snow Kids still playing? They are in the quarter finals? On the Genesis?

- Yeah they are scheduled to play the Shadows on Sunday night. You should watch, they're one of the few teams that still holds their own against them, at least we're sure to have a minimum of entertainment. Do you realize some people are saying the other teams are letting them win their games now? At least we can be sure that the Shadows are not one of them!

- But... Why would they let them win? They have no interest in doing so, right?

The cashier shakes his head from left to right and leans forward to pull out the key-ring stand that sits on the counter. Behind the metallic structure, he suddenly sees the back of the cashier's screen where some signs and stickers overlap each other. In the middle of them, his face and Mei's face stand out strangely, and Micro-Ice catches himself staring at the two pictures with amazement. Both because he is surprised to recognize himself, but also because he didn't realize how much they both changed since then.

- I don't know if you've heard this story, but it was a big deal at the time. I could understand if we gave them a break or made a nice move or two to help them, but I don't think anyone would go as far as letting them win!

Micro-Ice comes out of the store with two bags in each hand and a cap screwed on his head. A second one has been added to their purchases, as well as the Galactik Football magazine he spotted earlier. He is quite eager to find Mei to share his latest findings, but also to leave this resupply station whose crowd now makes him feel somewhat uncomfortable. Unfortunately for him, they still have some shopping to do, so he rushes to lead the group to a cheap grocery store that they shamelessly empties. The shopkeeper looks way too satisfied with their purchases for the prices to be fair, but Micro-Ice estimates they have bigger problems right now.

So it is with victuals in their arms and drinkable compotes in their mouths that his little troop returns to the meeting point fixed by Mei a little more than an hour before. Approaching it triggers again a ball of stress in his chest, and Micro-Ice fears for a moment that the small corner between the staircase and the fast-food restaurant will be empty at their arrival, but he recognizes the silhouette of his teammate from afar, quickly taking the weight off from his shoulders.

Mei, for her part, is leaning against the staircase railing and scans the crowded street without stopping on them, giving him time to see the tension in her posture as well as her hands that she brings to her mouth to chew on her nails. At the moment she identifies them, when they are only a few meters from her, she straightens up suddenly and he sees her scrutinizing them from head to toe. He does not know if she observes their clothes or if she tries to gauge if they are alright, probably a bit of both.

- What took you so long?

Mei's tone is slightly reproving, but he still feels relief in the way she rushes towards them. The tall brunette hastens to pick up some bags carried by the kids while continuing to question him with her eyes.

- Yeah, it wasn't as easy as I expected, but it went well.

- Did you find everything you needed?

- Food, clothes, and even a destination if you want to know everything!

Mei stands up, bags of all kinds now hanging from her arms, and nods with a serious look on her face.

- There was a holoTV in one of the garages we visited, I think we saw the same thing.

Nodding, Micro-Ice quickly struggles with the bags he's carrying until he gets his hands on the extra cap he has in stock. Mei almost snatches the accessory out of his hands and hurriedly pushes it onto her head, letting the strands of her long bangs stick out from under the visor, her long braid pulled through the hole in the back of the hat. His friend lets out a sigh he interprets as relief before turning back to him.

- We found a ship which will easily do the trip, what do you think of leaving this place as fast as possible?

- Sure... But don't you have your share of kids with you?

- Stashed in the ship, when I realized a Cup was going on... Mice, there are portraits of us on the sports channels every ten minutes, I'm not even kidding! I've almost got thirty heart attacks since we parted, at least!

- Let's go then?

- Heck yeah we're going!

---

The small planet they find refuge on has a temperate climate and a soft light that strikes on the reddish plains that spreads all around the ship. After the long years spent in a box cut off from the world, and then the visit to the hectic anthill that was the resupply station, Micro-Ice just feels like he's in paradise. He would surely have preferred plains of white snow and mountains so high that they completely obscure the horizon, but he has learned to appreciate the rare moments of respite and that's exactly what he does. Sitting on the roof of the small ship his teammate recently acquired, he enjoys the calm, the wind, the air. The realization that they have indeed escaped catches up with him only now and to know that all the children sleep in the cabin just under him is strangely comforting.

He's not entirely sure what time it's supposed by their usual schedules, but after the reunion, the discovery of the little ship, the exchange of clothes and a light meal, the eight teenagers voted unanimously to turn off the lights. Micro-Ice knows he should do the same, and considering how his head and arms weigh him down, he had better do it quickly. But he's had a busy day, too, and he knows he won't sleep.

Somewhere in his back, a metallic sliding is heard, the noise discreet but long enough for him to guess that someone is pushing the door of the cabin with delicacy. The squeaky melody soon falls silent, then is replaced by other small jolts. Mei's head appears where the titanium ladder meets the roof of the aircraft, and the tall brunette offers him a smile.

- I tried on my clothes, check it out!

Micro-Ice smiles back by seeing her climbing the last bars in a hurry to jump on the platform where he is sitting. Mei immediately applies herself to make a few poses to emphasize her new outfit, and he is forced to notice that she embellishes them greatly. The dinosaur tee-shirt has been folded up so that it falls perfectly on the purplish pants which straight cut matches perfectly with the oversized jacket that she wears open. The coat almost falls off her shoulders, and the elastic at her waist has been tightened to follow the curve of the body that it partly hides.

- Funny, they weren't as stylish when I picked them up at the store...

- That's what we call charisma, my dear! I would have done much better with a more modern base, but it's passable!

- Did I pass the test then? Am I your new personal stylist?

- Not even in your dreams, I'll give you lessons on color matching as soon as we get home!

Mei pretends to threaten him with a stern look, but her face is so radiant that Micro-Ice can only laugh at the torture he is promised. His laughter must be communicative because his friend imitates him immediately, makes a last turn on herself, as if to celebrate one last time her new outfit, then advances towards him with a light step. Mei almost lets herself fall at his side, jostling him voluntarily to make him laugh. He expects her to move away a little, but she remains stuck against him in spite of the place offered by the roof of the ship where they are installed. Her shoulder pressed against his, Mei lets her legs hang in over the void, her hands firmly hung on the edge of the sheet metal, her chin high and her eyes lost in the horizon in front of them. Micro-Ice can't help but think that she is still as pretty as ever. Even with the tiredness which marks her face. Even with her too long fringe whose wicks slip from her ears to come to tickle her nose. Even with her long braid that hides the volume of her hair.

Yet, amidst this picture that he had once fallen madly in love with, Micro-Ice cannot take his eyes off the clear blue eyes that sparkle with joy. Seeing them like this almost erases the memory of the dull eyes his friend had for a while. Almost.

Still pressed against his shoulder, Mei straightens up suddenly and takes a deep breath, sniffing the breeze at the top of her lungs, exaggerating the line as much as possible. Micro-Ice laughs at this, lowering his head to gently mock her, so he doesn't see at once that Mei takes a more serious look before leaning on him even more.

- Hey... Can I ask you something?

What catches him off guard is the tone more than the question itself. The warm, laughing voice gets lower, softer, and Micro-Ice feels the light mood slip away as he realizes that the question is important. Still, Mei keeps her smile, and the eyes that look into his are still happy, so he tries not to worry too much.

- Technically, you just did.

- Aaah, I see. A second question, then?

- Third. Technically. But I accept your request.

He hears a laugh in his teammate's sigh as she shakes her head in amused desperation. She doesn't go on immediately, however, letting a few seconds pass before continuing. Micro-Ice doesn't know if she's having trouble formulating her question or if she's hesitating to ask it, so he waits. He gives her time.

- Are you all right?

Micro-Ice feels himself frowning, surprised. Mei tilts her head, watching him react to her question. Her eyes have dimmed a bit but her smile is still there.

- That's your question...?

- Yeah.

- But... But why?

- Because I'm interested in the answer?

- I'm good. I'm fine.

Mei tilts her head again, her smile widening a bit while the shoulder glued to his pushes a bit more. He doesn't know how exactly, but he knows she doesn't believe him.

- And for real...?

He hesitates for a moment, because he is not sure of the answer he is supposed to give. Because he avoids asking it to himself in general, also. So, instead of making knots with his brain, he keeps it simple. He tells the truth.

- I'm putting up with it.

- "With it"?

- With the good and the not so good? I just... Mei, I don't understand why you're asking me this question, I have... Did I do something?

Mei shrugs and offers him a sympathetic smile.

- No, of course not. It's just... Sanja came to see me earlier. She told me she thought you got weird while you guys were shopping, and we both know that for Sanja to come and tell me you're not well... Is it that you're not well ?

Micro-Ice feels his throat knot up and his heart clench, as if a vice had suddenly fallen on him. He didn't think Sanja would tell Mei about his almost panic attack. He didn't think he'd have to explain himself any further. And anyway, he's not sure he wants to. Ever. Not after so much time spent hiding it. Not now that they're free. Not now that things are finally going to get better.

The shoulder against his gently pushes into him, so he lifts his head to find that Mei is still smiling at him. There's something different about her, a gentleness he rarely gets, but also an invested, interested, worried energy. Because he sees it now. Mei is worried about him. Exactly as he worried about her.

Finally, maybe sharing what he's worried about isn't so terrifying. Maybe he can do it. Maybe it will help him.

Micro-Ice takes a deep breath, inflating his lungs to blow hard and get rid of the knot in his throat. His voice is no longer as confident, nor as laughing or detached, but he goes for it. With the words that come to him, awkwardly, without knowing how to confess what has been weighing on him for so long now.

- No, I'm fine. I mean, mostly I'm fine. It's just... It's just strange...

- Strange? To be out, you mean? That we're gone?

- Yeah. And... and everything else too.

- Everything else?

Micro-Ice inhales again, trying in vain to push through the stress in his stomach. Mei sees the hesitation.

- You know you can tell me if there's anything bothering you. It wasn't easy while we were back in the house since the kids were never far away but... I don't mean to pry, it's just that... If you want to talk about it, I'm here?

- Nah, it's... It's no big deal. Nothing much.

- Nothing, huh?

- It's silly, it's not even really that big of a deal, I... I don't even know why I'm fixated on it.

- Fixating on what?

- I look like my father.

It's the first time he says those words, that he states the obvious which scares him so much, and Micro-Ice naively thought that saying them out loud would have an impact. However, the stress continues to twist his stomach, the wind still blows on the plains that faces him and the shoulder of Mei remains pressed to his. He is not really disappointed, nor surprised. But he would have liked that something changes. That his mind would understand the absurdity of his terror by hearing himself say it.

Sitting next to him, Mei leans over him more, and as he feels her take his hand in hers, he guesses that his fingers have started to twitch again.

- You don't like it?

- No, it's... It's not that I don't like it, it's more that... I can't look at myself in the mirror and tell myself that it's me. It's as if he suddenly reappeared and... I don't know, it just blocks me. It freaks me out.

- I don't think I've met him before, have I?

- It's not likely.

- Oh really? Did he die before we formed the Snow Kids?

- That would give him a good excuse, but no, he's just gone.

- Oh...

- Yeah…

And therein lies the problem. His father, he didn't get to know him that much, and frankly, he'd even say that he got rid of him early on. He knows that he was born on Akilian, that he and his mother frequented each other when they were young, but he also knows that he was more interested in adventures across the galaxy than in a family life on his home planet.

Certainly, his arrival in their relationship was not planned, nor was the subsequent ice age. And even though his father had the good sense to fill in his role for a few years, he vaguely remembers a warm man who slowly got colder, until he became unapproachable. Severe, dry, and mean. Especially towards him.

He remembers especially how much his mother loved him, to the point of never seeing his faults, to the point of ignoring the mistakes, the low blows, the anger, the half-spoken reproaches. He remembers the day he left, taking with him the meager savings they had collected, and he remembers seeing her mourn his departure rather than his cowardice.

Even at five years old, he hadn't mourned much. Or missed him, for that matter. Yet his mother had insisted on keeping pictures, memories, and even counted him his hypothetical adventures through space. The truth is that Micro-Ice easily erased him from his life. His mother had a hard time accepting that.

It took a few years before the subject of his father was no longer discussed on a daily basis, and a few more before the only memory he had of him was the photos hanging on the walls. He was afraid that he would show up after the first Snow Kids games were broadcast, just like when they won their first Cup. But no, he never came back. Neither for his mother, nor for him, nor for his money, nor for his success.

So of course, finding him in his reflection was a shock. Slowly, his face started to change, letting his teenage features turn into adult ones. It didn't jump out at him right away, but slowly, day after day, little things changed. Until one day his own image disappeared completely from the mirrors, leaving the portrait of his father in its place.

The realization was terrible. Terrifying even. Especially there, in their cramped prison with nowhere to isolate himself. Without his mother to talk it out. He too was stuck in a parental role that he did not ask for. Stuck. Trapped. Just like him.

Micro-Ice inhales the warm air until it fills up his lungs, and forces his head to shut up, erasing as best he can the shadow of his father that hovers over his mind. They are not the same, he knows that. Yet he can't help but see parallels everywhere. Coincidences, repetitions. And to all this is added a terrible fear, intimately linked to the memories he has of the time his father was still in his life. A fear so deep and so pure that feels almost childish.

- I think I'm especially afraid of my mother's reaction... When she'll see me coming for the first time, I am so scared that she will be happy to see him, and then she'll be disappointed when she realize that it is only me...

The hand holding his tightened its grip a little, and Micro-Ice feels his friend rest her head on his shoulder. Almost immediately afterwards, he hears her sniffle discreetly.

- I too... I'm afraid my mother will... When I imagine our reunion, the only thing I see is my mother criticizing my appearance. "Mei, have you seen the state of your hair?!", "Mei, you could have avoided scars, we'll have to hide those!", "Mei you're only allowed to lose your smile when you sleep!"... I don't know why, but I can't imagine her saying anything else...

Micro-Ice feels his mouth twisting. He doesn't know if he is smiling sadly or if he is trying desperately not to approve his friend's fears. Mei, whom he can't see clearly because of their proximity, continues to sniff at regular intervals, and he can only notice that one of her hands goes up to her face from time to time.

It's his turn to clasp the hand on his own, and despite his shaky fingers and numb hand, he infuses the gesture with as much support and affection as he can.

- Let's just say we'll go crying together if that's how it goes.

Underneath his head, a sniffle turns into a burst of laughter, making the body pressed against his jerk.

- Hell yes, but it will be in a bar with a little bit of alcohol and no kids on the horizon. Non-negotiable!

- Deal, you won't have to offer it twice!

Mei laughs again, then straightens up. He sees her nod with a smile on her face, her hands hurrying to put the strands of her bangs back in their places. He also sees her eyes shining, but he knows that his are as well, so he refuses to make a comment. His friend inhales gently, then turns to him again. The sound of her laughter is still in her voice.

- There are some people I'm so looking forward to seeing again...

- Sinedd?

- Yeah! I... We're going home with his sister, safe and sound! And then I have... My dad, Tia... All the Snow Kids... I can't wait to see them again...

The emotion in Mei's voice radiates, passing on him like a balm to soften his pain. Micro-Ice lets out a little laugh when he feels the ease with which his friend erases the anguish that oppresses him, and he lets himself be carried away, confessing in his turn what his heart hopes to find as soon as possible.

- D'jok. I can't wait to see D'jok again... And Thran, Ahito... Akilian! The snow?!

- Oh! The snow!

- The mountains, the snowboarding-

- The faculty! The parties at Planet Akilian!

- I swear I'll eat a whole pot of Akilian sauerkraut, without any problem!

Mei bursts out laughing, tilting her head back and almost falling over.

- You and food, seriously!

- What? You have your clothes, I have food!

- Woah, all these clothes waiting for me...

It's Micro-Ice's turn to laugh at the suddenly dreamy face of her teammate. The tall brunette quickly sticks out her tongue, even wrinkling her nose to enhance her grimace. However, the mockery disappears quickly, leaving the place to a radiant face and to sparkling eyes. Moreover, Mei suddenly smirks, then leans on him again.

- Hey, wait a minute! You don't talk about it but you have other people who will be happy to see you again!

- Oh yeah? Whom?

- Aren't you in a hurry to see Yuki again?

- Of course I'm-

- And Zoeline?

- Wai- Hey! I know what you're doing, it was a youthful mistake!

- And what a youth my friend!

- Mei! I swear, the moment we get home, I'm making my choice and sticking to it!

- Oh yeah? Yuki or Zoeline, then?

- Well, you know-

- Or Artie maybe?

- Wh- But where is that-

- Nah, because I've seen you guys a little bit and-

- Mei!

- he had a really huge crush on you! And honestly, he's a cool guy, you should give him a chance! If you want I can even give you some advice and-

- MEI!

They continue to bicker for a while, each one ragging on the other until Mei beats him for good. They laugh again for a long time, sitting on the roof of the ship while the wind gently blows over the reddish vegetation around them. Their worries are quickly forgotten, replaced by the joyful horizons they had lost sight of, leaving their hearts lighter and their friendship ever stronger.

They return to the small ship as the breeze begins to get cooler and fatigue catches up with them. In the small cabin, all the children are still sleeping, their figures scattered on the floor and the seats along the walls. Some clothes have been forgotten on the ground, as well as food wrappings of all kinds, creating a merry mess. Mei and him have no trouble finding a little place for each of them, and they just have to close their eyes to let themselves be lulled by the discreet breaths and snores that surround them.

Despite his thoughts turning to their next day's destination, Micro-Ice soon falls asleep, his mind comforted enough to let his body rest.

---

The Genesis Stadium appears through the windshield of their small aircraft after almost six hours of flight.

Surprisingly enough, the huge structure floating in space perfectly matches the memory Micro-Ice had kept in his mind. The branches made of an infinite number of metal pieces shine softly, illuminated by the neighboring nebula, while the whole station is idling. A multitude of lights, ships and debris run through it, adding many colored dots to its surface. And in its center, an emerald green dome rises proudly. Even though he can't make out the stadium inside from where they are, Micro-Ice can't help but shudder as he remembers the moments he experienced there.

- I forgot how big it was!

- That's because they made it bigger, you moron!

- Nonsense! It was always like that!

- It wasn't! All that stuff over there, in yellow, that's new!

- No, it was there before!

- What do you even know about it ? You've never been out of Genesis in your life!

- Of course I have!

On the other side of the cockpit, leaning against the wall right next to her pilot's chair, Mei gives him an exasperated look. The eight teenagers rushed to join them the instant the autopilot's voice announced their approach, suddenly breaking the calm of the last six hours of flight. Most of the children had been living on the Genesis Stadium before they were abducted, so inevitably, a sense of excitement quickly took hold of the group. Unfortunately, the wonderment quickly turned to bickering as everyone commented on how huge is the structure in front of them compared to their memories they have of it.

- Who cares if it wasn't there before!

- You say that because Adri just doesn't want to admit she's wrong!

- What?! You're the one who's been wrong all along!

- So not true! Why don't you ask Mei and Micro-Ice if you're so sure!

- Okay! I don't mind asking, I'm right!

- Hey- Don't think we know the answer.

- But-

- We don't know and nobody knows! We'll ask when we get there if you want, but in the meantime, go back to your seats until we land.

Mei insists on her last words to highlight the command, causing a disappointed grunt to run through the group of the eight teenagers clustered on the control panel. Adri, Kylian and Driss shuffle off, obviously upset that they did not finish their discussion. Molly leaves with cheerful steps, quickly followed by Haan and Leroy in the middle of a conversation about places in Genesis that they can't wait to see again. Ican stays still for long seconds, observing the immense metallic star silently before joining the others. Sanja leaves last, shrugging her shoulders when she leaves the spatial horizon behind her. Having lived only six months between Akilian and the Genesis Stadium, the young girl is obviously less affected than her comrades, and Micro-Ice can only pout when she sees her once again being apart from the rest of the group.

Mei drops back into her pilot's chair as soon as the cockpit is for them only again, sighing loudly as she pulls a latch. A few buttons pressed later, the engine of their ship comes back to life, and the vehicle starts to advance towards the immense metal planet. Sitting in his co-pilot's chair, Micro-Ice can only observe the maneuvers and the progressive approach. To tell the truth, he lets Mei do it entirely, helping her by checking a few lights only when she asks and keeping an eye on the children crammed in the cabin behind them. The arguments continue in low voices, but he doesn't have the heart to go and berate them again.

The flight was long, the last few days just as much, and the apprehension of their return is starting to be felt. Because even if he tries not to think about it, Micro-Ice clearly feels the tension rising as they approach the Genesis and their loved ones. Every moment of waiting is painful and comforting, as if the radical change that is about to happen in their lives is both great and terrible news.

Or maybe he's overthinking it. Maybe.

Mei has no trouble leading them to one of the main routes to enter the Genesis Stadium, joining a line where several spaceships are piling up to get into the compound. Vehicles of various sizes and shapes are lined up to wait their turn at the various counters where an automated system sorts them by destination and function before redirecting them to the corresponding ports. It takes a moment for their little ship to reach one of the terminals, but it is almost immediately directed to the garages for private use. A system of magnets pulls them in the right direction, sliding the aircraft inside the Genesis Stadium.

They are led into the dark mouth of a tunnel, and just as the space disappears behind them to make way for the metal walls, huge signs appear on the walls welcoming them in a dozen different dialects. The messages disappear almost as quickly as they appeared, immediately replaced by noisy and colorful advertising lights. Holograms dance as their ship progresses, assaulting their eyes while reviving clearer memories of the world they lived in not so long ago. At the end of the metal tunnel, an astroport suddenly reveals itself to them.

The magnet that guides them forces them to quickly fly over the area, letting them see the few rows where colored ships are parked, quite similar to their own ship in their dimensions. Wide streets spread out between all the puggles, and Micro-Ice is again surprised to see so many people wandering through the different platforms.

Their aircraft is gently lowered to the level of the others, then magnetized again to stick to a free parking space. The spaceship's wheels hit the ground and make the entire cabin vibrate, shaking its occupants slightly, while a perky voice suddenly emerges from their control screen, telling them the fare to be paid within some time. To tell the truth, Micro-Ice doesn't pay much attention to it, since like all the others, he rushes towards the exit door the moment the ship is stabilized.

All ten of them exit more or less at the same time, forcing their way through the narrow door of the ship to jump onto the platform where they landed. Here, unlike the resupply station they visited the day before, the huge harbor gives an impression of calm. The people around them are numerous, sure, but no crowds swarm, few voices are raised, and the magnet system makes the ships' movements especially quiet. Metal arches are nicely decorated, one of the walls is a huge bay window which gives a glimpse of the space outside, pale light signs indicate possible directions, and the green and orange tones of the decor are so soft that they immediately rest the eyes.

Micro-Ice slowly spins around, both surprised and admiring. If he had not forgotten the shape of the Geneis, he had forgotten its tranquility. The over-controlled environment is absolutely perfect, thought out in every detail and more than pleasant. He still has a little trouble seeing so many people around them, and he is still surprised to see such large spaces, but it does not tarnish the rediscovery of the mythical place that is the Genesis Stadium.

A hand suddenly crashes on his head and Micro-Ice almost falls backwards.

- The cap isn't just optional, Mice!

Micro-Ice catches himself with haste while his hands cling by reflex to the cap that Mei has just pushed on his head. His teammate gives him a hard look, her own face almost half hidden by her visor, and he understands the reproach without her needing to phrase it further. He can't let himself get distracted when they're so close to their goal. With his heart pounding and his legs slightly cottony, Micro-Ice takes a deep breath and straightens up properly, immediately returning to his role. He represses the slight panic that his friend has triggered, as well as his almost irrepressible desire to observe his surroundings again, and instead he turns to the teenagers accompanying them.

- Shall we redo what we did when we left the house? Everyone between Mei and me?

He doesn't need to repeat himself for the kids to run up to them, stopping their observations and playful conversations to join them as quickly as possible. A particularly joyful atmosphere has spread through the small group, definitely chasing away the bickers that were still thundering a few minutes ago. Some of the teenagers are excitedly looking at each other, waiting for the next instructions.

At his side, Mei crosses her arms and looks up at the many signs intended to direct travelers.

- Where are we going? We could go directly to the league offices, or we could try the hotel we usually take. There's a very good chance the SKs will be there again this year.

- Hmm... Aren't you afraid of the fans at the entrance of the hotel?

- A bit. But we're in Area 12, the league is further from here than the hotel. I don't know if that's very reasonable to go all the way there.

- It's true that if we can avoid being out in the open for a long time it would be better... If people recognize us and it creates a mess, I imagine that they would come and get us quickly, but it might not be very pleasant.

- Let's go to the hotel then, if we are blocked by the fans at the entrance we will force our way in.

Mei nods to her own decision, her face suddenly serious and concentrated. She spends a few more moments observing the various signs hanging high up before turning to him, making sure he approves as well.

- Well, here we go. Kids, you stay between Mice and me, same rules as when we left the house! No wandering off, no drawing attention, and you listen to us, okay? Good. Mice, you go ahead?

- If you tell me where to go, yeah, sure.

- ... You don't know how to get to the hotel from here?

- No...? I'm not even sure what area it's in, so going back...

- Seriously? You don't know where it is either? We spent three Cups there, how is that possible?

- I had a phone and an app to guide me? And beside going to get food in the local restaurants and some walks, I didn't go out that much…

His friend rolls her eyes, looking deeply desperate, but points to one of the astroport gates.

- According to the signs, we should be able to join one of the main boulevards by passing there. After that, we walk to the TV studio district, turn right at the giant screens of the small public park and we should not be far from the hotel. I think you'll recognize the areas after that...

- Straight ahead, right at the park, and then we follow the hordes of fans, understood!

Mei gives him a depressed look accompanied by an unimpressed grimace, but she invites him to lead the way anyway. Micro-Ice passes by her side trying to show a radiant smile to annoy her even more, and pushes the teasing to the point of motivating their troops with a few silly sentences. Leroy hastens to follow suit, clutching a hand to his jacket as he laughs at his encouragements, and everyone else follows with good will. Glancing back, Micro-Ice sees Mei tailing them, closing the march. Sanja and Driss, who are just in front of her, are talking to her with big smiles, and he sees his teammate relax a little.

Despite the jokes and the good mood he projects, Micro-Ice is not very serene about leading the way. He has understood well where they have to go, and even if he is wrong Mei will not fail to redirect him quickly, but moving through the place he rediscovers has something frightening. Even if the port is much calmer than the station of the day before, it remains immense and gathers quite a lot of people. They pass near other ships, cross other people, robots, adults, children, whole families or loners. He is at first under the impression that their small group denotes too much, that the people they cross stare at them and observe them curiously, and it takes him a few minutes of walking to understand that it's not true. That the ten of them are only ordinary travelers who wander around without making too much fuss.

Breathing slowly to force himself to calm his stress, Micro-Ice advances at a steady pace but slowly enough so that the teenagers who follow him don't have to run. He avoids turning around too often for now, but he can hear the conversations in his back, and he feels the grip Leroy has on the back of his jacket. The painful memory of Haan whom he almost left behind suddenly comes back to him, and he has to force himself not to turn around and count all the heads that still follow him.

Reaching the huge exit door of the astroport is not so easy nor so quickly done. It takes them long minutes of walking to leave the main plateau, after which he has a little trouble locating the stairs that lead to the upper floor where the various exit doors and tunnels are located. They still have to cross the meeting areas where families and travelers reunite, as well as a column of cabs whose drivers are particularly vehement. However, the huge arch finally appears on the same floor as them, and Micro-Ice is once again impressed by its size.

The door, which is in truth only a dozens meters high metal arch, separates very clearly the astroport and the streets of the Genesee behind it. The avenue on which they walk seems to be a narrow corridor compared to the streets which begin to appear, without speaking about the size of the buildings of which they only see the bases from here. Around them, the crowd has compacted a little. The avenue may be wide, but many travelers pass each other in both directions to transit to or from the port, and even if they are not tightly packed, the crowd remains dense. A lot of people are crowding around them, and he is surprised to rediscover so much variety in the bodies, the faces, the voices, the clothes... In the end, the crowd which was scaring him a bit has something hypnotizing in its diversity, something fascinating even. Micro-Ice continues to advance but starts to detail the people they cross, tasting again to the normality he had forgotten.

A whole family of pale-skinned beings pull heavy luggage while whistling nastily. Young Wambases run through the crowd, repeatedly called back by the annoyed voices of their parents. A human wears a dress so sparkly that sequins remain on the ground after she passes. A young Ryker chats with a small pet robot while rummaging through his suitcase on the floor. A mother carries her child on her shoulders, the little one pointing at the arch they are approaching. A group of young people, with heavy and thick backpacks, ask their way to a cubic and grey robot which indicates with its finger a direction while smiling pixels are displayed on its face screen. Micro-Ice is about to look away when, all of a sudden, the robot takes his eyes off the travelers it was helping and looks in his direction, as if his passing interest had suddenly attracted the metal box. Frowning slightly, Micro-Ice is about to turn away from the pixelated face to avoid inviting any interaction, when the smiling design suddenly changes.

The screen on his face displays small dots dancing in a geometric pattern and Micro-Ice feels his blood run cold in his veins. A fraction of a second later, the pattern freezes, flashes, and the gray robot snorts violently. Its small round head goes down a notch, suddenly welded to the massive block which makes his body look like the shape of a refrigerator. Its arms, until then short and almost cute on its big frame, suddenly extend, as if the robot was only letting a fraction of its limbs protrude. Even his legs, which were non-existent until then, grow under him in one go, making him grow almost two meters in an instant.

Around them, surprised shouts rise, many voices murmuring their astonishment. The few people who had been standing near the robot moves away and now look at it with confusion, as if the behavior was far from usual. Micro-Ice forgets to breathe. His brain freezes, stutters, breaks down. He knows this robot. He has seen hundreds like it. He has destroyed hundreds like it. But he's only seen them back there. There's no way it's here. Not in the Genesis Stadium. Not in their path. Not now.

Behind his back, a voice calls out abruptly and the panicked tone startles him. In front of him, the robot snorts again, as if a spasm runs through it, the dots on its face disappear, and it leaps forward.

Micro-Ice is saved by a hard-earned reflex he developed during his trainings. The moment the android jumps, propelled forward by its long legs, he hastens to take a step back and pivots to swing an arm backwards. He immediately hits a shoulder that he pushes with all his strength. With his back and his arm, he manages in a single movement to take several children with him out of their assailant's trajectory.

They hit the ground with panicked screams as the metal robot passes close to his head, and he has just enough time to turn his head to the rest of the group to see that Mei has also protected her part of the group. The large gray robot barely passes over their heads, crashing to the ground just a few feet behind Mei. It lands with an unbearable metallic screech, ruthlessly shoving the few travelers who were in that spot. Screams immediately rise up around them, and Micro-Ice can only stay still, his eyes riveted on the robot as it slowly straightens up.

The robots are supposed to wait between attacks. They stand still for short seconds while dots dance on their screens, as if calculating their next move. They never move before that. They never attack before that. Micro-Ice knows this because he has seen this behavior almost every day for the past five years. And yet, today, the rule is broken. This robot doesn't wait. It slowly straightens up, then turns around, as if annoyed at having missed them. Besides, when he faces them again, no colored spot dances on his face, a sign that his calculations are already done.

Still on the ground, Leroy, Ican and Adri close to him, Micro-Ice sees the robot lower its head towards them, crouch, and leap again.

A bolt of lightning strikes, so powerful that a flash of light briefly colors the entire hallway white as the android is suddenly propelled backwards. The robot lifts off the ground and flies off, describing an arc as its body spins in the air. It lands only about twenty meters away, its fall hidden by the crowd but betrayed by the metallic crash it makes. Mei, at the end of their small group which is still down on the ground, gets up suddenly and turns towards him. Her eyes are still lit up with Breath, and Micro-Ice shivers at the panic he sees in her features.

- Mice! We have to run!

The order shouted with urgency slaps him in the face. His mind, which was too confused to see a robot in this environment he thought safe, finally accepts the situation they are in, and stops to focus on what he thought was impossible. Micro-Ice jumps on his feet, pulls Leroy's vest to make him stand on his feet, grabs Ican and Adri's arms to pull them up as well, sees Mei do the same with Driss, Sanja, Haan and Molly, and as one, they start running.

The panicked crowd hurriedly opens up to let them through, leaving the way almost clear to the arch that marks the exit of the port. Micro-Ice struggles not to let the adrenaline consume him, slowing his run to keep up with the first teens in the group, despite his heart pounding in his chest and his clenched jaw. The kids around him are running fast and keeping pace remarkably well despite their surprise and fear, but he doubts it will be enough to outrun their pursuer.

Passing through the archway finally lets them join the wider street of the Genesis Stadium. The entirely pedestrian space gathers many people but the crowd is much less compact than in the corridor of the astroport, much less panicked too, and lets them advance without them having to force their way. They are about to pass the small crossroads and continue straight ahead, following the directions given by Mei earlier, when Micro-Ice decides that it is time to look back.

Behind them, beyond the quiet people strolling down the street, the people still in the astroport seem to be moving hurriedly. The silhouettes all run to the walls, as if to get away from the center of the corridor as fast as possible. Soon, a gray carcass protrudes from the crowd, and despite the distance, Micro-Ice guesses the black rectangle on the small round head.

- Watch out!

Adri's shrill cry is so close to him that his eardrum hurts. He has just enough time to turn his head towards her, tearing his eyes away from the threatening figure that follows them, to see a second gray mass approaching them at high speed. This time, he doesn't have the luxury to hesitate. The android is already very close, so he doesn't have time to check if Mei is planning to push it away. Instead, he lets go. Micro-Ice inhales sharply, unleashes his Breath, pushes on his leg, arms his fist, and strikes. His knuckles hit the robot's screen with full force, the impact so brutal that his flux discolors on impact while the entire head shrivels under the pressure. The end of his strike pushes further on the point of impact, forcing the metal to bend in the direction he's forcing it, and throwing the droid back to where it came from.

The robot is propelled backwards with force, its initial inertia completely negated. He sees the carcass spinning, hitting the ground and then bouncing off, leaving many mechanical parts in its wake. The robot finishes its race against the wall of a building it collides with, making its body shake one last time.

A short silence resounds after the infernal crash caused by the robot, then, suddenly, frightened cries rise all around them.

A hand firmly grasps his shoulder, and Micro-Ice is pulled forward by his teammate. Resuming the race is difficult after what he knows was a last second rescue, and though he tries to get back into the right rhythm by cutting his Breath and looking far ahead in front of them, he can only see from the corner of his eye the gray silhouettes snorting and growing as they pass. Fortunately for them, the crowd continues to move out of their way, and it takes Micro-Ice a moment to realize that all these people are running away from them.

One robot jumps in their direction, high enough for Mei to hit it with a powerful lightning bolt, embedding it in a nearby building. Another attacks while Micro-Ice is already busy countering a setback, but is stopped by Driss' Furnace. The robot is left there, still engulfed in the green flux, while they continue to run around breathlessly. Molly struggles to keep up, but teleports from the back of the group to the front. Ican uses his orange flux to give himself speed boosts. Haan uses his to glide across the floor from time to time. Leroy and Adri pull each other along, their hands firmly clasped so that they help each other. Kylian is almost glued to Mei, using his red flux only to jump forward once in a while. Sanja, in the middle of the group, is running, constantly looking around in panic.

Reaching the TV studio area is laborious, but they manage to do it without too much trouble. They had a few scares, but so far they're holding up. The problem, however, is that their route is apparently rather predictable. The neighborhood is distinguished from the others by tall buildings with colorful facades whose holograms promote many movies, series or advertising. But in addition to the flashy and noisy installations, the few buildings also offer the perfect cut throat.

Several robots are waiting for them as soon as they reach the centerplace of the area, leaping from the adjacent avenues to catch them. The surprise doesn't let them coordinate their defensive moves, so each of them dodge the attacks as best as they can, which scatters their team dangerously. Micro-Ice, for his part, is forced to attack the robot that is rushing towards the head of the group. He blocks his breathing, forces the Breath to come to him and propels himself forward. He is about to slam into the torso of the robot he is aiming for when a metal arm hits his left leg before he can reach his destination. The shock is not so violent, and as he turns his head towards the assailant he didn't see coming, Micro-Ice notices that the robot didn't hit him full force but was arming to attack Mei and Driss who are right behind him. However, the shock is powerful enough to throw him directly to the ground.

Protected for the most part by the Breath, Micro-Ice takes it with a grimace, pushes on his arms, pivots and propels a kick. The robot that is now within his reach doesn't see the blow coming, and doesn't protect its legs from the kick that flies in its direction. His shin passes against the lower torso and catches the top of the metal leg exactly where it joins its body. He has to force the metal tube to give way, but it eventually flies off and lands further away, now completely disarticulated. The robot staggers for a moment and then collapses, completely off balance. Micro-Ice just has to crush his foot on its head for the robot to come to a complete stop, the sphere flatten in a spray of oil and electricity.

With the inert carcass at his feet, Micro-Ice cuts off his Breath, which the use is beginning to tire him, then turns to the others. Mei has obviously succeeded in pushing two robots back on her own, their corpses crushed to the ground in shapeless piles of mechanical parts. Another android is still standing but is entirely motionless, as if disconnected, while bright yellow flashes run through it from head to toe. A little further away, close to where most of the children are gathered, his teammate is comforting Leroy who seems more than shaken. Understanding that the boy must have used his flux to defend himself against an attacker who was quite frightening for him, Micro-Ice hurries to join them. Unfortunately, seeing him coming back to them, Mei hurriedly gets up to encourage the whole group to go on, not giving him the time to express his concern, nor the opportunity to tell her that his left leg is hurting.

The pain is annoying, but not to the point of being unbearable. The outside of his thigh where the robot hit is sore, the whole area contracting painfully with each movement, and he is forced to limp slightly to ease it. It doesn't stop him from running though, although the exercise is now much more painful than before. Micro-Ice grits his teeth to keep going as hard as he can, giving encouragement to the group. He knows that deliverance is not so far away, so a bruised leg will not be what stops him from reaching his goal. Because he knows it, in spite of the repeated attacks, the fights, the more or less enduring children and the lack of his trouble to locate where they are, he knows that they progress. Slowly but surely.

The park that Mei was talking about appears as if by magic at the corner of a building. The place is constituted of a small green plain which particularly denotes from the buildings which surround it, and proposes some benches surrounded by shrubs and synthesis flowers. All around the space, giant screens hung at a good height broadcast relaxing images, some offering documentaries while others broadcast nature images. Even if it does not have the pretension of the forest located further in the Genesis, the space remains bucolic and clearly seeks to create a calm and relaxing area for people to enjoy. Micro-Ice doesn't doubt that the effect is successful, and he would surely have spent a long time observing the vegetation he hasn't seen for so long, but seeing the people occupying it start running as soon as they arrive gives him a rather negative feeling.

- We turn right, in the street back there!

Mei pulls him out of his observation, turning to him and pointing to the space between two buildings five hundred meters away from them. Micro-Ice nods, understanding that they will have to cross the whole green park to reach the street they must take. Gritting his teeth, he hastens to give more encouragement to the teenagers running beside him, motivating the group as best he can to go faster. The truth is, he didn't expect their goal to still be this far away from them. The pain from his leg is gradually driving out the adrenaline that was keeping him going, bringing back to the surface the fatigue and stress he's been repressing for far too long. His heart is beating too fast, his breathing is too jerky, his hands are restless, his leg is pinching him and his whole body is suffering from the repeated use of the Breath. To tell the truth, he's not sure he'll last much longer, either in running or in fighting, so they absolutely must speed up. Let them take advantage of the fact that no robot is already there to block their way and move forward as much as possible.

They make it almost halfway through the now empty park before a gray figure emerges from one of the adjacent streets. Its appearance is immediately followed by a cry of alarm, then a flash of Breath. The beam hits the robot in the shoulder, the impact causing his torso to rotate, but this time the blow is not powerful enough to stop him completely. At the head of their little group, Micro-Ice sees Mei stumble slightly, and despite the cap that hides half of her face, he guesses that she too is at her wits' end.

Kylian's voice rises, then Molly's. Androids appear from two opposite directions, one coming from behind them while the other shows up from their destination. They both are pretty far away for now, but the first robot that Mei has already damaged is much closer.

Micro-Ice blocks his breathing, activates his Breath, and sprints. He swerves away from the group, veering off course to meet their nearest assailant. The robot doesn't slow down at all as he approaches it, but he sees it raising its arms, building up a blow that is definitely aiming to hit him. Micro-Ice estimates the trajectory, jumps, lowers his head to avoid a metal hand crushing his skull, and lets his whole body hit the robot's large chest. The metal curves under the shock, and he feels the android vibrate under the violence of the impact. Yet, the already damaged robot only moves back a few meters. It anchors its feet in the ground, turning over the lawn to avoid falling backwards. Micro-Ice falls a little heavier to the ground, and is happy to fall on the soft grass rather than the hard tiles he had seen from very close earlier.

Getting up is less easy. His Breath has disappeared without him even consciously deactivating it, a sign that his body is tired and his resources are running out. Still, he struggles to stand up quickly, going to his knees before getting back on his feet, frowning when his left leg refuses to follow the movement swiftly.

In front of him, only a few meters away, the heavily damaged robot remains motionless. A dark mark stains its right shoulder. Its torso is dented, steep angles digging into the smooth surface for most of its width. Its arms are flailing, as if disjointed around the rectangular block of its body. Its legs also don't move, standing straight with its feet covered in dirt and fresh grass. On its head, the screen displays a geometric pattern whose motifs dance softly. In its back, a giant screen broadcasts images of birds that seem to fly all around the motionless android. Further away, people are watching the scene, clumped against a facade as if they were safe there.

Micro-Ice smiles, happy that the machine is out, even though he didn't think so at first. He hurries to turn around, observes for a moment where his comrades are, and runs off again to catch up with them. The small group has almost reached the end of the park, leaving behind them a robot frozen by the Furnace and another dismembered in the middle of the park. He sees Mei, whose figure is at least two heads taller than the rest of the group, swivel in his direction. Micro-Ice raises an arm to indicate he's okay, then speeds up, hissing as the pain in his leg bites him a bit more. He only has a couple of hundred yards to go, something he should do quickly, but he sees his teammate stopping the teens to wait for him.

He only has a hundred of meters left to traverse when the atmosphere of the park changes abruptly. The light is suddenly much brighter and somewhere a loudspeaker replaces the bird sounds and the soft calming melody with a voice speaking in a serious and urgent tone. He makes the mistake of looking up.

The four giant screens surrounding the small park have drastically changed their editorial line, their bucolic themes suddenly replaced by a Xyionnian journalist with a sharp suit. A picture of the Genesis is displayed beside him, and Micro-Ice has just enough time to understand the words "Immediate Danger", "Containment" and "Attack in Progress" when the screen suddenly changes. The slightly blurred image of a flying camera appears, filming deserted streets that bear the trace of some clashes. Micro-Ice has just enough time to recognize the TV Studios neighborhoods they have just passed through when the image cuts again, suddenly displaying the image of his father running in the middle of a heavily damaged park. Micro-Ice sees the silhouette freeze, and it takes him long seconds to realize it's because he himself has stopped running.

Short of breath, his body suddenly on fire, he can only see the image that is displayed in a gigantic size on the four screens around the park. He doesn't see the flying camera approaching him by a reasonable distance, displaying his father's face ever larger on the holoTVs. He doesn't see that he has lost his cap. He doesn't see the oil staining one of his cheeks. He doesn't see his messy hair or the dirt on his jacket. His eyes are as if caught by the image, hypnotized by the pixels that send back to him this reflection that he hates so much. As if he was no longer on the Genesis Stadium. As if he was still back there. Cramped in the small bathroom where he barely has room to turn around. Stuck. Terrified.

He doesn't hear the deep voice of the reporter giving the list of areas to evacuate and the safety instructions. He does not hear the propellers of the flying camera circling him. He does not hear Mei screaming his name. He does not hear the screams. He doesn't hear the robot coming at his back.

The metal arm strikes him horizontally, triggering a sharp pain on his right side as his feet take off from the ground. Suddenly, the image on which his eyes were blocked blurs, tilts, and leaves his field of vision entirely. It is only at this moment that he actually realizes that he got projected on the side. He hits the ground before he can activate his Breath. The impact cuts off his breathing and the ensuing roll blurs his vision even more.

Micro-Ice does not immediately realize that his body has stopped moving. Opening his eyes is difficult, and he would surely complain about the dirt on his face if breathing didn't hurt so much. Every breath he takes is a sharp pain, quickly pulling him out of the somewhat lethargic state he had fallen into. Suddenly, he hears the screams, the voices calling his name, and he hears footsteps pounding the ground so hard that the earth beneath him vibrates.

He manages to raise his head enough to lift it off the clammy ground, then turns it to see the huge gray figure hurtling toward him. The robot moves as if its battered and burned body doesn't bother it, its long limbs moving at breakneck speed while its head stares at him, the blackness of its screen approaching as if it were ready to engulf him. Micro-Ice understands that he has very little time to react. He brings his arms up to his chest, puts his palms against the floor to push himself up, and grits his teeth as he feels his ribs set the entire right side of his chest on fire. He barely manages to get to his knees when he sees the android pivot its shoulders to raise one of its arms.

The blow comes terribly fast. The long metal limb describes a perfect trajectory for its strike to reach him the instant he enters its range, and Micro-Ice can only watch its inexorable approach. His body has stopped moving. Too tired. Too damaged. He doesn't even think of activating his Breath to soften the blow, or dodge in any way. He just watches the robot he's beaten so many times in his life come to deliver the final blow. The metal arm is about to hit his head as Micro-Ice regrets failing now, so close to reaching their goal.

The blue screen that materializes before him is so close that its energy burns his eyes. Less than an instant later, his assailant's closed fist makes contact with the shield, the shock of the impact making the surface vibrate so hard that he feels the vibration all the way to his face and chest. Micro-Ice just has time to see the surprise in the robot's position when the little flying camera that was circling him earlier crashes down where its head is, propelled so hard by a flash of Breath that both mechanisms explode on impact. Through the shield of Breath, he sees the sparkly explosion throw metal and circuitry everywhere, then the great metallic frame staggers, and falls backwards slowly. It collapses with a high-pitched squeal and raises a cloud of dirt and dust where it falls.

- I could have kicked it but- A shield is- is still a bit better than running away? Right?

Micro-Ice looks up to find Sanja beside him. The young redhead, out of breath as if she had just run the race of her life, looks at him with an expression he has trouble reading. He sees fear in her wet eyes, relief in her grin, and a little pride in the way she stands beside him. It takes him a moment to realize that the girl is referring to all the training they've shared, but also to all the times he's saved her from a robot she was just running away from. Micro-Ice catches himself smiling as he realizes that the situation has been reversed this time.

- Each their own specialty, huh?

Sanja's smile widens and she nods, suddenly beaming. Micro-Ice smiles back, then decides to get up before another attack takes them by surprise. He leans on the protective screen that still shines a few inches from his face, then pushes on his legs to go from kneeling to standing. The maneuver should be simple but it asks him an inordinate effort. The pain in his right flank radiates badly in his thorax, forcing him to cut his breath while he gets up. His thigh which makes him suffer represents only a minor discomfort in comparison, and although his leg struggles a little to follow, he manages to get back on his two feet without any help.

Breathing slowly again, taking care not to breathe in too hard, Micro-Ice lets go of the shield that was supporting him and takes a step to the side to get away from it. His left leg is a bit cottony but supports his weight without too much trouble. His right ribs do not seem to enjoy holding him up though. The pain grows with each step and each breath, and Micro-Ice reflexively puts one of his hands under his jacket to support his rib cage through his shirt. The gesture is not very pleasant, yet the pain eases slightly, making him sigh with relief.

Now standing, he has no trouble spotting the other children who have gathered against the building they were the closest to, almost joining the crowd that is watching them with fear. Closer to them, Mei approaches with quick steps, leaving behind her another robot whose carcass lets out a purple smoke. Right next to him, Sanja looks at him with a slightly worried expression, so Micro-Ice tries to give her a reassuring smile despite the pain, and even puts his free hand on her head to ruffle her ponytail even more.

- Thanks for the rescue, maybe I'll buy your shark plush back after all.

The girl grumbles but raises her head with a smile, her hands clinging to her aviator glasses which are the only thing that still holds her hairstyle. She is about to answer when footsteps are heard near them, making them raise their head towards Mei. His friend immediately looks him up and down, her eyebrows furrowed and her jaw tensed. He sees her eyes stop on his hand which is passed under his jacket before moving up to his face, and Micro-Ice struggles to put on a smile that doesn't give away too much of his pain.

- Are you all right?

- This is becoming a recurring question...

- Mice, I almost died of fright, this is really not the time! Broken ribs?

- Ah- Probably, yeah...

- Can you walk?

- I think so? We're not too far from the hotel anyway, right?

- We're not far, but we need to get moving before reinforcements arrive.

Mei approaches, places a hand on Sanja's back and offers her a congratulatory smile, before coming towards him. She takes hold of his free arm while he makes some steps, then lets him walk alone once reassured. That does not prevent the tall brunette from throwing him a hard glance, and he understands that he frightened her more than she shows. He sees her swallow and pinch her lips before nodding.

- Let me take care about fending off the robots, from now on you only fight if absolutely necessary, okay?

- I'll try but-

- Sanja, you are his bodyguard. Make as many shield as you want, okay?

The girl nods with a determined look and Micro-Ice is forced to swallow his disagreement. Mei then hastens to pull him forward to force him to walk faster and asks Sanja to go to the other children and tell them to join them. The redheaded girl runs towards the little group that still hasn't moved from their hiding place near one of the buildings they are heading to, and Micro-Ice tries not to think about the mean comments she could receive again.

- You could have told me it was that bad.

At his side, Mei walks quickly and looks at him from the corner of her eye.

- ... What?

- You told me you didn't like to see yourself in a mirror, but I didn't realize it was to that extend.

Suddenly remembering why he got caught by the robot, Micro-Ice feels his heart clench and suddenly turns his head towards the screen that was projecting the image of his father just a few minutes ago. The giant screen is sizzling, the image it displays streaked by countless black lines that make the broadcast unreadable. In its center, a bench of the park has gone through the screen and produces sprays of sparks. A quick circular glance tells him that all the screens surrounding the park are in a similar state, and he feels his anxiety slowly subside.

- I took care of those, but you'll have to avoid looking up in the next few streets, okay?

- I'll... Okay. Thank you...

- We'll figure out how to deal with this problem together, with everyone else's help, don't worry.

His friend's tone is serene, full of certainty, and Micro-Ice feels a lump form in the back of his throat at the promise. He never imagined that he would be able to solve the problem, and he is not even sure that it is possible. He stubbornly lived with it and intended to continue as long as necessary. However, seeing Mei so determined and sure of herself makes him think that it is perhaps possible, and he detects an unwavering support which makes him regret a bit for not speaking to her sooner... But despite everything, he already knows that she will do her best to help him as well as she can.

Micro-Ice doesn't answer but addresses a grateful smile to his friend. Mei also smiles at him, then accelerates her walk again, taking a little advance to join the children who approach them.

The group joins them, looking at him with worried eyes and more or less sad faces, assailing them with questions while Mei asks them not to jump on him. He does the best he can to hide the fact that he is having trouble walking so fast and that his breathing is painful. He responds to the concerns with what he hopes are sincere smiles, and leaves it to Mei to shake their troops back into action. Most of the children follow the order without asking more questions, but he can see that Haan turns his head in his direction every few meters, that Molly walks slowly to stay behind him, and that Ican has joined Sanja to stay by his side. Mei, for her part, firmly holds Leroy's hand and speaks to Kylian who follows her very closely, just like Driss and Adri who are leading them with a fast step.

The small group leaves the park with a much less sustained rhythm than before, passing slowly enough in front of the frightened people to feel their glances and to hear the murmurs. In the large pedestrian avenue where they burst in, many people run away from the street and leave for the adjacent alleys. Yet, among the groups that crowd into makeshift shelters, Micro-Ice is almost certain to hear his name and Mei's a few times.

They manage to get through most of the avenue before the first robot shows up at a street crossing. It is quickly swept away by a generator that Mei uses as a projectile, but its arrival is followed by others. Micro-Ice is forced to grit his teeth as Mei hurls several androids through the buildings, or some of the children protect them. Driss immobilizes a robot that Ican kicks away, Molly dodges a blow by teleporting at the last moment, leaving her assailant to crash into a building, carried away by its momentum. Sanja has decided to use her shields, no longer hesitating to put up preventive screens whenever robots approach. This creates some misunderstandings when some of the kids prepare to strike and are suddenly blocked by a shield, but Micro-Ice tries to encourage all initiatives before any bickering explodes.

Five robots later, they finally reach the end of the avenue and discover a square place connecting many streets. The discovery could have seemed nightmarish, emphasizing that the Genesis Stadium being far too big for them to reach their destination quickly, yet Micro-Ice is pleased to finally recognize something. Numerous bars and restaurants surround the plaza, each of them displaying names, concepts and menus with huge, colorful neon lights. Some establishments have changed, and he can't detail some that are too close to TV screens that broadcast their progress live, but Micro-Ice knows where he is. Finally. He's been to most of these places to eat, sometimes accompanied by Thran, Ahito, D'jok or even Yuki or Zoeline. He knows which ones he prefers and which ones he should avoid at all costs. But he also knows that the Snow Kids' usual hotel is only two or three streets away.

As for the previous places, the crowd that occupies it runs away as they approach, leaving the terraces deserted and disordered. They just move at their own pace, following the direction Mei points with her finger while spying on the streets where robots could appear. It is thus without any surprise that one of them appears at one of the street's entrances. Its appearance is immediately followed by an exchange through their group to decide who will take it down, then Driss takes a few steps towards their assailant to stop it before it approaches. The young Xenon loads his flux into his hands, then crouches down to force the Furnace into the ground. The emerald green flux runs to the robot, instantly freezing it in an aggressive stance.

Micro-Ice is about to congratulate Driss, whose flux control is getting better every time he uses it, when an explosion sounds, startling the whole group. Gritting his teeth under the pain caused by his reaction, Micro-Ice turns hastily towards the robot and notices that the coat of flux that was freezing it has shattered. A few surprised murmurs run through the children around him, and Driss takes a few steps back to join them as the robot starts moving again.

He is about to tell Mei to finish it off when another explosion sounds, and this time Micro-Ice manages to figure out what caused it. The gray robot staggers, struggling to keep its balance, and then turns away from its initial target to face another street connecting to the plaza. The next laser hits its head and shatters its face screen, leaving the robot to go down for good in a spray of sparks.

On the street where Mei was directing them, Micro-Ice easily spots the red jacket he has seen many times in his life.

Sonny Blackbones runs into the middle of the pedestrian street, his arm outstretched and his gun still smoking from the few lasers he has just fired with precision despite the distance. The Pirate leader folds his arm to point the gun at the metallic sky of the Genesis Stadium, taking no chances of hitting anyone, and accelerates his run. At his side, Micro-Ice vaguely recognizes some of the Pirates he has already seen during his more or less authorized excursions in their quarters, yet all his attention remains on his best friend's father.

There is something strange about seeing a familiar face again, because it is obvious that Sonny Blackbones has not changed at all since the last time he saw him, and yet he feels like he is somehow rediscovering him. His former idol has kept his blond hair, his strange beard, his serious stare and his red jacket, but he seems slightly unreal, as if out of a dream. From the way Mei jumps at the sight of her former father-in-law, Micro-Ice is pretty sure that the man is in fact absolutely real.

The Pirate joins them with a few long strides, nodding as his eyes pass quickly over them all. He slows down just enough to approach Mei at a more reasonable speed, causing the children to back away from him, seeing him only as a man with a gun. Micro-Ice is quick to respond with reassuring smiles to the worried looks he receives, and slowly walks over to his teammate who is now hugging the old Pirate. Sonny and Mei exchange a few words that he doesn't hear before the newcomer lifts his head in his direction and offers him an amused smile.

- I owed you a rescue, right?

Micro-Ice chuckles, then winces as he feels his ribs complain under the pressure of the air in his lungs. Right in front of him, Sonny wrinkles his nose before coming closer to put a hand on his shoulder in a gesture that is meant to be reassuring. Sonny may be taking advantage of the proximity to check him more closely but Micro-Ice isn't absolutely sure, so he answers with a smile he hopes is more sincere than tense.

- I must be entitled to some serious interest by now, any chance of a premium rescue?

- Considering how long we've been looking for you, you're entitled to the whole package, kiddo, you can trust me. The rest of the cavalry is on its way and other teams are setting the stage for us, but I have to admit you're taking us a bit by surprise.

- Shit, that bad?

- More or less. With the Cup we have quite a bit of manpower on the Genesis, but we haven't had much time to get organized between the TV alert and now. By the way, you scared the hell out of everyone earlier, Artie almost fainted. Not to mention D'jok.

Micro-Ice winces again, but not because of his ribs this time. A pang of guilt and shame twists his stomach, making him swallow. The hand on his shoulder serves him briefly as Sonny gives him one last kind smile.

- We'll take care of you now, you'll be fine.

The hand on his shoulder lets go and Sonny takes a moment to greet the children who look at him warily, as do the other Pirates around them. He hears the man count in a low voice, then nod, before bringing a hand to his earpiece. The phrase "We got them all" is uttered with a sigh of relief, then followed by silence. Sonny nods a few times, asks a few questions aimed at his interlocutor, and finally drops his earpiece and turns to his men.

- Let's go, Artie's waiting for us at the rendez-vous point we've set. Bennett, you lead the way with Lance, the rest of you take your places as escorts, I don't want any more injuries.

The small group of Pirates nod in agreement before the men take their positions at varying rates. Mei takes advantage of the short time of organization to move closer to Sonny and Micro-Ice, turning to her former father-in-law with a frown.

- Where are you taking us? To the Snow Kids' hotel?

- Somewhere safe, in one of our underground hideouts.

- Wha- But why? We only have two more blocks to go to the hotel!

- Not a chance. I'm sure you're eager to see your friends again, but we'll take you where we have one hundred percent control of the terrain, especially if the security bots keep jumping on you like they do. The Snow Kids will meet us there too.

Mei's annoyed look doesn't go away at all. Still unhappy that their original plan is changed a few steps away from its success, she raises her chin and is about to retort again when Micro-Ice cuts her off.

- Wait- are you saying these are security robots?

He points to the carcass a few steps away from them from where a few sparks are still flying where its head got damaged. Sonny follows his gesture with his eyes, then nods.

- Yeah, new models. The Technoid lost their military rights three years ago, their patrol robots were replaced by these. We've never had to complain about them until today. By the way, try to stop using your fluxes from now on, it will avoid attracting more of them while we escort you, okay?

Beside him, Mei recoils, her anger suddenly fading to confusion.

- But... How is this possible?

- How is what possible? They only attack you because you're using your fluxes, if you'd joined the hotel without using them you could have-

- No, no, not at all! Those robots were where we were, we've been training against them since we were kidnapped!

- Excuse me?

- Ask Micro-Ice and the kids, we've faced hundreds of these robots!

Sonny turns to him, his face suddenly much more serious, so Micro-Ice nods quickly.

- Well- They were dumbed down, but yeah, they're clearly the same model. And also, they attacked us first when we got here, we didn't plan on using our fluxes to get to the hotel...

The leader of the Pirates looks at him for a moment, frowning even more when some of the children around them approve. He looks at Mei again, then turns to one of his team members. The tall blond man with his hair partially hidden by an hat and big red glasses shakes his head vigorously.

- If it turns out that these robots have been evil all along, I want to state that I always found them suspicious!

- Bennett, it doesn't make sense, why would they- How did you get here? Did you escape or were you let go?

Micro-Ice is surprised at the tone that has become urgent and concerned, so he answers as quickly as he can.

- Escaped! We didn't-

- What did your captors look like? Any particular species? A uniform? A way of speaking?

- Wh- no- We never saw anyone. There was a voice in a speaker and everything else was automated-

- Where was it located? On the Genesis or somewhere else?

- No, it was in a corner of Zaelon, we stole a ship and-

- What sector? Around what planets?

- Uh- I-

- It was near small planets. Nemeris, Antibus, Qualios... The base was hidden in an asteroid belt.

- Cassiopeia sector. In the Flux Society area?

- Yeah, that's it, exactly! We almost went there directly to ask for help!

Sonny's jaw twitches and the man takes his eyes off Mei to turn back to Bennett. The tall blond man makes a particularly pronounced grimace while shaking one of his hands, as if the information he just heard was particularly disastrous.

- Oh goooosh! If the Flux Society used you to train their revolutionary super robots, we're in for one hell of a political mess again...

Micro-Ice opens his mouth to answer that there's no way the Flux Society would have kidnapped them, but he immediately closes it. At his side, Mei turns her head towards him, looking incredulous.

- But what would they gain from-

- I'm not saying that the whole Society made the decision unanimously, but they do have a guy who was in charge of the "cool robots against unauthorized flux uses" project, right? And, I mean, the ten of you do represent a nice amount of fluxes to study if they wanted to strengthen their machines.

Bennett shrugs, as if the conclusion is absolutely obvious to him, and in front of them, Sonny freezes and his eyes get unfocused, clearly thinking about what his teammate just said. Micro-Ice doesn't know what to think. The Pirate could be right, but the conclusion seems far fetched with so little information. And yet. He had always believed that the robots were there to train him, that the pauses between each blow were to calculate their next attack, to challenge him. But what if it was the other way around? What if he was the one teaching the robots to fight against the Breath? To compile his movements, to predict his attacks, to recognize his strategies. An average user of the Breath would not stand a chance against any of the robots he fought today, and even he has been fooled many times.

By taking all ten of them, they were able to observe seven different fluxes and see the development of the Breath when pushed to much higher levels. None of Mei's lightning bolts critically damaged a robot with a single shot. He had to put a lot more force into his hits to damage the frames or destroy the weak points he knows by heart. The fluxes of Leroy, Driss and Sanja are only temporary solutions. And that's despite their years of training, their group work and their knowledge of the enemy.

Irregular flux users wouldn't stand a chance.

Micro-Ice is brought back to the present moment when his quickening breath presses into his ribs, causing him to wince. Beside him, Mei stares at an invisible spot on the ground and the children have gathered around them. He feels several hands grabbing his jacket, and he also sees some of the kids chatting in low voices, their tension noticeable in their tone. He's about to approach his teammate to make sure she's okay when Sonny Blackbones shakes his head vigorously, suddenly turning around and resting a hand against his earpiece.

- Artie, we have a problem. ... No, I think we're going to have a lot more resistance than we expected. ... I'll explain later, but I think the security bots will do their best to kill them before we can get them to safety. ... Yeah, exactly. ... Okay, not surprising. We'll do as planned for now, we'll advise.

Several of the teenagers around them turn to Sonny in unison, making the worried whispers die. Mei still has her eyes fixed on the ground. Micro-Ice, on the other hand, feels his mouth suddenly go dry.

- Kill us? You think they'd go this far...?

Sonny lets go of his earpiece and turns to him with a frown.

- Did they give you the impression that they wanted to apprehend you calmly so far?

Micro-Ice shrugs but nods briefly, signifying to the Pirate that he understands while suggesting that he doesn't have to explain any further in front of the children, who look much more worried than before. Sonny must understand, because he gives them a reassuring smile and adds that they are "in good hands now". From the way most of the heads turn toward Mei and him, Micro-Ice takes bets that they're not convinced.

The departure of their small well guarded troop is given right after that. Mei shakes herself out of her absence, unhooking her eyes from the ground while inhaling noisily. She then comes to walk at his side, so that they remain in the center of the group of children, but also of the armed men which surrounds them. Sonny distractedly tells them that about fifteen robots are posted in front of the Snow Kids' hotel now, waiting for their arrival, which is why they go in the opposite direction. The plan is to move as quickly as possible before the machines, or the people piloting them, realize that they have changed course.

The beginning of the journey goes well. Micro-Ice struggles to keep up despite Mei's occasional support and the hands still holding his jacket. He still tries to walk as fast as he can, lowering his head as soon as a screen appears on the surface of a building. Sonny's men are efficient and organized, the crowd of passersby has become more curious since the appearance of the most wanted man in their galaxy, but they manage to make their way through without any problems. The flying cameras are shot down the moment the roar of their wings is heard, preventing the broadcast of their progress through the Genesis Stadium neighborhoods.

However, what was supposed to happen happens, and security robots begin to follow their trail. The first one to find them tries to jump over the armed line and crash into them, but the attack is repelled in time by perfectly placed lasers that force the android to deflect and then crash into a wall. The following robots are less easy to stop. Several gray machines appear at once and launch more or less coordinated attacks, then others arrive again and again.

To tell the truth, Micro-Ice doesn't really know where they are anymore. Around them, swarms of lasers shoot out, their electric sounds whistling in his ears as explosions farther away make the air vibrate. Many voices scream in the midst of the chaos, but only one of them thunders with force to guide the others. At least one robot must have caught fire because a purple smoke begins to blur their view as the smell of burnt metal and plastic wafts violently through the air. Soon they are forced to run, blindly following the voices that guide them through the storm. So Micro-Ice follows. Despite the pain, the total loss of control over the situation and the almost irrepressible urge to count the children around them again. Mei has grabbed his arm and is pulling him forward, and he hears her yelling repeatedly to keep his head down. He doesn't immediately realize that they are leaving the streets of the Genesis Stadium. They pass through various doors, then down stairs lit by neon lights far dirtier than the artificial daylight of the Genesis. Suddenly, the thunderous sounds of the fights are muffled, as if filtered through thick walls, and Micro-Ice finally lifts his head.

In front of him, Sonny's red jacket stands out very clearly on the cemented corridor in which they are running. A glance around tells him that most of the Pirates who accompanied them are no longer with them, but also that the eight teenagers are still there. Mei pulls him a little harder and Micro-Ice almost stumbles on the stairs that suddenly cut out under his feet. They go down again and again, running down the dilapidated stairs at full speed.

Sonny only slows down when they reach a larger floor in which none of the dim lighting suggests any additional stairs. The whole group slows down and the voices that had been silent until then begin to rise. Micro-Ice partially hears Sonny talking in his earpiece, Bennett making some derogatory comments and the children at his side conversing with tones of wonder or fear. He painfully struggles to catch his breath. His legs continue to walk by some miracle, surviving the burn that bites his left thigh with each step. His ribs, for their part, counter every attempt of deep breathing with a piercing pain, leaving him panting much longer than he should. Mei's nails dig into his jacket and press on his biceps. His eyelids grow dangerously heavy at times, fatigue blurring his vision and making his posture wobbly. He makes abstraction a maximum. He drives out all the negative feelings, fixes the red coat of Sonny Blackbones, and follows. Painfully, with difficulty, but he holds on.

At the bend of a corridor made of cement and metal, finally, silhouettes wait for them.

The Pirates' hideout looks exactly like he expected. The room is not huge, just big enough to contain the team of about ten people who occupy the place, some cabinets, surveillance screens placed on one of the walls and the associated consoles just below. The whole room is held in a more or less organized mess: cables of all kinds run on the floor, a living room has been fitted out with old faded furniture without the slightest effort of matching, and spotlights have been taped roughly to the ceiling and the walls to light the space... Micro-Ice couldn't have dreamed of anything better.

Their arrival is followed by several silhouettes coming to meet them, and he only recognizes Artie when his friend has almost joined him. His friend has not changed much, his hair is a little longer, his beard is not the same style and he is no longer wearing his usual khaki jacket, but he would recognize the cheerful smile anywhere. Before he can even straighten up properly, Micro-Ice sees his friend approaching and arms wrapping around his shoulders in a hurried embrace. The force of the hug almost takes his breath away, blurring his vision a bit for a moment, yet he rushes to return the gesture as infinite relief pours through his veins. If seeing Sonny Blackbones again felt somewhat unreal, seeing Artie again finally gives him that certainty of being back home.

- Do I get to keep this hug in my memories or are you going to erase it as soon as you're done?

His tone isn't exactly what he wanted it to be, and his choppy breathing dulls his joke a bit, yet he feels Artie chuckle in his arms before pulling back. The young Pirate's face is smiling, though he detects a hint of concern in his eyes.

- I'll let you have it if you promise to leave the robot fighting to the qualified people!

- Deal! Take them all! I've had my fill...

Artie laughs again, and beside him he hears Mei laughing as well. The Pirate turns to greet his teammate, giving her a quick hug and an ever so cheerful smile. The kids beside them quickly moved past Artie to observe the screens hanging on the wall. Several camera angles show that battles are still raging through the streets of the Genesis, and the Pirates present are busy feeding information to the teams on the field. For his part, Sonny is in the midst of a discussion with other Pirates whom Micro-Ice does not know, obviously busy sharing knowledge of the situations.

Micro-Ice observes the exchanges between the small team of Pirates present when a new wave of fatigue hits him. He feels his eyelids getting heavier while his injured leg weakens. Without Mei's hand to hold him, he struggles a bit to stay upright, and staggers slightly before catching himself while gritting his teeth. His chopped breathing strangely feels more uncomfortable than it was a moment ago, just like the pain in his ribs which forces him to pass his hand under his jacket to try to calm it a bit. The wave of tiredness disappears as abruptly as it fell on him, leaving him a little disoriented. He thus discovers belatedly that his two friends are turned towards Sonny who is in fact speaking to them.

- ... on the way. So for now, you wait here, Corso will be able to tell me more. I'll keep you posted.

The leader of the Pirates turns around without waiting for an answer, crosses a part of the hideout and disappears behind a door, accompanied by some members of his team. Passing a hand over his forehead, Micro-Ice tries not to show that he doesn't know what's going on and looks around the room again. Some of the kids are still in front of the screens, others are chatting with Pirates. Some members of Blackbones' team are talking into headsets connected to computers. Bennett walks over to talk to Artie. Mei looks in the direction where Sonny disappeared. The old couch at the back of the room is empty. He barely realizes that his legs have started walking again, taking him in a straight line to the questionably colored couch.

- What are you doing?

He doesn't bother to turn around to answer his friend. In fact, he doesn't answer her at all. He arrives near the sofa rather quickly, hesitates a moment, wondering which position would accommodate his various wounds the best, and ends up sitting down slowly then letting himself fall on his left side. The seat creaks under his weight, and he hurriedly shifts to his back as his thigh makes contact with the fabric. The couch is just big enough for him to lie down on it, although his head is stuck against one of the armrests. His whole body sighs with relief the moment he is settled, his breathing slowing down a notch.

He sees Mei approaching the couch and leaning slightly over him. From this angle she looks even taller, so Micro-Ice can only wrinkle his nose. His friend smiles and shakes her head.

- You don't leave a place for the others?

- First arrived, first served...

- Hmm. I feel like we might have been hanging out with kids for a little too long.

- Speak for yourself!

Mei shakes her head again, waving her long braid behind her. She's lost her cap so the strands of her bangs fall over her nose and cheeks, barely hiding her sparkling eyes. Because yes, in spite of the tiredness on her face, the dirt on her pants, and the oil on her jacket and her tee-shirt, he finds Mei absolutely radiant. As she never was back there. Almost like she was before. Almost.

- Okay! You get the couch for fifteen minutes and then it's my turn.

- Ma'am, yes, M-

- It's a good thing, too, because I really wanted to talk to Artie, just to check out a few theories.

- Mei-

- Kisses, rest well!

Mei turns around so fast that her braid describes an arc around her, and if Micro-Ice wasn't so tired he would have stood up immediately to avoid the monumental fiasco he feels coming. His friend turns back to him after a few steps, giving him a wink that he accepts as an excuse for her teasing, though he sticks his tongue out in revenge. Mei smiles even more, and is about to turn to the others for good when she stops, facing him one last time.

- And don't fall asleep!

Micro-Ice looks up, wincing at the reproachful look Mei gives him. It's as if they had not received the same lessons from Dame Simbai on first aid, on how to behave as a helper, or as a victim. He would never let himself fall asleep, he would never let himself make such a stupid mistake.

- I'm not stupid, thank you!

His friend tilts her head and purses her lips, as if to say "a little bit", before addressing him one last smile and going to the others for good. Micro-Ice grimaces again, but smiles back, his heart lighter after the friendly interactions he enjoys sharing with Mei. He watches as his teammate joins the Pirates who are talking with the kids. The teens turn to her with big smiles for the most part, the anguish of their escape already gone for some of them. Others, like Leroy and Kylian, prefer to come near her to discuss. He sees the little blond boy frowning and looking around the room, and when his eyes stop in his direction, Micro-Ice waves a hand and smiles to reassure him. Leroy's shoulders relax a bit, and the teen returns the smile, turning back to Molly to chat.

Micro-Ice spends a moment observing the small group that mingles with more or less ease with the Pirates that surround them, just like Artie and Mei who talk while pointing at some screens. He doesn't feel much the wave of fatigue that passes over his body again, dissipating the little adrenaline he had left. His breathing slows down, his muscles relax, his heart calms down. His eyelids close and he doesn't realize that they don't open again, letting him slip into a sleep he didn't expect.

He opens his eyes again without realizing that time has passed since he closed them. His vision is not very clear though, and his body feels numb against the creaking cushions of the sofa. Voices are still chattering around him and the same dull ceiling faces him, the armrest pressed against his head also eating up part of his field of view, as does the back of the sofa to his right. It takes him a few seconds to notice that the blue neon light fixed above his face was not there before. Moreover, he realizes that the neon is not neon, that the light bar is in fact much lower than the ceiling, and that color variations run along its entire length. Micro-Ice frowns, and starts to search his memory to find where he has seen a similar object before.

A sharp pain strikes his right side, bringing him violently out of his lethargic state. His body jolts from the pain, making his eyes widen as his left hand jumps on his ribs. He raises his head as his hand grabs another, and Micro-Ice suddenly finds himself face to face with someone he hasn't seen in a very long time, but which he only takes a moment to recognize.

- Did I hurt you? Excuse me, my scanner is not as effective as I would like it to be given the layout, I had to check for myself. Glad to see you're awake.

Dame Simbai is sitting on a small stool right next to the couch, leaning slightly over him with one of her hands resting on his stomach and the other gripping a thick digital tablet. Micro-Ice blinks a few times as the sting of pain in his ribs gradually dissipates, letting his breathing subside as well. He watches the soft smile, the long brown hair and the uniform that has remained the same, his numb mind putting together all the information at its disposal at its own pace.

- D- Dame Simbai...? But- When did you arrive? Did I fall asleep?

- You slept for a good hour according to Mei, we joined you a little less than twenty minutes ago. How do you feel? Do you have any particular pain, dizziness, or even a-

Micro-Ice is no longer listening. He turns away from the sweet smile and looks around the room, frantically searching for his teammate while cursing himself for having been fooled by his own fatigue. Among all the silhouettes present in the Pirate's hideout, which seems very cramped now, it takes him a moment to locate the brown fringe and the pale skin. Sitting on the floor against one of the metal cupboards, Mei is surrounded by some children and other interlocutors with whom she is chatting softly, her face low while her hands are busy plaiting her long braid. The moment his eyes fall on her, the light blue eyes rise in his direction, and he sees his friend's whole body jump. Mei gets up in a second, pushing without care the few silhouettes on her way, and joins him in a few strides. He doesn't expect the flick that painfully hits on his forehead, nor the voice full of annoyance that follows his hiccup of surprise.

- You stupid!

- Ah-

- Do you even realize what you did?! You could have died!

- But I didn't-

- "I'm not going to fall asleep, Mei, I'm not stupid!" Suuure! You big dumbass!

A second flick lands on his forehead, and this time Micro-Ice decides to accept the sentence. His hands still come to cover the area that his friend seems to favor, gently massaging the impact points to dissipate the slight pain. Crouching down next to him, Mei's eyebrows and nose are furrowed as her mouth forms an awkward arc. Her eyes shine with anger and Micro-Ice suddenly wants to make himself disappear.

- Sorry, I didn't even notice…

His friend lets out a long sigh and her angry pout relaxes a bit. She is about to speak again when someone else approaches behind her with quick steps, making her turn around and look up.

- He's woken up?

With short hair and a worried look on his face, Micro-Ice recognizes Sinedd more by his tone than by his face, leaving him speechless for a moment. Mei, though, nods without hesitation, and straightens up when Sanja approaches behind her brother. He has hardly the time to see the face full of relief of the small redhead that a head emerges just above his, appearing over the back of the sofa.

- Oh damn! You good? Are you okay? Is he okay?

Thran's face turns to him, then to Mei, then to Lady Simbai over and over as vague answers are given, and Micro-Ice feels his brain freeze, stutter, disjunct.

- But when did-

- D'jok!

Mei's voice thunders loud enough to echo a bit in the metal and cement hideout, and without any surprise, a slight commotion follows her call. Behind Dame Simbai a few silhouettes shift abruptly, matching the rhythm of heavy footsteps tapping on the floor, and another red head appears. D'jok runs straight towards Mei, worry painted all over his features, then violently turns in his direction. Micro-Ice sees the big green eyes staring at him for a moment, then a big smile explodes on his face, accompanied by a burst of surprised laughter. His best friend doesn't waste a second to run towards him and almost throws himself to go down to the sofa's level and literally falls into his arms.

The reproaches of Dame Simbai are barely covered by the laughter that rings in his ears, laughter that Micro-Ice has no other choice than to reciprocate, the emotion too strong to do anything else. He feels the arms of his best friend between his back and the sofa, his hands pressing them against each other with so much enthusiasm that he hardly feels his ribs burning. A myriad of "Are you okay?" and cheerful rude words mingle with the bursts of laughter. His hands clutch the jacket that hangs heavily over him, and Micro-Ice nods into the shoulder that is crushing his nose.

Dame Simbai has to raise her voice to get D'jok to agree to let go and let him rest on the couch cushions again. His best friend openly complains that they aren't allowed a little more time to reconnect, but Micro-Ice is already turned to the faces that have appeared around the couch while D'jok was hugging him. Tia and Rocket offer him big smiles from the foot of the furniture, Mark waves to him, tiptoeing behind Ahito who has joined his brother on the backrest. The goalkeeper is already asleep but just seeing him again feels insanely good.

A joyful cacophony suddenly takes place around him, D'jok's complaints having disappeared when he realized that Dame Simbai would not let go. His best friend is now kneeling on the edge of the couch and talking to him at an incredible speed, his sentences blending together because of the excitement, and Micro-Ice is trying to decipher at least some of it. Thran talks with interest to the healer, his hands fidgeting on the blue scanner still floating above him. Rocket and Tia have been joined by Artie, with whom they are chatting quietly, while Mei and Sinedd are leaning over Sanja, who is telling them something with hand and arm gestures.

To his surprise, screams suddenly break the good-humored exchange, and Micro-Ice feels his whole body tense up. His first instinct is to turn to Mei, who he sees spinning around, and then, a second later, the imposing figure of his best friend is suddenly pulled back to leave the way clear for newcomers.

Leroy and Ican fall on him with their faces full of tears and trembling lips, each one stammering absolutely incomprehensible sentences to which he tries to answer as well as possible. Molly, Adri and Haan choose to pass their heads over the back of the sofa, while Kylian and Driss appear on the side of the armrest stuck to his head. He is very quickly assailed with questions and comments that he hardly hears through the noisy cries of the two boys who cling to his jacket, so Micro-Ice tries to reassure everyone at once while ignoring the amused laughter of his friends.

Sanja is left aside once again, so he makes sure to turn to her with a big smile, and bursts out laughing when the teenager jumps, then runs to join them as well.

---

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---

Epilogue: Three days later

Micro-Ice is awakened by the automatic light burning his eyes.

One of his arms immediately rises to protect his face while he groans with discomfort. The sleep dissipates slowly and he lets himself be rocked for a few moments, the time to really accept that his night is over. He catches himself listening closely, looking for the grumbles of the children who must be just as unhappy as he is to be woken up.

It takes him a moment to realize that if he hears an engine, and the surface he's lying on is soft, it's because they're not back there anymore. And therefore the majority of the kids are no longer with them either.

Pulling his arm away from his face with a sigh, Micro-Ice tilts his head and turns to the seat opposite to his. The shuttle seats may be particularly spacious, but Mei sits curled up in the corner of hers, half-hidden under a blanket and facing the large glass window that cuts out just behind her makeshift bunk. Through the tempered glass window, Micro-Ice guesses a grey sky through which no star is visible anymore, the galactic horizon that accompanied them so far now well hidden behind the clouds. Realizing that they have arrived at their destination, Micro-Ice slowly rises up, gritting his teeth as his ribs burn, and leans out his own window to admire the view.

The wing of the ship that stands just below the window stirs the wind with force, creating gusts where very fine flakes draw white lines. Further down, a valley circled by several mountains stands out in the middle of an ocean of white, and he can easily guess the numerous dwellings thanks to the dark roofs. A little higher on the mountain pass, the green rectangle of the stadium contrasts very strongly with the colder tones which surround it, and this despite the distance.

Micro-Ice watches the snow fall on the landscape and thinks that he will surely be more emotional when he'll seeing it from ground level.

Turning again to Mei, he sees that his teammate is still absorbed by her observation so he decides to leave her alone. Not very far, on one of the benches closer to the cockpit, Sanja has her nose plunged in her cellphone, her face more illuminated by the screen than by the newly lit ceiling lamp. The girl looks up when he turns to her and offers a small wave and a smile before diving back into her screen. Seeing her like this causes Micro-Ice to reach into his jacket pocket and pull out his own device, and while he squints when the screen lights up brightly, he is quick to turn it off when a bubble tells him he has over three hundred notifications in waiting.

Because yes, as joyful as it was, reuniting with their friends, the Snow Kids staff and the Pirates was intense, but got cut short. It's not that they were kicked out of the Genesis Stadium, not in those terms anyway, but the management preferred to politely ask them to return to Akilian while everything was cleared up. Whether they were attacked by the security robots wrongly or not. He doesn't have much information about the details, but he knows that Sonny is already sorting things out at the Flux Society with the support of the Technoid and Brim Simbra, and while he's not sure if the Pirate leader has found the place they escaped from yet, he's sure it shouldn't be long.

As a result, the children who lived on the Genesis were returned to their respective parents, and the three of them were kindly asked to return to the icy planet. Not that he's not happy to see his home planet and his mother again, but being forced to leave his friends right after finding them again so recently does leave a bitter taste in his mouth.

Not to mention the fact that he has some worries about seeing his mother again. Just like Mei for that matter.

They didn't talk about their doubts to anyone, and honestly they didn't really get the time to do so, just as they didn't have time to say goodbye to the children who accompanied them these last five years, nor to call their respective parents. They could have talked about it in one of the many group conversations created on various apps, but then again, the Snow Kids, the Staff, the Pirates... All are so happy to see them again and to solve the mystery of where they had been, and because of whom, that to tell them the few anxieties and worries they have developed over the past years is not so easy.

And also, Mei did not say anything, so he did not say anything either.

An engine noise rumbles through the cabin, and Micro-Ice glances out the window to see that the shuttle carrying them has already reached the mount level. In front of him, Sanja pulls her nose out of her phone and jumps towards the window with an exclamation of joy, and he and Mei exchange a tense look.

The rest of the descent is done in just a few minutes, and their ship lands in the snow with a final roar. The hull barely moves during the landing, a testament to the aircraft's level of technology, and almost immediately the side door opens to let them descend to the Akilian astroport. Sanja exits first, jumping towards the exit with a huge smile while his friend and him don't move an inch.

Shouts of joy resound outside, and Micro-Ice refrains from glancing at the window behind him, preferring instead to turn to Mei and start to stand up slowly. The tall brunette imitates him and comes to pull him by the arm to help him out, using him as an excuse to delay the moment she has to go outside.

In the end, the reunion is not so terrible.

His mother jumps up to hug him, going from laughing to crying every other sentence while her hands ruffle his hair and her mouth talks on its own. He tries to return the enthusiasm as much as he can, but he can't help but wait for the reflections on his physical change and his resemblance to his father. Yet his mother talks on and on for long minutes, and the comments never come. Glancing to the side, he sees Sanja in the middle of a discussion with her parents, the teenager jumping up and down while her father holds her hand and her mother listens with a fond smile. On the other side, Mei is also in the middle of a discussion with her mother, but the tall brunette is smiling softly as she holds her mother, so he feels that she too does not see her fears coming true.

After that, again, they are dragged into their respective families without being askedabout their opinions. The little redhead disappears around a corner and forgets to turn around to wave goodbye, and Mei follows her parents to the car that is waiting to take them back to their house in town. She gives him a last tight smile before disappearing into the vehicle, and Micro-Ice grits his teeth a bit as he follows his mother down the road leading to the Planet Akilian.

A few customers are present in the big pub when they arrive, and Micro-Ice is welcomed by a few hugs and congratulations before being pulled towards the upper floor to join his mother's apartment. Up there, she tells him a thousand and one stories while preparing all the dishes he loved so much when he was a child. His mother talks for hours, not very disturbed by his lack of answers, and obviously very motivated to make him catch up on everything he has missed since his disappearance. Micro-Ice, for his part, tries to get over the ball of stress that compresses his throat, tries to enjoy the good food that should bring him so much happiness, to appreciate this moment of reunion that he has waited and dreaded for so long, to finally relax now that he is back in a familiar setting. However, he only manages to show a few smiles, to participate in the conversation a minimum and to eat his plates with as much good will as he manages to gather.

The night falls without his mother making a single reflection on his resemblance with his father. Then when she leaves to go to bed, leaving him in his teenager room to spend the night, he decides not to go to sleep immediately. He rummages through his closet, pulls out the old clothes that are still there and that he loved so much, puts on the ski pants but keeps his new jacket. His necklace made of three fangs sits on the desk, so he puts that on too, sighing as the cold ivory falls on his chest in a way that feels so comforting. Walking slowly through the apartment, he heads for the front door, careful not to make any slats creak under his weight. The decoration changed very little, but he notices that many photographs of him were added to the decor. Right in front of the front door which opens on the staircase going down towards the Planet Akilian, he finds several frames where his photo is side by side with others. He rediscovers the faces of his grandparents, the family home they had before the ice storms, his mother in her youth, his father as he was just before he ran away. Micro-Ice stares at the photo for a long moment, then grits his teeth, closes the door behind him and goes down the stairs.

Downstairs, the pub's great hall is empty and lit only by the streetlights shining outside, their light filtered through the bay windows. The front door of the establishment is locked, and since he can't find the key either under the mat or under the counter, he decides to go through one of the kitchen windows, ignoring his ribs when they complain about his antics. Still, he lands in the snow outside without too much trouble, though with very little grace. Outside, the biting cold passes a bit through his jacket and he congratulates himself for changing his pants when he sees the snow powder adhering to them with ease.

After that, he doesn't go far. Micro-Ice takes a few steps until he reaches the top of the steps leading to the Planet Akilian, sits down on the highest one and lets his legs rest on the lower ones. Under the yellowish light of the street lamp, he takes the time to breathe the icy air that freezes his sinuses and throat, and enjoys the restful calm while savoring the fact that he is where he has decided to be.

The dark night around him is both familiar and terribly foreign, so after a few minutes of silent observation, he surprises himself by taking his phone out of his jacket. The message is sent immediately, after which he waits quietly while observing the surroundings. He has seen this scenery hundreds of times in his life, yet everything surprises him a little. The gray sky, the frozen flakes that form icicles against the stones. The cries of the rare nocturnal animals. The steam coming out of his mouth. His nose which reddens more and more. In the narrow streets of Akilian that he overlooks from his perch, nothing moves. Rare flakes pass under the street lights, and the wind pushes the fresh snow against the walls in certain places, but the place is deserted, silent, calm.

A shadow eventually passes over one of the buildings, and Micro-Ice straightens up to follow its progress, smiling as he recognizes the figure he knows well. Mei crosses the streets with quick steps, turns in several places and finally appears at the bottom of the stairs that go up to the Planet Akilian. Wrapped in a heavy coat that reaches down to her ankles, she climbs the stairs, letting her bangs be blown by the wind, as well as her long braid that flies down her back. Micro-Ice shifts, sticking to the right hand railing to make room for his friend to join him. Mei gives him a big smile as soon as they are close enough to distinguish each other under the light of the street lamps and comes directly to sit at his side, not paying any attention to her coat which risks being ruined by the stone and the snow.

They spend a few minutes without saying anything. Their shoulders pressed while the wind blows gently around them. Mei observes the city, straightening up to turn her head to one place or another, so Micro-Ice imitates her to accompany her. When he finally speaks, his voice comes out a little painfully and is slightly hoarse from the cold.

- So? Did it go well?

Beside him, Mei sighs, creating a large white cloud in front of her. Her shoulders slump a little, and for a moment Micro-Ice expects the worst, but he changes his mind when he sees her nod.

- It was okay. My mom spent the afternoon telling me about everything that's happened in my family in the last five years, but my dad did a good job of making it somewhat warm...

- No comments on your outfit or your hair then?

- Hmm. Nope, not today anyway. I think she almost did a few times, but my dad always cut her off.

- He sounds like a wise man, your father.

Mei giggles with a smile, the slight movement causing a strand of hair to fall from behind her ear.

- I don't know about wise, but clear-headed, yes! He saw me leaving the house earlier and told me to hurry before my mother noticed...

It's Micro-Ice's turn to let out a burst of laughter as he imagines the scene.

- A qualitative dad!

- The best!

Micro-Ice nods and turns to his friend, observing the softer expression on Mei's face as she speaks of her father's support. Mei also turns to him, flashing a smile before tilting her head. Her cheek gets caught in the collar of her coat but she doesn't pull away, continuing to look at him as she returns the question.

- What about you? How did it go?

- I think it went pretty well? My mother talked for at least three hours without a break. I caught up on all the Planet Akilian gossip and all the details of the research they've been doing on their side. A real chatterbox, I know where I get it from...

Mei smiles and sighs, letting out a little laugh.

- You two must make quite a team, I must admit... And other than that, any comments?

- Comments?

- About your resemblance to your father?

Micro-Ice lets out a laugh and lowers his head, leaving Mei's face to stare at his ice-covered shoes. He thinks for a moment about the frame in the apartment's entrance and all the times he's seen his own reflection in the mirror, and lets another laugh pass his lips. At his side, Mei leans into him a little, putting weight on their shoulders.

- Was it that bad...?

There's concern in the tone that's meant to be gentle, so Micro-Ice shakes his head, biting his cheek as he grins at her.

- She didn't say anything about it.

- No?

- Nah. She didn't have much reason to, in the end.

- ... What do you mean?

He takes a deep breath, letting the icy air burn his sinuses, and blows gently to make the wind whiten in front of him. He answers with a detached tone, even if he knows that the feint will not work with Mei.

- I don't look so much like him after all.

- Your father?

- Yeah, I saw a picture of him earlier, we're quite different I think.

Mei nods gently and leans against him a bit more, trying to convey some comfort through the contact.

- It's funny... I guess it was easier for you to worry about that than anything else...

- I don't know if it's very "funny", but yeah, I guess...

Mei bursts out laughing and shakes her head vigorously, her tone becoming much more laughing all of a sudden.

- Mice! We come back after five years, and instead of being happy, you're afraid that your mother will tell you that you look like your father and I'm afraid that my mother will make a comment about my hair!

- If you are saying that we are ridiculous, I knew about that, thank you!

- But seriously! We should be happy!

Micro-Ice takes a deep breath, and sighs with a laugh. He knows she's right. He knows they should ignore all of this, rejoice in their success. At least, they owe it to themselves to try.

- You want me to shave your head? At least you'll be sure your mother won't criticize them anymore!

- Let's shave each other's heads then, let's make it a statement! And you, I'll take you to a mirror maze, or- No! To a fashion showroom! I swear I'll make you appreciate your adult appearance! You'll never be able to avoid looking in the mirror again!

- Deal! But I get a say in the clothes!

- No way, leave it to those who know what they're doing! And then- Oh! I promised Adri and Kylian that I'd show them the commercial sets! We could make the whole excursion together.

- Hmm... I have to take Sanja to buy a stuffed shzrk... Do you think Leroy or Molly will want one too?

- Probably. And Ican and Haan wanted to go see the amusement park of the Genesis, right?

- Oh, that's right... Do you think we can find a mirror maze there? So we can tackle everything at once?

- Oh, let's combine everything then! We'll get your new clothes there, the stuffed animals too, mirror games for everyone and rollercoasters!

- Hmmm... We have to take Luur with us then, Driss dreams of meeting him...

Mei bursts out laughing, taking her hands to her face to wipe the few tears that make her eyes shine. Yet, she doesn't look sad. In fact, she looks terribly relieved, bright despite the cold and dark night, and her smile has a sincerity that pierces his heart. Micro-Ice doesn't realize it, but he is in exactly the same state as her.

- Shall we continue, then? Are we still a team?

His friend turns to him, her cheek and locks pushed back by the collar of her coat, but the wet eyes look at him with affection.

- It doesn't matter if we're here or back there... Just because we got out doesn't mean it's all over... I don't want to face everything alone, and I don't want to see you do it either.

- Same thing. So are we good? Deal?

- Deal.

Micro-Ice extends a hand and Mei's hand immediately shakes it, sealing their pact without any hesitation. The handshake is shaken much more vigorously than necessary, making them laugh again. They put away their hands in their respective jackets only when the cold begins to bite their skin, however they do not move away from each other. A comfortable silence falls again between them, and Micro-Ice is convinced that they will surely spend the night observing the city while chatting softly when his neighbor straightens up suddenly, leaning over him while grabbing his arm.

- And in case it wasn't clear, I was kidding when I said I was okay with you cutting my hair, right? If you do it, I swear I'll kill you!

They spend the next twenty minutes bickering vigorously, each questioning the inclusion of this promise in the pact they just made. The light hearted fight builds up until they are both laughing themselves to tears, and Micro-Ice begins to think that as long as they stick together, everything will be okay in the end.