Author's note: Happy one-year anniversary to "Ciao Alberto"! I decided to use the date as an excuse to update.
Alberto opened his eyes, realizing he had been remembering again; the moment he found his family. Ten years ago...
It was amazing how time passed.
He slowly got up; his body hurt less than the day before. He put a hand to his wounds; the mixture was beginning to undo; it would be better if he put on a new layer.
He looked to his right and found Luca sleeping peacefully. Alberto smiled, although he still felt guilty; seeing his little brother resting so calmly only revived him. He had gotten Luca and himself into that problem, and apparently, he had no way to get them out; his teeth and claws were useless with the chains. And even if they managed to survive until the Great Fish ascended, there was no guarantee that the humans would spare them.
He sighed, feeling defeated, and swam to the surface. He looked for the bottle, and when he found it, he took off the layers of his body to put on new ones. His wounds burned on contact, but not as much as the day before. After the burning, the pain faded, so it was worth the minutes of discomfort.
When he finished, he leaned against the wall and looked at the ceiling.
"Silenzio Bruno. Silenzio Bruno," he repeated to himself. Bruno wanted him to throw the towel, but he refused; there was a way they could escape from there; there always was.
His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of splashing water. He opened his eyes to find Luca, who swam to the wall.
"Good morning," Luca greeted.
Alberto narrowed an eyebrow; how could he sound so casual considering their situation? Luca just shrugged as if realizing Alberto's thoughts.
"Bruno wants me to get depressed and give up… we have to shut him up."
Alberto nodded; boy, did he know what he was talking about.
Luca approached the shore and put a new layer on the wounds, just like Alberto, it hurt at first, but then it calmed down little by little. In the end, they both rested on the shore; it was incredible that they had slept so much and still been tired.
"Do you have a plan?" Alberto asked; he usually was the one with the initiative, but Luca was the smarter of the two.
Luca sighed, something Alberto didn't like; it sounded like resignation and defeat.
"I've been thinking; that the first thing we need to do is free ourselves from these chains, then maybe we can slip away… but we don't know how long it's been, we can't be sure if the Great Fish has risen."
Alberto didn't like the tone with which he said it.
"And even if we escape and the Great Fish is in the sky. I've noticed that Giulia passes something through the wall to open the door; without one of those, we won't be able to get out."
Alberto ran his claws over the wall, leaving four fine cuts, and for a moment, he thought he was doing it on Ercole's neck; and hated to admit how much he would enjoy it.
"So... you're telling me we have no hope."
"Don't let Bruno win, don't let Bruno win."
"No," he turned to see him with a determined look; that raised Alberto's spirit a bit, "we alone will not be able to escape, that's clear to me, but if G-"
The doors opened.
Without wasting a second, both of them submerged, returning to the bottom to pretend to be asleep; maybe that way, the humans would leave them alone. Luckily, the voice they heard comforted them.
"Luca, Alberto!"
The two boys looked at each other, happy to know who it was; ignoring the pain, they came out smiling.
"Giulia!" they both screamed.
The girl was standing at the entrance; she knew from Guido that her friends were alive, but seeing them safe and sound... within what was possible, she couldn't help but feel relieved and happy. Her eyes were teary as she ran towards them.
She hugged them both; and pulled them towards her, letting their cheeks rest against hers.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" She apologized as she cried, rubbing her face against theirs, not caring about getting wet or the boys' scaly skin. "Everything Ercole did to you! And I didn't do anything!"
In that, she felt two hands on her back, and the cheeks of the boys felt closer to hers.
"Hey, don't worry, everything's fine," Alberto comforted her, "you did the right thing. Luca and I are strong, we can take anything, but I doubt a human like you could resist such a punishment."
He said it with a teasing but friendly tone. Giulia separated from them and wiped her nose with the sleeve of her sweater. On one side, she wanted to punch him for not taking things with the seriousness they deserved; on the other...
She was happy to see them alive; she laughed at his lousy joke.
"Alberto's right... mostly," answered Luca, "it was pointless that you also got into trouble."
"And we are happy that you're safe," added Alberto, now with complete seriousness.
It wouldn't do any good to them to see her hurt, much less with the severity of their torture. So they smiled at her; seeing her safe was an incentive that helped them heal.
"Besides, the ointment the other guy gave us helped with the wounds," Alberto continued.
"Oh him, his name is Guido; he's a friend who also... cares about you two."
"That's good to know," Alberto said, touching his wound. Giulia frowned when she saw him do it, "I'm sorry, mom."
"This mixture is the same one we make at home to treat cuts and wounds. How did he know?"
"He told me that he was researching the flora of the region where-"
"We were captured," Alberto finished for her.
"Yeah," she continued, feeling a little bad, "he was looking for plants that would have medicinal use; he found one that flourished underwater. It wasn't hard to make the connection."
Luca's eyes were amazed.
"How smart."
"It's not a scientist for nothing," Giulia added as she took two large plates of Trenette al Pesto out of her bag. "And it may not be from your home, but I brought you something too."
The boys had sparked in their eyes; until then, they had not realized how hungry they were. They pounced on the pasta taking it to their mouths with their hands, their stomachs roared with happiness, and even their bodies stopped bothering them. The forces were returning to their systems.
Giulia just smiled, by now, she was used to their peculiar way of eating, plus she didn't judge them. This was probably their first meal since yesterday.
"Eat well, boys; you're gonna need all your strengths."
Alberto had finished and was licking the plate while Luca was still devouring his. They both stopped and looked at her, not knowing what she meant.
"Because we're getting you two out of here."
...
Three days was the time they had before the dissection was done, it would be a Wednesday morning, so they would have to do the extraction on Tuesday night.
Giulia made sure not to waste any time. After leaving work that day, she went with old Bernardi to ask him to borrow his van, with the excuse that she had to take a package from work. If it had been someone else, he or she would have asked too many questions and explanations.
Luckily Bernardi was an old friend of the family, who had known her since she was a child, so she lent it to him without any problem.
Once she had it, she began to modify it. Massimo took out mom's old paints, and she couldn't help but feel a pang of pain when remembering her. Luckily she remembered that her mission was against the clock, which made her return to the present.
She began to paint the name of the laundry on the vehicle with the same typography. It was difficult because she had to make an effort to draw the strokes look as professional as possible.
"If mom were here, it wouldn't be a problem for her," she thought, and this time she felt happy, doing something she liked... it made her feel like she had a part of her.
After finishing drawing the first letter, she sighed. From her perspective, it looked good; she only hoped the security guards would not look at it in detail. She plunged the brush into the white paint and then took it to the line; very carefully, she began to color it. Being the energetic girl she had always been, it was hard to stay within the lines, just like in her coloring book drawings. Giulia liked to paint the whole page, but now she had to work hard not to get out of line.
It took her a few tries; luckily, she brought a wet cloth to clean the excess paint from the edges. When she finished, she felt exhausted and decided to go for an espresso before continuing. When she turned around, she found Massimo looking at her, his arm leaning against the door frame.
"Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," he said, "it's just…seeing you there. You're the living image of your mother."
Giulia smiled, feeling tears beginning to form in her eyes; she quickly wiped them away.
"I'm not as good as her."
"Not in painting, but you already have more studies than she and I. And none of us tried to crash a government facility, so don't underestimate yourself, daughter. You also have yours."
"Thanks, dad," she answered as she walked past him; she hugged him before going into the kitchen, "by the way, how are you preparing?"
Massimo just smiled.
...
They went to the bathroom, where his father had pictures of a person who had suffered a rather ugly third-degree burn; the wound covered half his face, and the man had also lost an eye.
Giulia grimaced at the sight of it; the photo was quite graphic.
"Dad... why do you have this?"
Then she noticed that there were also several bottles with a label that said latex. Her father had taken out the dryer, some brushes, and a box of cosmetics.
"When a person has such an outstanding feature, it is all that people who see it will remember. They will not notice the hair, the eyes, or the complexion only in that detail; it can be a scar or a deformity," Massimo replied as he examined the photo. "So if for any reason they do manage to see me, they will only remember the horrible burn on my face."
Giulia looked at the photograph and then at her father's face.
"Wow… well thought, dad. But… how did you come up with it?"
Massimo just smiled and put the image back in its place.
"When you have been living at sea for your entire life, you meet all kinds of people. Some are hiding, others don't want to be found or are looking for a new start, and they usually bring good advice."
Giulia nodded; her father must have heard thousands of stories of travelers who stopped on the coast of Portorosso. She wondered if, one day, her story would be one that his father could tell those sailors; of course, they first needed to survive.
"And I also have this," he said, pulling a prosthetic arm out of the tub.
"You never needed it."
"No, but Portorosso is a small town, and I'm the only one around here with my peculiarity. If they notice this detail, the makeup won't matter, and it won't be difficult for them to find us."
Giulia nodded; her father never ceased to surprise her. When she thought that he had already shown all his arsenal, he always had an ace up his sleeve.
"Okay, your shift ends at eight." Massimo continued.
"And I should meet Guido at eight-fifteen; he plans the blackout to be at eight-thirty."
"Which gives you ten minutes to rescue the boys."
"And run to the parking lot to meet you, so in theory, I should be there at eight forty."
"Then I think the best thing to do is leave from here at six, just to be safe."
While talking, they timed their wristwatches, one for each marked time, so they hoped to have some notion of time while they carried out their crime and be more organized. They just hoped not to be late even for a minute.
Massimo smiled and looked at his daughter.
"I'm very proud of you, Giulietta; what you're doing is very noble."
"Thanks, dad, I just… all I want is to save my friends."
"And you will," Massimo looked down at the little plastic pool they'd bought, "although I'm thinking one of them won't be so happy."
Giulia stifled a laugh. After all, she had already planned to leave Luca in the bathtub and Alberto in the pool. And she couldn't help but laugh at the idea of seeing the boy in such a small space. A little revenge for roaring at her the day they met.
Massimo smiled.
"It will be interesting to have two boys in this house," he said sincerely; it would be the first time since he was a boy with his father.
"I'm sure you're gonna love them."
"After seeing how happy they make you, I have no doubt."
Giulia smiled and hugged him again.
"Thanks, papá, thank you for everything."
Massimo put his arm around her.
"For you, daughter, anything."
...
The two days that followed were exhausting for Giulia; between work, finishing painting the truck, and getting the fake ID, she was busy full-time. Exhaustion almost got to her, but she just had to remind herself that the lives of her friends were on the line to regain strength, and she didn't want to appear suspicious before the big hit. This is why her interactions with Guido were limited to exchanging glances, nodding if all was well, and no if not.
Guido had risked a lot by going to Giulia's house, so he had to keep his distance before the established day; both of them had to trust each other to do their part.
So she was busy. And despite that, she didn't miss an opportunity to go to the bakery on Sunday night to buy a chocolate cake, save until Monday afternoon, and then take it to the boys. Along with a small knife from the kitchen and three plastic plates.
As usual, the boys were amazed at the new fare.
"This is called cake; it's a dessert, something that we humans eat after a meal; it's sweet that helps lighten the stomach. Do you have something like that at home?"
"Well, snails are soft and slimy," Alberto mentioned, looking at the ceiling with a nostalgic look.
But Giulia's body trembled at the thought of that viscosity; and even more at the image of her friends eating them. One thing was raw fish, she had tried sushi, but with insects, she drew the line.
"Okay... I hope you find this even better."
He served a good portion to each one and then handed it to them, the boys were already used to trusting their friend's good taste, so they did not hesitate to take the bitumen with the tips of their claws. They tasted it, and immediately stars came out in their eyes. That was like nothing they had ever tasted before. It made their palates… dance with happiness.
And when they tasted the chocolate, the sensation only increased. They immediately forgot all their problems; the forces and the desire returned to their systems. It was as if the chocolate was some magic elixir that fixed everything.
Giulia smiled as she took a piece with her fork.
"Yeah, that's how it feels," she said as she ate.
They continued enjoying the dessert until the plates were empty. Luca and Alberto couldn't resist the desire and also licked the plate. Giulia just laughed; until realizing that these could be their last moments together.
"Guys."
Her tone told them she wasn't joking, and they both stopped eating and looked into her eyes.
"Tomorrow's the day. Remember what I told you?"
Both nodded; she had already told them the plan and what they had to do. They were happy for the opportunity to escape but also scared because they were aware of the risk.
"Relax, this will be a breeze," Alberto mentioned, leaning against the wall.
Giulia didn't know if Alberto wasn't taking the situation seriously or if he was scared and didn't want to tell them. She looked at Luca and saw that it was the opposite; not only did he avoid eye contact; with his eyes on the water, but he was also holding his tail with both hands.
"There's so much that can go wrong... but enough of discouraging them, it's better to give them hope," she thought.
"Alberto's right; we're going to make it," she said in her most confident voice, "and…regardless of what happens tomorrow, I want you to know that these last few weeks have been the best of my life."
Luca let go of his tail and turned to see her, Alberto took off from the wall to face her, and Giulia sniffled and wiped a tear from her eye.
"When I first met you... I was trapped in this... hole, and you guys helped me out of it." She sniffed again, "so whatever happens... I just wanted to say thank you."
And she hugged them again.
"Thanks to you... this place isn't so horrible," Alberto said as he hugged her, laid his head on her shoulder, and closed his eyes.
"Despite everything… I'm happy that we met," Luca was the last to join, but his grip was the strongest of all.
None of them knew how long they lasted like that, nor did they care; neither wanted to let the other go, more than anything, because of the danger of the day that awaited them.
"You know? I think it would be neat if we had a name," Alberto suggested.
They separated; Luca and Giulia looked at the purple one.
"A name?" Luca asked.
"Yeah, like the one Giulia brought the other day, about three musketeers."
"So you were listening," Giulia said.
"From time to time, I do listen," he confessed, "besides, the drawing on the cover was cool."
Giulia smiled.
"They were musketeers, and there were three of them, hence their name, so we would be… Two sea monsters and a girl?" was Alberto's proposal.
Giulia laughed.
"Too long, don't you think?"
Alberto put on his angry face.
"Okay, then you propose something."
"How about the three from lab E-3?" Luca asked, his friends' looks quickly discrediting him, "it was just a suggestion."
Giulia rolled her eyes; there must have been a good name for their organization, but what could it be? Something that stated their relationship with the land and the sea, maybe, the wet gang? No, it didn't sound right.
"It must be a good thing; after all, we're a bunch of weirdos," Luca mentioned.
And that opened Giulia's eyes; she looked around, realizing something.
"We are three weirdos to whom nobody pays attention, from whom nobody expects anything or cares. Everyone here treats us as if we did not exist; or as if our lives were worthless and everything is against us. But we have each other, and that makes us..."
"Underdogs," she said.
Luca and Albero stopped their discussion and turned to look at her.
"What's under the dogs?" Alberto asked.
Giulia giggled.
"Underdogs; it means kids who are different," she looked at Luca and winked at him.
Luca smiled.
"It's short, catchy, easy to remember; I like it," Alberto said.
"I like it too; it's shorter and less redundant than three musketeers," Luca added.
"And if someone wants to join in the future, we won't have to change the name. Can you imagine if a fourth musketeer joined?" Alberto continued.
"I think that already happened, but let's not think about that," said Giulia, "then Underdogs it is."
The boys nodded. Giulia smiled and put her hand in front; Luca and Alberto put theirs on top of hers.
"Underdogs forever!"
...
Tuesday came; it was the moment of truth.
That day when she got off the bus, Giulia felt more scared than ever. The large concrete building stood before her like a ferocious dragon. And instead of having a sword, she only had a handbag.
"You got this, you got this," she told herself as she inhaled.
Closing her eyes and exhaling, she looked back at the building and tightened her grip on the straps of her bag.
"There's no going back," and even if there was, she wouldn't take it.
She began her walk to the gates, ready to face her fate.
