TW: Eating disorder, mentioning of cancer, mention of ableism and slight mention of child death.
For the break, Ninja had already prepared refreshments in the dining room. There was a basket with croissants and rolls, a ceramic bowl with chocolates and cookies, a bottle of milk, a bottle of water, a kettle with tea bags and a coffee machine with coffee capsules. Miss Maia and Tasha each grabbed a croissant and a cup of coffee before heading up to the roof, while Frank and Bruno stayed in the meeting room, Frank still in the company of his computer and Bruno focusing on his written notes. Both were minding their own business, respecting each other's need for silence and solitude.
Outside, the rest of the group gathered around the table to chat and enjoy the snacks provided.
"Hmm. I'm not very hungry. Ninja, is it possible to have some fruit? I don't know, an apple maybe?" Yutani asked politely with an apologetic look on her face. She didn't want to seem ungrateful, but she really didn't feel like eating anything sweet.
"Apple? You mean the sweetener for candies?"
"No, I really mean the fruit. The kind that grows on trees."
"M'lady, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I've never seen a tree in my life. I don't think they've existed for centuries." He bowed. "But there are still some small plants grown in artificial greenhouses. I can check in the kitchen to see if we have any berries."
"It would be lovely, thank you. Sorry to bother you, Ninja," Yutani smiled at Ninja, who didn't seem annoyed at all by the request, but rather pleased to be useful to someone.
"No problem. I will be back in a moment."
Meanwhile, King stared at the refreshment table with a blank expression.
Mmm. These croissants look delicious. There are two with chocolate, my favorite flavor! How I would love to eat them both. But no, wait. Two is just too many, I can't. I have to leave at least one. I'm really hungry though... I'll tell you what, I'll have a chocolate one and a cup of tea with no sugar - that should fill me up enough not to feel hungry without risking gaining more weight.
The boy took a chocolate croissant and turned on the kettle to make himself a cup of tea. But while he waited for the water to boil, he could not help himself.
No! I'm too hungry!
Immediately after he finished the second croissant, he felt a great sense of guilt suffocate him, as if a hand had been placed around his throat.
No, damn it, I ate them both! What am I going to do now? What am I going to do? Wait, don't panic. Maybe I will eat a little less for dinner to compensate. But I feel hungry...so hungry...
He took another croissant and again felt an immense sense of fear and guilt, as if he had just done something terrible. As if the food he had just swallowed was filled with shame and self-loathing. He felt dirty.
I lost control...I have to fix this. Maybe I should go to-
"Hey King!" Rain placed a hand on his shoulder and smiled at him. That external stimulus distracted King from his train of thoughts for a moment."Would you like to introduce me to your friends? For example... What kind of guy is Fresh?" Rain pointed at Fresh, who was getting annoyed at Jake's giggles.
"Jake, we were talking about serious things and you keep laughing like an idiot just because I said I love croissants."
"...Quaso."
"Yeah, yeah, I get it. I like memes too. But I wish you would listen to me instead of constantly repeating that it makes you laugh that I have eaten a croissant."
"...Quaso."
"Will you listen to me for once? Come on, bro! If you think you're going to distract me from the issue with this crap-"
"What issue?"
"The fact that you accepted a dangerous mission just to please a bunch of strangers? Doesn't that seem like a problem to you?"
"Fresh, if you have a better idea, tell that the boss lady instead of bothering me. You have a diploma in The Art of Solemn Whining but without a master's degree in finding alternatives."
"I don't understand why you care so much about saving that guard's ass, honestly! What do you care if he joins the people here? He's an adult, I think he knows how to make his own decisions!"
"Because even though he's a pain in the ass, I've known him for a long time and I can't leave him in the mud!" For a moment, Jake's face changed from a mocking expression to a serious one. "I feel a little guilty, too. If I hadn't graffitied the subway that night, he never would have ended up in that underpass and wouldn't have met Frank." Jake looked down at the floor and opened his mouth to say something more, just to shut it soon after. He didn't want to admit that Spike's existence was also playing a role in his decision. He didn't want to leave a boy without a father to guide him. No matter how troubled Ted's relationship with his son was, he did not want to deny Spike the chance to at least try to reconnect with him. He knew exactly how bad it felt to feel abandoned.
"Look, what do you think of these croc - cru- how do you pronounce them?" He deliberately mispronounced the word, hoping to change the subject.
"Croissant?" Fresh asked, with a much less harsh tone than before. He sensed that his friend had more than just the "hero sacrificing himself for the greater good completely at random" syndrome.
"Quaso." Jake said immediately with a goofy chuckle.
"You are unbelievable. I'm not talking to you anymore." Fresh chuckled in turn and shook his head.
"Hmm. Let's just say Fresh doesn't mince words, for better or worse," King finally answered Rain's question, giving them a forced smile. In the back of his mind, the fear and the feeling of inadequacy still gripped his throat, but he did his best to ignore those thoughts and just focus on what Rain was saying.
"I can see that. He looks like a very good friend." Rain chuckled before looking at King with a sweet and vaguely sad expression.
King wondered if Rain had guessed what he was thinking, but he dared not express that doubt clearly. "...he is. Indeed."
Meanwhile, Tricky had approached Lucy, nervously clutching a small paper cup of coffee.
"Hey. Thanks for taking my friend's attention away from me earlier. My friends are a little childish sometimes and really put me off." Tricky chuckled awkwardly and looked away from Lucy for a moment. "These are the problems that come from socialising with those smaller than you, I guess. You end up babysitting them."
Lucy chuckled amusedly and shook her head. She held up a notepad with steampunk decorations on the cover, and in response to Tricky, she opened the notebook and quickly scribbled a response before showing it to her.
{You're welcome. Unfortunately, as you have seen, there are still people who remain immature even late in life. That's why I hate meetings, there's always some idiot who gets into an argument for no good reason}.
"Oh? Is that why you didn't say much during the meeting?" Tricky suddenly realized she had made an insensitive remark. She covered her mouth with her hand and blushed. "Sorry. I know you can't talk. I didn't mean that. Sorry, I'm an idiot, I know."
Lucy gave her an encouraging smile and shook her head before continuing to write.
{It's okay. I know what you meant. It's not because I'm disabled that you have to treat me with white gloves. In fact, it's better for me if you talk to me without having to police every word you say. Anyway, yes, I usually don't express myself much in meetings. Partly because much of what they say doesn't really interest me and I'm often thinking about my own things, and partly because only Miss Maia, Frank and Bruno know sign language here. By the time I finish writing down everything I want to say, they have already moved on to the next topic. That's okay. I used to be a big talker, but fate has taught me the value of silence}.
"I see. May I ask you why you joined this group? You seem very young to be risking your life like this." Tricky nervously rolled up a lock of her hair, trying in vain to look nonchalant.
Lucy made a serious face and began to write furiously in her notebook. Tricky watched her patiently. She was fascinated by the inherent beauty of this girl who, despite her frown, looked like an ancient Greek goddess.
{I joined this group because I hate this society. I got throat cancer five years ago because of the skyrocketing pollution. Frankly, the air quality here is so bad, I'm surprised I didn't grow three arms. I ended up in the hospital, where I and other children endured painful and exhausting treatments. At one point, I was offered a life-saving operation to remove the cancer from my throat. Fortunately, I had enough money to afford it}. She gently stroked her own neck, showing Tricky a fine scar on her throat.
"Oh." Tricky's expression darkened and crossed her arms over her chest, vaguely uncomfortable. She didn't quite know what to say. "I'm so sorry. But it's okay now... right?"
{"Yes. I lost my voice forever, but at least I survived. It wasn't so good for some of the kids who were there with me. Some of them ran out of money for treatment and were sent home to die without even medication to control the pain, in excruciating pain. As for me, I was told clearly at school that if I did not find a job where my disability would not affect my performance in the slightest, no one would hire me and sooner or later I would run out of money and starve to death. Get it? First this fucked up world makes you sick, then it treats you as a kind of burden, a nuisance to others. A rotten society where pleasing the "Money God" is more important than anything else, even curing a child with cancer}.
The last words seemed to be written more fiercely as the ink became thicker. Lucy's hand shook slightly as she showed Tricky the notebook, and her expression showed all the anger and disgust she felt deep in her soul.
"This is terrible." Tricky agreed, shocked by this horrible story. "It's all terrible. Honestly, I want to tell you that I really admire you for your strength. You really are a warrior."
Lucy's expression softened and she resumed writing more calmly.
{"Thank you, but I prefer the term "survivor". A warrior chooses to be one; I was thrown into this war without my consent. Besides, it is not as if someone who does not survive is less strong than I was. Anyone who has ever had a serious illness has to carry both the burden of physical and emotional pain while trying to deal with the despair of their family without going crazy. Everyone does what they can. I, with the extra time I was given, decided to fight both for revenge and for justice for all patients who suffer these situations every day}.
Tricky put her hand on her own chest and nodded. "I'll do my best to help you. Even if I don't know how to do much."
{If you want, you can be my assistant. I will teach you how to crack and make secret codes, and I will also teach you sign language. That way I won't get a hand cramp every time we try to talk.} Lucy giggled silently and handed her the paper with a big smile, obviously hoping that Tricky would say yes.
Tricky smiled just as enthusiastically. "Of course. I would be honored."
"Good! Break's over! Everybody inside!" Miss Maia reappeared from the corridors clapping her hands to get everyone's attention, who hurried back into the meeting room and took their seats.
"Let's discuss the details now." Miss Maia continued. "Frank has discovered an interesting thing."
"While listening to police conversations, I heard that they want to put Mr. Ted on guard in a northwest neighborhood of the city." Frank stood up and placed a map of the city on the board with an area circled in red. He held the map in place with two magnets and pointed to a street. "We were thinking of putting Jake in this area, under some arcades. This area of the city is not safe. They probably chose to patrol this area because there are many criminals here, they will think our base is here. So we need someone to be Jake's bodyguard. In case some strange person tries to do something bad, considering he is still a child."
"I'm not a child!" Jake replied in obvious annoyance . "If you give me a weapon, I can defend myself!"
"Regrettably this course of action exhibits a noticeable deficiency in wise reasoning, Jake." Frank replied, clearly unimpressed. "Therefore, we will escort you with Miss Maia and Ninja, our best fighters. We will give you an earpiece so that I can communicate with you while keeping an eye on the situation and informing you of any dangers.
"One important thing," Miss Maia interjected, pointing her finger at Jake. "If the situation escalates, or if I feel there is danger, you have to come back to us immediately. Don't do any heroic shit like 'I'll stay here with my dying friend." No arguments. Either you blindly obey me or I refuse to lead you. If you try to do anything outside of my command, I will kick you and all your friends out of our team. I don't care if they use you as organ bags for some rich guy. So if you don't want to get yourself and your friends in trouble, you will always follow orders, understood?"
Jake was obviously upset by this threat, so he just nodded. "Sure. I promise."
"Good. When you talk to the inspector, we will be near you, even if we will be not visible. If you feel in danger, make this gesture." Miss Maia oddly made the peace gesture, raising her index and middle fingers.
"Alright."
"Okay. Frank, go ahead."
"The plan itself is actually quite simple. You will reach the area patrolled by the inspector's team, and as soon as you see him break away from the group, Jake will try to talk to him. If he wants to join us, fine, he can escape with us directly. If he doesn't, leave the area immediately."
Lucy raised her hand and signed to Frank to ask him something. "Right. Thank you, Lucy. I forgot to mention this to the newbies. We always use a special secret code to communicate with each other during our missions. So, Jake, you need to learn that code."
"How so?" Asked King.
"To protect our conversations from Andy, in case he intercepts our conversations."
"Is this Andy really so scary?" Tricky asked, obviously curious. "Okay, I get that he's a good hacker, but is he really that dangerous?"
"Yes, he is. He could tell the police our plan and blow the whole mission." Frank answered in a neutral tone.
"Tell him what he told you once, Frank! The time I was there too, pretending to be the girlfriend of an idiot from the government's Special Military Corps! At least these kids really understand what a lunatic Andy is!" Tasha exclaimed, with the air of someone eager to share a juicy rumor.
"Tasha, I don't think that's relevant."
"Yes, it is! I was stunned by what Andy told him. Frank was working next to him. At one point, Andy got angry at his own computer, got up from his chair, and picked up the computer to slam it hard against the desk. When Frank rightfully asked him to stop, Andy laughed. But in a creepy way." Tasha blinked quickly, keeping her eyes half closed. "He stared at Frank with this crazy look on his face. Then you know what she said to him?" She was clearly pleased to have caught the attention of all the children, who were watching her with obvious interest. Miss Maia shook her head, but didn't stop her sister. Perhaps it would serve as a warning to the newcomers to take things seriously.
"Tasha..." Frank tried to interrupt the girl, but without any success.
"He told him: "Do you know what they usually do with rabbits? They hang them upside down and skin them. Then they cook them. In your case, if you were a rabbit and I were a hunter, I would not know whether to bury you alive, drown you, or give you poisoned food. But I would miss you, dear colleague. You are a valuable resource. Don't make me become the bad guy. So shut up and don't tell me what to do."
"Huh?!" The whole group of newcomers could not believe their ears.
"Oh my God Frank, I think this guy is really scarier than you. Congratulations, it's quite a competition. Does a normal hacker even exist?" Fresh commented.
"That honestly seems like a very cringe thing to say." Jake frowned "Like the crap the haters write online."
"I hope they were actually empty threats, like Jake says. Otherwise it's worrying." Yutani nodded.
"But why saying that to a colleague? Didn't it scare you, Frank?" King asked with a shaky voice.
"How come nobody fires a guy like that?" Tricky asked incredulously.
"Calm down, kids. I don't know if what he said made any sense in his head, and I don't rule out the possibility that he could pull something off. They're not firing him because he's their go-to guy from an IT standpoint. I honestly don't think it's any of our business to try to understand his mental mechanisms, but let it be a warning to you. We try to minimize contact with him as much as possible." Frank replied, raising his hands to try to calm the chorus of worried voices.
"Rain, you will also come with us, but you will stay hidden as much as possible. You will only intervene in case of critical situations that require life-saving first aid. Understood?" Maia continued. "Bruno, we will use your drones to allow Frank to monitor the situation from above. Have a dozen ready by tomorrow. Lucy, explain your secret code to Jake later."
"Sure." Rain nodded, Lucy smiled and gave a thumbs up. "I'll do my best," Bruno replied.
"Any questions about the mission?" Miss Maia asked, waiting a few seconds before ending the meeting. "Good. If no one has any questions, I declare this meeting closed. Take the rest of the day off. Tomorrow morning we will make the final preparations and tomorrow night the selected members will leave for the mission. The others will stay here. There is no point in endangering the entire team. If any of you rookies can cook, make us some food for when we return. If we do a good job, there will be no seats at the table to take away."