During the rest of the train's journey, no one dared to speak, and so they arrived at their destination without a hitch.
As always, the electronic voice announced the stop in an unintelligible language, except for the part where it warned the passengers that the train had arrived at the last stop and invited them to get off.
The inspector and his dog got off first to make sure there was no danger waiting for the boys after they got off. He was followed by Rain, Bruno and the other five kids.
Once all the passengers had disembarked, the train continued on its way to an unknown destination.
As if by magic, they all found themselves in the old subway underpass where it all started. It was a cold fall evening, and the cold wind blew through the cracks of the underpass, hissing like a snake and making the kids shiver.
In the background, they could hear the steady patter of rain, while a pleasant smell of wet asphalt greeted their senses.
"... Boy, it's cold. How long have we been gone?" King asked through clenched teeth, trying to use his "cloak" as a blanket by wrapping it around his body.
"It was summer when we got kidnapped. It must have been about three months." Tricky murmured, hugging herself and shivering visibly. Unfortunately, her white undershirt, while very stylish, was ineffective against the biting weather.
Rain and Bruno dared not breathe a word, watching the underpass with frightened eyes. Having never been there before, they had no idea what to expect, but at the moment, this dark, cold, graffiti-covered environment did not look very reassuring.
Bruno could not help but think that as soon as he had the chance, he would try to visit Argentina, the land of his ancestors. He liked the tropical heat a thousand times better than this terrible frost.
"Well, folks." The inspector exclaimed, taking charge. Not only was he now the only adult in the group, but he was also back on his own territory and had security duties to perform.
"Listen carefully, before we all go back to our own homes, we must go to the police. We will definitely be reported missing, so we need to let them know that we are okay."
"Are you sure, Ted? Won't they think it was you who kidnapped us?" muttered Jake, looking tired. "Besides, what could we possibly tell them?"
"Indeed. We can't tell them that we were almost killed by a creepy chrononaut and brought from the future by the dictatorial police to hunt down our stalker." Yutani nodded. Of all of them, she seemed the least chilly, given the heavy costume that protected her from the autumn chill.
"Ah yes. For you, time travel is still science fiction." Bruno muttered, moving his steel arm. "What do you think? Is it suspicious? Too futuristic?"
"No, I don't think it's a problem." Fresh reassured him with a smile. "Even in our time, there are many children who have lost a limb and have a prosthesis. The main problem for you is your papers. Theoretically, you two should not exist here."
"We'll think of something, don't worry." Rain said, ironically masking their own concern. "We'll tell them that Bruno and I have lost our memories and can only remember our names."
"Hmm. Good idea, but I don't know if they will believe you." Ted nodded. "I'd say we can tell them that we were kidnapped, but we don't know by whom. Then we say we were blindfolded the whole time, so we don't know who did it. Finally, we explain that we all managed to escape and come back here."
"Good idea. I think if we all say the same thing, they will believe us." Fresh said with a glimmer of hope in his eyes.
"What are you two going to do? Where are you going to sleep?" asked Jake, looking at Rain and Bruno.
"Oh... I have no idea," Rain murmured in an embarrassed tone, biting their lower lip and lowering their eyes.
"Well, we won't leave you alone. That's for sure." King nodded firmly. "My house is small, but maybe Mom will give me permission to take in one person. The only thing is that my mother is not a very pleasant person. I don't know if you would really feel at home." his tone was sad and melancholic. He felt a pain in his chest every time the idea of going home came up. He didn't want to feel like a burden as usual, didn't want to be told that his father's heart was getting worse because of the worry about his disappearance.
"Well, Bruno, if you want, you can come over. I think my parents would like to host a friend of mine." Yutani suggested, smiling at Bruno before giving Jake a worried look. "Sorry, I hadn't thought of that. Would you agree?"
Jake seemed to think about it for a few seconds with a worried look on his face before shaking his head. "Yeah, of course it's okay, it's a special situation. Maybe don't sleep in the same room, okay? I trust you, Yutani, and I trust you too Bruno. But at the same time, the idea of you sleeping together makes me a little uncomfortable." the boy finally admitted.
"That will never happen. Thank you, Yutani. Thank you, Jake, for trusting me." Bruno murmured with an embarrassed smile, avoiding Jake's gaze.
"I have an idea. I have a big house, we have more rooms than we need. Why don't you come over, Rain? You too, King, if you like. My dad could call your mom and tell her you're staying with us. We could pretend that you're too traumatized to sleep alone and need company." Tricky said, winking at King.
"Really? Sure, I would be very happy. Thank you, Tricky. Are you sure I'm not bothering you?" asked Rain in an uncertain voice. From what she had seen of Tricky's mother, she didn't seem to be a very welcoming person. How would a snobbish lady, probably from high society, have reacted to a turquoise-haired teen with no home?
"Don't worry, my father would be delighted to meet a friend of mine." Tricky replied with an encouraging smile. "As for my mother, anyone but her friends and her money are always a nuisance, so I wouldn't pay too much attention to her. If you don't bother her while she's working... or drinking, she won't bother you."
"Thank you. I wouldn't know how to repay you, though, and I especially wouldn't know how to leave." Rain sighed. "I don't want to be a pest and live in your house indefinitely. But I know absolutely nothing about this historical period except for the basics I learned in school. I wouldn't even know what kind of work I could do."
"Don't worry about that. I promise to help you integrate. Besides, you are a doctor, right? It's a job you already know how to do, isn't it?"
"Not really. I was studying to be a paramedic when I lived with my parents, but they kicked me out before I could get certified." Rain blushed, obviously uncomfortable having to admit her situation.
"Then that means we'll help you finish your studies. We're certainly not short of money." Tricky replied cheerfully.
"Oh no, Tricky that would be too much!"
"Don't worry, really. If you want, you can pay us back our tuition after you become a paramedic, but only if it makes you feel less uncomfortable. You can also pay us nothing back." Tricky replied firmly.
"All right...then thank you very much. I'll do my best." Rain nodded with a smile that lit up her face despite her glazed eyes.
Yutani nodded. "The same goes for you, Bruno. I'll talk to my parents, but I don't think they'll have a problem helping you. We could study at the same school and become classmates and colleagues, and when you will be older, you can decide what to do." She started seeking Jake's approval with his gaze. The boy nodded to reassure her with a smile.
"You could be my foster brother." Added Yutani with a shy smile.
"Only if I don't cost your family anything." Bruno replied with a shy smile and a look full of gratitude.
"Don't worry, really!"
"And of course, we will all help you integrate into society." Fresh exclaimed with folded arms. "We will teach you how best to live among us, what is appropriate to do and say, and what is not. You will find that you will like our age, even if it is a little less technological than yours."
"I'm sure we'll have a great time, thank you." Rain said with a smile, while Bruno nodded silently.
"Good. Now that we have that out of the way, let's get to the police before we freeze to death out here." Ted suggested in an encouraging tone.
"Follow me."
~
The streets of Subway City were quiet, the silence broken by the occasional barking dog or passing car. Fire-colored leaves crunched beneath their feet, causing Rain to giggle whenever a leaf made far too much noise. Suddenly, they seemed excited and happy, as if they had discovered a fairy world.
"Wow! Look at that, Bruno! Leaves! Real trees! Unbelievable!" she said, cautiously approaching the trunk of an old oak tree and looking at it with her mouth open and her eyes wide in amazement. "I never thought I would see a tree in my life. Amazing! It's so big ... and ..." She slowly drew a finger closer to the bark, hesitating a few seconds before touching it. A shiver ran down her spine, making the fine hairs on her arm stand up in excitement. "It looks alive!"
"It doesn't 'look' alive, it's alive!" Jake replied with a laugh, amused by their bizarre reaction.
Bruno observed the world around him with a gaze full of wonder, but unlike Rain, he only observed and commented without touching. "The buildings are so rudimentary and small, the streets so dimly lit. There is a great silence... I must admit, this place is relaxing."
"Ah! We have to run!" cried Rain, frightened, as a flash of light illuminated the sky and the rumble of thunder shook them. "Another storm is coming!"
"You can relax, there will be no poisonous gas coming down from the sky," Yutani reassured her in a soft voice. "The worst you can catch is a cold. What you see in the sky are flashes, they are normal electrical phenomena that always happen during a thunderstorm."
"Unbelievable- unbelievable how different the world was a few centuries ago," Rain commented, continuing to look around in wonder.
"Oh! Is that a cat? Oh, my goodness! Beautiful! Oh, no! It's gone! It's hiding!"
"It's actually worrying that you've never seen a tree in your life. I knew global warming would cause problems for the next generation, but not to this extent." Ted shook his head.
~
"So... I am police officer Taha. Nice to meet you," the policeman said, holding a drawing pad in his hands. He had a worried expression on his face, as if he had just been confronted by ghosts. He led them through the dusty corridors of the police station before opening a navy blue door and pointing to office chairs inside.
"Please have a seat."
"Where's my uncle?" Fresh asked with a hint of disappointment in his voice.
"He is off duty; he will return to work tomorrow. But we will inform him as soon as possible." Taha replied and waited until everyone was seated before closing the door behind him. He sat down in turn behind a bare metal desk, without any paper or decoration on it. He took a pen from his uniform pocket and sighed. "Good. Please tell me everything that happened to you. But first I need your personal information. First name, last name, date of birth" he said, looking at Jake.
"Uh.. Jacob Bressler, May 24th, 2012." Jake mumbled awkwardly, looking almost amused at his friends who seemed as uncomfortable as he was.
The generalities of the whole group were taken correctly, but the first problems arose when it came to Rain and Bruno's turn.
"Uh... My name is Rain... and... My birthday is the fifth of June..." Rain seemed to panic, looking at her friends as if she wanted to ask them for help. How could she say she was born at least three centuries in the future? What year would she have to be born now to be 17?
Bruno tried to divert the attention from Rain by talking to Taha, but he had the same problem. "My name is Bruno and my birthday is July 17th..."
Inspector Taha looked puzzled. He looked up from his notes and raised an eyebrow. "Guys, you need to tell me your last names. Otherwise, how can I contact your families to let them know you are safe?"
"That's the problem... I can't remember." Rain said, holding a hand to his neck and avoiding the piercing gaze of the inspector who, after many years in his career, had learned to recognize lies.
"Tell me... did you run away from home by any chance?"
Bruno and Rain did not answer. Taha looked at Ted, who shrugged. "I'm sorry, but I can't help you. I've never seen these boys before. All I know is that they managed to escape with us."
"In fact, there are no reports of missing minors with their characteristics in our records." Taha said, keeping his eyes on them. They were certainly not people to go unnoticed, he would have remembered such a report. "You. Bruno." He said in a soft tone. "What city are you from?"
"Buenos Aires." Bruno said without much thought. He had realized that there was no point in lying to Taha, so he might as well say the city his family came from.
"What about you, uh, Rain?" asked Taha, looking confused. It was clear that she was trying to figure out if that was her real name or not. "New York." Rain murmured with a flushed face. Having no idea of her ancient origins, she instead said the city she had always wanted to visit.
"I see. So we have a case of organized crime in different nations, if they have kidnapped people from other nations as well." Taha muttered to himself. "I'll have to talk to my superior and see what we can do." He turned the page of the notebook by also turning it completely vertically. "Could you please describe the faces of your captors so I can draw a sketch of them?"
"Oh... we don't know." Yutani interjected, looking exaggeratedly sad. "They didn't allow us to see their faces. They always kept us blindfolded."
"Hmm. Ted, Mrs. Bressler said to us that a few days before your son disappeared, you warned her about the presence of a suspicious person in the area. She stated that she had seen an adult male with his face covered by a rabbit mask walking near where you found Jacob. Do you confirm this version of events?"
"I confirm." Ted nodded, unable to lie so blatantly as to deny a version of the facts he had given himself.
"Jacob, do you confirm the existence of this individual?"
"Yes." Jake murmured with an edge to his voice. It suddenly seemed like a hundred years had passed since they had been abducted. It seemed impossible that this "Shady Individual" who had terrorized him, his friends and his mother had practically become his friend. It all seemed surreal, as if he had just woken up from an absurd dream. He exchanged glances with Rain and Bruno, who seemed as confused as he was.
"I saw him too, for a brief moment."
"Very well. Ted, do you think this person was involved in your abduction?"
"I couldn't say. However, I had already described him to you, and you, if I remember correctly, treated me as a lunatic. I had told you that he had attacked me in an alley, knocked me unconscious, and probably forcibly administered alcohol to make me drunk and look like an untrustworthy person in your eyes." Ted said, clenching his fists. Bruno and Rain exchanged surprised looks at the revelation of yet another of Frank's plots. "You guys never believed me." Ted remarked.
"Yes, Ted, I apologize. You will understand, however, that circumstances have changed. First of all, a witness has corroborated part of your story : Jacob. Also, Mrs. Bressler has confirmed that you were not drunk when you warned her of this person's presence. Please help me help you. Describe this person's characteristics so that I can identify him and possibly locate him." Taha did not seem apologetic or embarrassed, just very hurried and professional. Ted glanced at the kids before letting out a deep sigh. After all, Frank was lost in the time tunnel who knows where, and he doubted that this statement would hurt him in any way. He could not make up a false description, or it would not match the one he had tried to give to the police three months ago.
"Slender, agile man, dressed in a smart suit - jacket and tie, to be exact. Black gloves and a black briefcase. White mask with rabbit ears and red eyes, with two upturned moustaches resembling a smile. Short, hazel hair."
Taha quickly began drawing with a concentrated air, nodding occasionally as Ted gave him new details. After a few minutes, he turned the notebook over to show Ted.
"Yes. The design matches my description." Ted confirmed. "Maybe I'd make the mask a little thinner and not so round, but it's fine."
"I would also have a description of another person." Bruno suddenly said, drawing everyone's attention to himself. Although he felt very uncomfortable, he told his side of the story. "Once I managed to catch a glimpse of one of our captors. Green hair, glasses, casual clothes. I think his name is Andy. Andy. Andy." He repeated the name for emphasis, but mostly to calm himself. Repeating the same phrase had a soothing effect on him. "Please, if you see him, let us know. He threatened to come after us." he looked down as his right leg shook. The others nodded silently as Taha also tried to get a sketch of this mysterious Andy.
"We will see what we can do. Now, please tell me more. What happened exactly?"
~
After a few hours, they were given the green light to leave. After saying goodbye with a big hug and a promise to see each other again as soon as possible, they parted ways.
Fresh returned home accompanied by his uncle on a police car, who, alerted by Inspector Taha, had rushed to the station to hug his nephew again. Fortunately, Taha did not inform the press of their return, allowing them to enjoy a few hours with their loved ones without being besieged by reporters.
Tricky, King, and Rain were about to be driven to Tricky's house by a sleek limousine that pulled up a few steps from the police station. A valet stepped out and opened the back door of the car. Tricky's father immediately got out of the limousine, almost jumping, and hugged his daughter tightly in a flood of tears.
Tricky could not hold back his tears as he hid her face in her father's shirt under the loving and slightly envious eyes of King and Rain.
Shortly after, her mother got out of the limousine as well, and although she tried to maintain a dignified and composed demeanor, she was deeply shaken by emotion. As soon as Tricky had finished greeting her father, she hugged her in return, despite his daughter's obvious surprise. Her mother had hardly hugged her in years, and this sudden affection left her confused.
"Welcome home, Beatrice." she whispered to her, trying to hold back tears, before turning a smile to Rain and King, though her expression could not hide her disappointment at the bright colors of Rain's hair. "Robert told me everything, Inspector Taha just called him and explained your situation." she said, referring to her husband. "I am Alice Fairchild and this is my husband Robert Gideon.We Fairchilds never turn our backs on those in need; in fact, the charity of which I am president sponsors relief and educational projects for less fortunate children every year.
Tricky rolled her eyes, vaguely embarrassed by her mother's compulsive need to show off at the most inappropriate times. Rain understood the situation and played along, bowing slightly. "Nice to meet you, Mrs. Fairchild. My name is Rain. Thank you for offering me shelter at a delicate time in my life."
Meanwhile, from a distance, Bruno looked curiously at the limousine; a strange long machine, unable to float in the air, but always able to move thanks to the wheels attached to it.
King joined in the thanks, imitating Rain's bow. "Thank you, Mrs. Fairchild, for allowing me to spend this difficult night with you."
The lady seemed satisfied with the thanks and waved the children into the limousine, which departed shortly thereafter.
Yutani's parents also arrived in a much more modest car, and they, too, embraced their daughter in a flood of tears. They greeted Bruno warmly and did not seem offended when Bruno politely declined their hugs.
"I'm very happy for you that you've finally found a friend with similar interests." Yutani's mother commented, her hands trembling with emotion.
"And tell me, is he also...?" her father winked at her playfully, causing Yutani to blush completely.
"Dad!" she exclaimed embarrassed. "It's not what you think!"
Bruno looked confused. "What do you mean?"
"Ignore him, he's asking if you're my boyfriend." Yutani said, shaking her head before smiling. "I already have a boyfriend, Dad."
"Oh?" the parents exclaimed together, smiling sweetly as they saw Yutani walk over to Jake and give him a kiss.
"Aww. Young love. You never forget your first tender love." Her mother whispered, clasping her hands in obvious excitement.
"Look at my baby growing up. She's got dreamy eyes when she looks at him." her father felt touched by the blush and awkward smile that appeared on Jake's face as he awkwardly greeted his girlfriend's parents.
Soon after, they too returned home, taking Bruno with them.
"Well, I guess it really is time to take you home, huh, young man?" Ted asked him gently, putting a hand on the boy's shoulder. His dog wagged his tail contentedly, without growling for once.
"Yes." Jake nodded, a smile spreading across his eyes. "Thanks for keeping your promise, Ted."
"It is my duty. Now walk, come on! Or do I have to hold you by the feet as usual?" The guard joked, his bright eyes thankfully hidden by his thick eyebrows.
Jake laughed heartily. "That won't be necessary this time, old fart."
~
"JAKE! Oh, Jake! You're back!" His mother took him in her arms with every ounce of strength in her body and burst into a desperate cry, suddenly releasing all the fear and anguish she had felt these past months.
"I'm home, Mom." Jake whispered, closing his eyes and hugging his mother. He could not help but feel a tug at his heart to see her physically changed in such a short time: she was very thin, pale, and her hair was unkempt and matted. She looked as if she had not slept in a lifetime, judging by the prominent dark circles under her eyes.
Inspector Ted watched the scene in silence as Connie's joy warmed his heart. After a short time, he allowed himself to gently intervene.
"All right, Mrs. Bressler. I am going home now. I wish you well. Remember what the police said, in the next few days you should take Jake for a quick medical check to make sure he's okay." he said, putting his hat back on and motioning for the dog to follow him.
"Wait! Ted, wait!" Connie called back to him from the hallway.
Ted stopped and turned to see Connie smiling sweetly at him. "I'd like you to stay. You must have been through a lot, but he managed to bring my darling home safely. You are my angel. Let me at least offer you a cup of tea. I can also offer your lovely dog a treat, if you'd like."
Ted smiled and nodded, seeing Jake nod convincingly in return.
"Well, if I'm not intruding... I'd be delighted."
"Please have a seat!"
