AN:
Before the chapter starts I wanna thank my reviewers of the last chapter mulzypops, Chocolatepie277, PrincessLyoka, Novaglare, DeadFicDude & TheAmazingQwerty!
As I've already told you, I was tagged to do the 20-Facts Challenge. Do you guys still have questions for me? Something you always wanted to know? Something about me, my stories or sth. else? Let me know in the comments or via Twitter!

Music tip:
Memtrix – So Alive
youtube: watch?v=g6za-Cf3khU

Lovers of Freedom

Chapter 10:
No Weakness

"Okay, that sounds quite… promising. Can you give us some minutes to discuss this, please?"
Ian's voice was steady and calm, as he asked Mr. Murphy to leave them alone in the office after his explanation of what the deal was about. As Mitch had expected, the former team was quite shocked about the fact that they had to either quit their YouTube jobs or join Microsoft, but they had accepted it way faster than Mitch would have liked them to.

"Of course, I will be back in a few minutes."
With a smile on his face Murphy got out of his chair and passed the group peacefully. Most of them sat in chairs in front of his desk, while Adam sat quietly behind them on the side. Mitch had refused to take a seat and leaned against the wall, but surprisingly Murphy hadn't said anything about it. Was it because of the others in the room?

Right now he was presenting his alter ego quite well so far.
Every other person had to think he was a nice guy, who tried to help them as best as he could under the given circumstances.

Mitch pressed his lips tightly together, while the guys already began to talk to each other about the deal. Murphy came closer and was about to pass Mitch, as he casually raised his voice.
"Mr. Hughes, there is still something regarding the contract of yours, can we please resolve that very quick?"

Adam quickly looked up, Jerome and Ian too.
Murphy's sharp and frosty stare was hidden from them, because he stood with his back towards the group, but Mitch understood the implied message easily.
A forced smile crept on his face and with a calm tone in his voice he tried to reply friendly, "Sure, no problem."

As soon as the door to the bureau was closed, Murphy grabbed Mitch's arm forcefully and pulled him into the next room, in which his secretary was. The young man glanced up from his computer with wide open eyes and didn't say a word when Murphy bellowed, "Out. Now." He was gone even before Murphy pushed Mitch against the next wall with his hands on his shoulders.

"I have to admit that I'm slowly losing my patience, Mr. Hughes."
His words were as professional as always, while his low growl and his firm grip on Mitch's shoulders silenced him immediately. The look in Murphy's eyes though was the worst and Mitch's heart began to beat faster, as he tried to fight against the panic building up inside of his chest.

"Do you remember at all what we have talked about yesterday?"
His voice had a teasing edge in it and increased the intimidating effect it had on Mitch.
"Of course I do," he whispered and remembered the words of his new boss from the evening before. The phone call had ended way different than he had expected at the beginning.

"Don't you dare underestimating me, Mr. Hughes. There were people before you, making the same mistake."

"You have to learn that following my instructions is easier than to be obstructive all the god damn time! Does it really have to be the hard way?"

All Mitch wanted right now was to get away from him at once. His breath was going faster and his hands began to tremble. He was scared out of his mind – Murphy was a strong opponent with connections all over the place. Not only was his father's job at stake. His mother's reputation, his sister's relationship to a man working at Microsoft himself…

His voice broke as he began to formulate an answer, so he only shook his head while he avoided Murphy's gaze.
"Then you should finally start to cooperate. Convince them of the deal – now!"

Before Mitch returned into the office to discuss the matter together with his former team, he went for the bathroom. His legs were shaking and he had to support himself on the sink for a moment, while he stared at his pale reflection in the mirror.

It shouldn't be like that.
Mitch should fight against Murphy – inform his superiors, the fans and his parents. The rest of the team. Especially Jerome.
He should be happy about the fact that the team was about to be reunited once more. After all it was all he had ever wanted after the break up for which he was responsible.
He should be glad to be one of the chosen ones working for Microsoft. What was going to happen to the rest of the Youtubers? What about Rob, Mat and all of his friends?

He should fight.
Instead he turned more and more into Murphy's bitch because he couldn't risk the well-being of his family. They meant too much to him and had helped him through everything so far. The least he could do was to protect them and their regular lives from Murphy's plans and threats.

Mitch opened the door to the office and immediately everyone stopped talking.
It was awkward as they stared at him in silence for a moment, while Mitch closed the door as nonchalantly as possible, but he wasn't able to relax his clenched muscles before the guys finally started talking again.

Of course Mitch didn't miss the skeptical look Adam was giving him, nonetheless he tried to ignore it as he walked over to an unoccupied seat next to the group. After Ty had finished the rest of his sentence, Jerome turned to him and asked with a frown on his face,
"Mind telling us what the conversation was about? Or can't you talk about this either?"

"It was about my contract as he had said," Mitch began cooperatively and the surprise was visible in Jerome's eyes. It brought a thin smile on Mitch's face and helped him to keep his voice calm and steady. "I forgot to sign something, that's it."

"Sure. It just took you ten minutes to sign a single paper."
Adam.

Mitch clenched his teeth before he turned around in his seat and glanced at the older boy with a raised eyebrow. He had to be more careful in the future. His careless actions during the past days had made Adam suspicious and Jerome as well of course.
"Sorry for not inviting you to going to the toilet with me, my mistake."

For another moment it was silent.
Then everyone around him burst out laughing and involuntary Mitch had to join in.

Maybe it wasn't that bad.
Maybe they actually could go back to being the group of close friends they had been before.

The door opened and Murphy stepped back into his office.
"Did you already decide or do you need more time?"
The laughter ceased and Jerome regarded Mitch with a questioning look on his face. He understood his best friend's question immediately and thought a moment about his divided emotions, but then Mitch slowly nodded. It would turn out all right one way or another.

"We do it."

The gleam in Murphy's eyes could have easily been mistaken for happiness about the successful deal, but Mitch saw it as the power-hungry and for now satisfied gleam of his desire to completely control them.
It put a damper on his newly acquired assurance that everything would work out in the end, but Murphy's following words made it a thousand times worse.

"That is great! Now I can luckily inform you about the fact that you will be able to move into your old house in Los Angeles again!"

He did neither hear the happy words of his friends, nor Murphy talking to his secretary to bring him the contracts.
The smile on his face completely vanished and Mitch paled instantly, while he remembered his random thoughts from the day before.

This place was heaven. He would never move back to LA, no matter what Murphy said. The stress of the city was too much. He needed exactly this, a peaceful place to find himself and to just take a timeout to breathe.

"No."
Mitch knew he should rather keep quiet now, but the thought of going back into the big and haunting house, where the fight between Adam and him had occurred…
The memories were still in his mind, vivid and unforgettable.

"I'm not moving back to LA."

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