Two days had passed since Tex had opted out of Bianca's Wednesday meeting in favor of dicking around with Junji on Ying's jet. But he hadn't dared miss their annual Tax Day meeting, as it was always filled to the brim with culture, political debate, and intellectual integrity.

"In 2019, Hi-Point asked their fans to come up with a name for their new gun." said Sean. "This was the name of--"

Tala pressed her buzzer.

"What is, The Yeet Canon?" she asked.

"Correct!" Sean announced. "Six Jolly Ranchers for Tala."

Tala pumped her fist and fished out six blue raspberry Jolly Ranchers from the bowl.

"Please choose the next category." Sean followed.

"I'll take meme weapons for eight Jolly Ranchers."

Tex frowned. Tala had breezed through the first three questions for the Meme Weapons category in a row, so he knew he had to do something if he wanted to win.

"In 1932," Sean read, "the Australian military wasted ten thousand rounds of ammunition losing to this opponent."

Tala pressed her buzzer, but Tex hit his faster.

"What is, an Emu?" asked Tex.

"That is correct! Tex gets to choose the next question."

The only categories left with remaining questions were Cartoons with Political Undertones, Republicans and Democrats, and Stereotypes About Black People That Aren't Also Stereotypes About Poor People.

"Dallas." Junji whispered. "Might I speak to you for a moment?"

Junji had insisted on sitting next to Tex, even though he hadn't wanted to play.

"No, I'm trying to win candy." Tex replied.

"What's your pick?" Sean pushed.

"I'll take Republicans and Democrats for two Jolly Ranchers."

Sean glanced at the scoreboard before reading the question off his clipboard.

"The difference between the death of a rich republican and the death of a poor republican." he stated.

Tala made it to her buzzer first.

"What is, fifty years?" she asked.

From her spot next to the snack table, Barton snorted and broke into a fit of laughter so raspy she might as well have had gravel in her throat.

“That is correct!" Sean replied. "Next one's yours, Tala.

"I want Stereotypes About Black People That Aren't Also Stereotypes About Poor People for two Jolly Ranchers."

"A box of this on the table is the biggest difference between a white party and a black party."

Tala pressed her buzzer again.

"What is, Lactaid?" answered Tala.

"Right again!"

"Woke. I'll take Cartoons with Political Undertones for two Jolly Ranchers."

"Dallas." Junji hissed. "I need to speak to you and the others."

"In season thirty-five, episode eighteen of South Park,” Sean continued, “the show came to this conclusion about Walt Disney's unfreezing and return from the Disney Vault."

Tex hit the buzzer.

"What is, put him back?" he asked.

"Correct! Choose a new question."

"Alright. Gimme Cartoons with Political Undertones for four Jolly Ranchers."

"In the show Avatar, this imperialist character was given a redemption--"

Bianca slammed her finger down on her button.

"Who is Zuko?" she answered.

"Whoa, hearing from Bianca." Sean replied. "That is--"

"Honestly, though, I'm always so disappointed with how writers handle the redemption of villainous characters, because I was so spoiled by the writing of Zuko in Avatar. I don't feel satisfied when the mean dude character does one good thing and then everyone acts like he hasn't been antagonizing the main characters for the whole story prior. It feels super cheap. Even more so when the character in need of redemption decides to sacrifice their life for the heroes, as if that absolves them of their responsibility. It's good to forgive, but there are better ways to redeem than to kill them off righteously. I feel like Zuko's story is so fulfilling because his redemption is reliant on his mistakes, and his choice to not only take accountability for them but to actively seek to make things right. He doesn't just say 'Hey, I am a good guy now.' His journey was so difficult, so painful, and so riddled with errors of his own judgement that the only way for him to truly be redeemed was for a symbolic victory to be won over his past self. Because of the expectations put upon him by his culture and his father, Zuko's sense of self had been twisted to resemble something he's not. At the beginning of his story he represented anger, hatred, and dominance to the audience, and he acts as the show's truest antagonist. But as the show goes on, it can be seen so clearly that Zuko is a compassionate person, tricked into believing his care for others was a sign of weakness. We only get like, fifteen or so episodes of Good Zuko, but the ways in which he changes speak volumes about his character. The first instinct he has is to apologize to the main cast for everything he's done. He basically grovels before them in repentance, fully aware of the atrocities he committed. While not every member of the group can bring themselves to forgive him, Katara especially, I don't actually think that's what was important to Zuko at that point. I think more than anything Zuko wanted to help, to make things better in any way he could. He had to make up for all of his rage with unrelenting kindness. The fire nation always says they are proud and strong, but what Zuko realized is that much like his uncle said, the only way to recover from crushing shame is to practice true humility. To acknowledge one's shortcomings, and to immediately try to improve them rather than to deny and cover them with a false pride. I also think he came to realize that good relationships are built upon trust, which is why he sought to aid the most personal troubles of Sokka and Katara. There are so many moments when a thing Zuko does makes me look downward and shake my head, but at the end of it all no character makes me feel more warm and satisfied. We are all sad when we see him lose his way, but he finds it again all by himself."

Sean blinked.

"...Alright." said Sean. "You get to choose the next category."

"Okay." Bianca happily replied. "I'll take Democrats and Republicans for six Jolly Ranchers."

Sean looked down at his clipboard.

"Democrat politicians have this, while Republican politicians have this." he read.

Tex jammed his finger on his button.

"What is, sex scandals, and gay sex scandals?" Tex replied.

Barton broke down laughing once again and was forced to put a hand on the table to steady herself.

"That is incorrect." Sean admitted.

"What?!"

"But you're so close. I'll give you another guess."

As Tex thought back to every news headline he'd seen in the last ten years, Junji stirred impatiently beside him.

"Is it a trick question?" asked Tex.

"Yup." Sean answered.

"Which part did I get right?"

"Sex scandals."

Tex's eyes lit up with realization.

"Is it, they both get into child sex scandals?" he realized.

Barton started to wheeze and fell to the ground with a clunk. Luke spat out a mouthful of wine.

"...Whoa!" Luke yelped.

"That is correct." Sean said with a nod.

"Whoa!!" Caverly replied.

"Sean, you put child sex scandals on the list?" asked Luke.

"What about it?" Sean wondered.

"You can't just say stuff like that!"

Refusing to look anyone else in the eye, Tex unwrapped a green apple Jolly Rancher and popped it in his mouth.

"About pedo scandals?" Tala said to Luke. "There's been like fifty."

Tex turned the Jolly Rancher over with his tongue. The outside of the candy was gooey enough that he felt compelled to scrape the soft part off with his teeth.

"Fifty YouTube conspiracies, maybe." Luke replied. "Why do you two buy into that stuff?"

The Jolly Rancher in Tex's mouth was longer than it was wide. Carefully, he positioned it between his molars to see if he could bend it.

"I grew up in the hood." Sean replied.

"Sometimes I go on 4chan." said Tala.

Tex tried to pull his teeth apart only to find they'd been glued together by the Jolly Rancher.

"There's no--pedophile ring!" Caverly spat. "And if there is, there wasn't until you suggested there was."

Not wanting to hurt himself, Tex spent a few seconds waiting patiently for more of the candy to dissolve before giving up and wrenching his teeth apart.

Sean squeaked, prompting Junji to loudly scoff.

"I've seen these poorly edited videos and journal entries that could only be persuasive to those who need but a sample size of one to make a conclusion." Junji stated firmly. "A waste of data space."

Free in Tex's mouth once again, the Jolly Rancher was covered in dents.

"I mean, 60 Minutes did a whole documentary about it." Tala replied.

The Jolly Rancher grew thin. Tex pinched it in his front teeth so it would curve into a little circle.

"There may have been a few scandals with priests and Hollywood executives and Roman emperors." Junji continued. "But those were all private cases."

Tala pulled out her phone and tapped her thumbs against the screen.

"Here's an article that gives some names and locations." she said as she scrolled. "Written by some ex-FBI guy named John Doe."

"Uhhg." Junji scoffed. "This John Doe character sounds like he just wants attention."

"Great point, dude." Sean replied.

"I've said my piece. Any rumors of a human trafficking ring are pure fiction. Now please, may I speak to my coworkers about a private matter?"

Everyone looked a little more uncomfortable than usual, but it was time for the meeting to wrap up anyway.

"Just asking." Sean said to the room as they cleaned up. "Do y'all really think princess Diana--"

"Yes." Caverly answered.

Tex ended up taking the elevator to Junji's room with Tala and Barton. They were all somewhat confused, but Junji clearly had something important on his mind.

The inside Junji's apartment was as clean as it had been the last time Tex had been there. There wasn't much room for four people, so Tex ended up sandwiched on the couch between Tala and Barton while Junji took a seat on the coffee table.

"Is everyone's phone off?" asked Junji.

Tex grumbled an affirmation alongside Barton. Tala took her phone from her pocket and turned it off.

"Did you need something?" Tex wondered.

"Yes." Junji answered. "I'm planning to take out a massive pedophile ring, and I would like your help."

Tex rubbed his forehead.

"Who's the target?" Barton asked.

Junji took a picture out of his pocket and placed it on the coffee table next to him. Tex leaned forward for a closer look.

"This is Max and Charlotte Wells." Junji explained.

The photo was of a Caucasian couple in their late fifties or early sixties. The woman wore a milk-colored silk dress, while the man was decked out in khaki pants, a sweater with the Penn State emblem, and a pair of reflective aviator sunglasses that completely blocked out his eyes.

"I wonder if they're in love." said Tala.

Tex got the feeling they hadn't needed to get married to have the same last name.

"Why'd you need to get our attention about this today?" he asked.

"Because we would have to do it tonight." Junji replied.

"...There a reason you didn't tell us sooner?"

Junji sighed.

"Originally, we were going to strike next week." answered Junji. "But this morning I was informed that Sherman and Porter had changed the date of their meet up to tonight."

"Who're they?" Tex pushed.

Tex was unsure why both Tala and Barton shot him a dirty look.

"Glenn Sherman and Gail Porter are the top Democrat and top Republican candidate right now." Tala replied. "The election's only three years away."

"Oh..." Tex muttered.

"They are scheduled to meet with the Wells tonight in Sweden." Junji continued. "But--"

"Educate yourself." Tala said as she handed Tex a pamphlet.

Junji cleared his throat. Tex examined the pamphlet.

"Lida and I," Junji pushed, "have hired a band of mercenaries to take out Sherman and Porter, allowing us to sneak inside in their place."

"How are you supposed to do that?" asked Barton.

"The plan is very simple. Dallas and I will disguise ourselves as Sherman and Porter, and we will use their tickets to board a plane to Sweden."

"What do I do?"

"You will be disguised as a janitor, as there are no black presidential candidates this election."

"I could do whiteface."

"No you couldn't." Tala replied.

Tex turned the page of his voter's pamphlet to the libertarian section with interest. However, the pamphlet was smacked away from him before he could read much.

"Are you voting third party?" Tala yelped.

"Boo." Barton said as she gave a thumbs down.

"Dallas will meet with Max while I meet with Charlotte," Junji continued, "and we will kill them when their guards are respectively down while Barton makes sure no one enters. Barton will then push us out of the facility in a recycling bin, and we will be picked up by one of Lida's associates."

"Who is it?" Tala wondered.

"I'm not sure. Hopefully, the Wells will interpret the disappearance of both Sherman and Porter as an indication of their fleeing, but either way, they won't know what we look like."

"Are you sure you and Tex will both fit inside a recycling bin?"

"No. This is why we are going to practice with the recycling bin in the parking garage."

Although Junji's plan was questionable at best, Tex couldn't think of a better one. He shoved the voter's pamphlet in his pocket.

"Did you know John McAfee's running?" he muttered to Barton as they left Junji's room.

"John McAfee's running from the feds." Barton replied.

Practicing fitting in a two-hundred and forty liter recycling bin with Junji was painful, but Tex couldn't complain when it was the first time in a while he'd gotten physical contact that didn't end in dehydration and being denied aftercare. They managed to squish themselves small enough to close the lid after just twenty minutes. The only real bump came when Barton almost killed all three of them by lifting the entire bin over her head in an attempt to assert dominance.

The last thing they did before they left was buy some clear nail polish and a set of coveralls for Barton.

They took the train to DC, with Junji covering all four of their tickets. Once they'd arrived, they bussed to an address Junji had gotten from Lida to find a large black van a few blocks from the airport, hidden in the residential foliage and late-afternoon lighting.

Junji opened the back door of the van for Tex. Tex looked inside to see several suitcases, a rack of clothing, the dead bodies of Glenn Sherman and Gail Porter, and a burly Slavic man with a leather jacket, an eight o'clock shadow, and a cigar hunched in the corner.

"Hello!" Tala greeted as the four of them climbed in.

"Uh." the man grunted in response.

There wasn't a lot of space, and the bodies didn't smell great once the door was shut behind them. Tala pulled a small bottle of breath spray from her pocket and spritzed some in their direction.

"Here is your disguise." Junji said as he placed something into Tex's hand.

The disguise was nothing more than a tiny black disk, no bigger than a quarter. Tex could feel with his fingers that one side was sticky.

Junji pulled down his collar to show he had an identical disk stuck to his throat.

"...Um, what?" asked Tex.

Junji pressed his finger against the disk. In a heartbeat, a new face covered his old one.

The new face was middle-aged and female. It replaced every bit of Junji's likeness, rounding out the epicanthic folds in his eyes and deepening his pores. Long brown hair now hung from Junji's head, but when Tex reached out to touch it, he found it had no mass.

"It's only a hologram." Junji explained.

Junji's voice came out as a woman's, and in a different accent and cadence. He chuckled when Tex's eyebrows both raised.

"It doubles as an Electrolarynx." Junji followed. "Put yours on."

Tex pulled his collar aside and pressed the sticky side of the disk into the base of his neck. He tapped it once with his finger.

"Did it work?" he asked in another man's voice.

The words had come out louder than he'd been expecting.

"The volume is raised." Junji replied. "Talk quietly, so your real voice will not be noticeable."

"Gotcha."

Junji took the glasses off of the dead Sherman's face and handed them to Tex. Tex replaced them with his own glasses to find the prescription wasn't as strong, but it was enough to see.

He left his old glasses with Tala.

"Tala, will you help Barton with her disguise?" asked Junji.

"Okay." she replied.

"You didn't kill the janitor for this, did you?" Tex wondered.

"Yes, I had the janitor killed. I didn't want him to testify."

"What!?"

"He was working with sex slaves and failing to report it to the police."

"...That's a good point."

Barton was given a third black disk that gave her a face Tex didn't recognize. While Tala helped Barton tape various weapons under her coveralls to give her a few more pounds, Junji put on a pair of gloves and began to take the clothes off the bodies.

With everyone preoccupied, Tex was left next to the Slavic mercenary and his cigar.

Considering the man was hired, Tex doubted he had any connection or care of what they were doing. Which was good, as Tex wasn't in the mood to talk.

"Every morning for twenty years I've woken up thinking of the day when I would finally be able to kill Glenn Sherman." said the mercenary.

"...Oh." Tex replied.

"Sherman came to my country to build pipeline. So I start protest. He tells me I will regret it, and I do. He has my wife and children killed in front of my eyes."

"Please tell us more." Tala begged.

"Americans, listen to me. Don't fall for lesser evil. Vote third party."

Tex raised his finger and opened his mouth.

"You know what?" he started. "Maybe this fine gentleman has a--"

"No." Tala cut in.

"Boo." Barton said as she gave a thumbs down.

There were still a few more pieces of their disguises. Tex put on Sherman's clothes while Tala helped Junji stuff his bra. Glenn Sherman had a little more in the gut than Tex, but they fixed the problem with some folded fabric and duct tape.

The last thing they did was paint their finger tips with clear nail polish and fit themselves with their ear communicators.

"We would not be enough to fool a close friend." Junji muttered. "But thankfully, the Wells have not met us."

"I'll keep that in mind." Tex replied.

Junji handed Tex a plane ticket. Tex read the corner to see it was a first class ticket to Sweden for one Glenn F. Sherman.

There was a tiny drop of blood on the corner, which Tex ripped off with care.

"Wait, I don't have a ticket." Barton realized.

"Shoot." Tex replied. "She don't."

Tala raised her hand.

"No." said Tex.

"You could sell Barton on Amazon," Tala started, "and then after you go through security, you buy her and have her airdropped."

"No."

"How about this, then. We hide Barton in Barton's shoulder hole."

Junji touched his chin.

"Barton is very thin." he muttered. "We could fit her in a suitcase."

"Would you be alright in there?" Tex asked Barton.

"Course." she answered. "I once spent four years in a box."

"How we gonna get her through security?"

"Politicians don't have to go through security." Tala replied

Tex hadn't known it was possible to hate the TSA more than he already did. Their conversation dispersed, but Tex stayed by Junji.

"Speaking of not having to go through security..." Junji trailed off.

"What?" asked Tex.

"Take this."

Tex was handed a simple black spring-loaded knife.

"I got a gun." Tex said.

"And now you also have a knife."

After pocketing the knife, Tex wandered over to the corner of the truck that Barton was in to find she was putting the cap on a vial of grey powder.

"How many explosives do you need?" he asked.

"Go away." answered Barton.

"Come on. You look like you're about to drink it."

Barton taped the vial under her shirt with a look of consideration.

"You know," she started, "they say gunpowder was originally invented by the Chinese in an attempt to make a potion of immortality for their emperor."

"...Huh."

Tex wasn't sure why, but something about the idea didn't sit well with him.

The time came to leave for the airport. Tex felt a little bad about putting Barton in a suitcase, but she fell asleep almost immediately. After filling the other suitcase with their original clothes, shoes, and phones that were absolutely turned off, he handed it off to Tala.

"We will need these once we leave." Junji said to Tala.

"How we gonna get Tala on the plane?" Tex wondered.

"I'll just take a later flight." she replied.

Tala parted ways with them after Junji gave her some money for the plane ride and the number of Lida's associate.

"I wish I could run." Junji said as he scooted along on his three inch heels.

"That'd be a strange sight." Tex replied.

"Here, we will watch this while we walk."

Tex was handed a burner phone with the input audio detectors and cameras removed. The phone was playing a debate between Sherman and Porter, which Tex watched with Junji until a McAfee update screen drifted over the video and refused to close.

Thousands of eyes were on them as soon as they'd entered the airport. Tex would have thought the process of pretending to be someone he wasn't would be more stressful, but the closest they got to trouble was at the desk for bypassing security.

"Sherman, huh." said the woman at the help desk. "Never thought I'd see you with Porter."

"It's a--weird tactic." Tex replied. "Wish I could say I understood my aids."

The woman let out a short laugh and motioned with her hand for Tex to come through. However, Tex stopped dead in his tracks when Barton started to snore.

"Sorry." he followed. "That's just my ringtone."

"Mmh." the woman mumbled as she turned back to her book.

The plane ride itself was a grueling six hours. Tex had never flown first class before, but any comfort it might have given him was outweighed when what he'd signed up for finally hit him.

He spent a solid hour staring straight ahead with his hands clasped in his lap before Junji nudged him.

"Hmm?" asked Tex.

Junji handed Tex a napkin. Tex examined it to see something was written on it.

How are you feeling?

Tex pulled down his tray table and grabbed a pen.

I'm a little anxious

You'll do fine. I will protect you.

thanks

After a few deep breaths, Tex's heart rate returned to normal. He grabbed the napkin back when Junji passed it to him once again.

have you familiarized yourself with the interface of your suicide device?

Tex's heart rate un-returned to normal.

what?

The suicide device you have been installed with. Have you explored the interface well enough that you understand how to potentially activate it?

ran through it a few times, yeah

Why are you looking at me like that?

is there a reason you brought this up?

I thought it was important.

am I going to need it?

It is unlikely.

why'd you mention it, then?

The same reason I'm wearing a seat belt despite having never been in a plane crash.

Tex would have liked to pass more notes with Junji, but Junji quickly ate the napkin and made himself busy with sleeping. Knowing that it was probably a good idea to do the same, Tex popped some melatonin to get over his nerves.

He didn't wake up until the plane had landed. After carefully removing the suitcase that held Barton from the overhead compartment, he and Junji were granted first access off the plane.

Figuring out where to free Barton ended up being a bit of a puzzle, considering how hard it was to find privacy at an airport. It was dead night, but they finally managed to happen upon a single occupant bathroom inside a McDonald's just next to the airport.

Tex brought the suitcase into the bathroom while Junji ordered. He made sure to lock the door before undoing the main zipper of the case.

"Stalin nikogda ne voz'met menya zhivym!" Barton shouted as she sprung out of the case.

"Barton!" Tex yelped.

Hearing her name made Barton stop dead in her tracks. Immediately, her vengeful expression was replaced by one of boredom.

"Oh, yeah, this thing." she said.

"Jesus Christ."

"You're fine."

Tex left the bathroom first, and Barton a minute later. They abandoned the empty suitcase next to the garbage bins. Tex took a sip of the fountain drink Junji had ordered and made a face to find he'd mixed every soda together.

They ordered a separate cab for Barton to avoid suspicion. Barton's came first, and Tex was left with Junji out in the cold.

"Anything you can tell me about what to expect with these folks?" Tex asked.

"Not much." answered Junji. "My family was never involved in human trafficking."

"You didn't know anybody who was?"

"Not personally. Most clans don't have the heart for something so horrific."

A taxi turned the corner and began to slow down after spotting them.

"But as you could guess," Junji followed, "this is what has made the industry so profitable for the few who do."

The ride to the manor was a silent and grueling fifteen minutes. Tex was about done with traveling by the time they pulled up to the block and paid.

"Look at this." Junji said as he handed Tex the burner phone. "The layout of the second floor."

Tex examined the screen.

The manor wasn't hard to find, as it was the biggest thing on the block. It was the nicest house Tex had ever seen, with a square-footage that was too large to see from the ground and an almost cathedral-like aesthetic.

There were at least half a dozen windows spanning its floors. Tex could make nothing out from any of them.

They arrived at the front. Tex eyed the sight of a random black janitor standing on the sidewalk with suspicion before remembering it was Barton.

"Why'd you wait for us?" he asked her.

"I don't know what's going on." Barton replied.

Junji sighed and led them towards the arched doorway. To Tex's surprise, there was already a pasty, red haired man banging on the door.

"Let me in." the man begged. "I want to join your club."

"Go away, Zuckerberg." a voice from the inside shouted. "Your bloodline isn't pure enough."

Mark Zuckerberg's eyes fell to the ground. With sunken shoulders, he shoved his hands into the pocket of his hoodie and gave a stone on the ground a tiny kick.

"Excuse me." Junji said as he pushed past Mark Zuckerberg.

"Neh." Zuckerberg replied.

Junji knocked at the door.

"It's Porter and Sherman." Junji announced.

"Oh, come in!"

Before Tex could even think of any last questions he wanted to ask, Junji had opened the door.

The door revealed a long, horizontal hallway with another door a few feet to the left with a bouncer next to it. Several classical paintings lined the wall, which included but were not limited to Starry Night, The Birth of Venus, Mona Lisa, and The Pope Snorts Adderall Out of Joe Biden's Belly Button.

The bouncer was grinning by the time the three of them stepped inside. He opened the door he was standing next to and dipped his head into it.

"Hey, guys!" he called into it. "It's Glenn Sherman, Gail Porter, and Ben Carson!"

Barton frowned.

"I'm a janitor." she said.

"...Oh." the bouncer replied.

"I've worked here for twenty years. You should know that."

"I'm sorry."

The bouncer did indeed look sorry as Barton stormed off down the hall. Tex felt a little awkward when the bouncer turned his attention back to him and Junji with less excitement in his eyes.

"You two haven't been here before, right?" asked the bouncer.

"We haven't." Junji answered.

"Alright. Have fun, but remember the golden rule."

The bouncer pointed to a plaque above the door. Tex examined it to see it read NO CAMERAS.

"Won't be a problem." he said.

"Good." the bouncer replied.

The bouncer stepped out of the way. Tex waited for Junji to pass through the door before following.

The room was about half the size of a ballroom, and was stuffed to the brim with gilded paintings, velvet couches, and spun marble pillars. There were maybe a dozen adults scattered about the shiny floor, but Tex's eyes were drawn to the children first.

There were half as many children as there were adults. The children seemed to be in their early teens or younger, and the majority of them were Asian. Some of them sat on the couches while others stood off to the side of conversations. No one spoke to them, made eye contact with them, and they didn't speak to each other.

When Max noticed Tex and began to make his way over, a young girl who happened to be in his path stepped out of the way.

Max Wells looked exactly like he had in the photo, reflective aviators and all. His expression was friendlier than Tex had been expecting.

"Hello!" Max greeted.

"...Hi." Tex replied, reminding himself to whisper.

Tex accepted the handshake that Max offered him. With his sunglasses aimed at Tex's face, Max leaned into the shake just far enough to make Tex uncomfortable.

There was a slight whirring sound.

"Porter, Sherman." Max stated. "Good to see you."

"You as well." Junji replied.

"What time are you two scheduled for?"

"Two in the morning, I believe. Local time."

"Perfect. Make yourselves at home until then."

Max left the two of them in favor of mingling with a group of important-looking people. Tex got the feeling he should do the same, although Junji beat him to it.

"I'll see you later, Sherman." Junji said as he made his way over to three coat-tailed producers.

Besides the children, the only person in the room not engaged in conversation was a woman by a table covered in wine, juice boxes, cocaine, and some of the booziest pizza Tex had ever seen. She held a wine glass in her hand, and she appeared to be pondering something as she stared at the rim.

He recognized her as Charlotte from the photo. She looked the same, although she was wearing a blouse and a pair of fashionably loose pants instead of a dress.

Two old men made their way over to Tex before he could examine her further.

"Hello." Tex greeted as he extended his hand.

The men were both dressed in fine white satin cassocks and pointy bishop hats.

"Hey, Sherman." the bishop on the left replied, meeting his hand. "You're more put together than the last time I saw you."

"You've seen me before?"

Tex realized the moment his words had left his mouth that he absolutely should not have asked such a question, but the bishop only laughed.

"Yeah, you were pretty fucked up." the bishop said as he grazed his fingers over the ornamental cross on his chest. "I would've been surprised if you'd remembered."

"Sounds like a good party."

"Oh, it was. We..."

The bishop continued his story, but Tex quickly grew bored with listening. Instead, he let his ears wander over to Junji's conversation with the producers.

"...say Gail, you looked killer at the debate last night." one of the producers monologued. "Like a 'let me finger you in the bathroom' kind of killer."

Gail Porter, or at least Junji's representation of her, wasn't particularly attractive. But considering the sheer amount of wide set eyes, facial asymmetry, and general genetic peculiarities that filled the room, she was a catch.

"No." Junji replied.

Tex looked to his left when a child walked past him and made her way over to the couch. One of the bishops raised an eyebrow.

"What's with all the Asian kids, anyway." the bishop wondered.

"Ha. Max is sucking up to Chinese money, just like everybody else." the other replied, jabbing his thumb at another couple.

Tex followed the gesture to see two members of the Chinese parliament.

From the center of the room, Max cleared his throat. Every sub conversation in the room came to a halt.

"Does anyone want to request a--special guest?" Max announced.

There was a chorus of 'oohs'. Tex mimicked the shape with his mouth, but made no sound.

"Gimme that new Disney kid on the block." one of the producers suggested as he pulled out his wallet. "The one on PJ Spies."

After another chorus of 'oohs', Max launched into a barter agreement with the producer. They agreed on two billion after the fourth round.

The chatter started back up while Max made his phone call, but Tex paid close attention.

"Oh, hey, Janice." said Max. "Could you connect me to the PJ Spies kid's agent? Thanks, sweetheart."

Tex could hear the muffled voice of someone on the other end, but the room was too loud for him to make out any words.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm doing fine." Max continued. "Listen, I was looking to invite your kid to a party I'm having."

Tex reached into his front pocket and drummed his fingers on the side of his knife.

"Oh, his mommy's worried about him? Ask her if she's three hundred million dollars worried."

The trend of people introducing themselves in pairs continued as an old woman and a middle aged man made their way over to him. Quickly, Tex pulled his hand out of his pocket.

"Hi." Tex greeted. "Glenn Sherman."

"Lovely." the woman replied. "I'm the Queen, and this is my son Prince Andy."

Prince Andy was a fat fuck with a mouthful of teeth that were all trying to escape his gums in different directions. Tex shook his hand, but didn't shake the Queen's for fear of shattering her.

"Hello." a new voice greeted.

Tex looked over his shoulder to see that one of the producers had wandered over to their conversation.

"Ah, Himmelstein." Prince Andy said to the producer as he pulled him into a handshake. "Saw you've been shagging a lot of dogs lately."

"How'd you know?" Himmelstein replied with the start of a grin.

"Well, I've just seen the casting in your new film."

The two of them burst into a fit of laughter that was about an eight on the scale of drunk frat boy to horny ape. Himmelstein wiped his hand on his pants after letting go of Prince Andy's hand.

"You alright?" asked Himmelstein. "Your hand's kinda sweaty."

A pang of terror flashed behind Prince Andy's eyes.

"That's impossible." he stammered. "Uh, I--I--I have a p--peculiar medical condition which is that I don't sweat, um, or I didn't sweat at the time because I had suffered what I would describe as an overdose of Adrenaline in the third World War when I was shot at, and I simply...it was--it was--it was almost impossible for me to sweat. And it's only because I have done a number of things in the recent past that I'm starting to be able to...do that again. So I'm afraid to say that there's a medical condition that--it didn't do it so therefore--"

"What in the lord's name are you going on about, Andy?" the queen cut in.

"I didn't know about Jimmy Savile!"

Tex was able to sneak away from the conversation thanks to the mild commotion. Unfortunately, he was beckoned over by another group of two.

It was the Chinese couple he'd seen before. He could tell from their black suits and red ties that they were politicians, but he didn't recognize them.

"Howd--Hello." he greeted them.

"Hello!" the man replied. "I am Cheng Ju, President of the People's Republic of China."

"Sherman. Pleased to meet you."

"This is my wife, Qin Jiang. Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference."

"Nǐ hǎo." said Qin.

Cheng and Qin both reached for a weak handshake. After they'd finished with their greetings, they both smiled politely and said nothing.

"So, uh." Tex managed. "You're communists?"

Cheng and Qin both chuckled quietly. Tex recognized from the tone that they'd been charmed.

"As much so as you are a capitalist." Cheng replied.

"...Oh." Tex mumbled.

"Is this your first time at a Wells' party?"

"Yes."

"You should speak with Mrs. Wells. It is customary to give the organizer your thanks."

"Alright. Thank you."

"She is an excellent philosopher." Qin added.

Tex couldn't think of a way to reply, but thankfully, both Cheng and Qin moved on from the conversation.

Charlotte was in the same place she'd been when Tex had first come in. Interestingly enough, she was still staring at the rim of her glass.

Tex took a few steps towards her, but was interrupted when a man in a suit snuck up next to him.

"Hey." the man said as he tossed his arm over Tex's shoulder. "Darin Brown of the FBI."

"Uh." Tex replied.

"Listen. Got something you wanna cover up? I fund a team of software guys who'll write whatever you want on Wikipedia and refresh the page every ten seconds to make sure nobody's changed it."

"Okay."

"Here's my card."

Darin pulled out a card and took it upon himself to shove it into Tex's back pocket. Tex flinched when Darin followed the gesture with a smack across his butt.

"Man. TV must be taking something away where it counts." Darin followed as he left.

Tex grit his teeth and continued his trek to the food and drink table. Charlotte flicked her brow up when she noticed he was coming her way.

"Oh, hello Sherman." she greeted.

Now that he was just a few feet away from Charlotte, he could see there was a lone mosquito perched on the rim of her glass.

"Hi." said Tex. "Lovely party."

Charlotte put her glass down. The mosquito jumped from the glass and landed on her arm.

She swat the bug with her hand before it could even extend its proboscis. Tex watched as its dead body fluttered onto the table, but not nearly as intently as Charlotte did.

"Hmm." she muttered.

"Something on your mind?"

Charlotte let out a laugh of manic exhilaration.

"Tell me." she stated. "Do you find this dead insect to be an upsetting sight?"

"No." Tex lied.

"Of course you don't."

'Guys, there's a bunch of tunnels down here.' Barton sent.

"Not all creatures are created equal.” Charlotte continued. “Not all creatures have the same--capacities for pain and pleasure or--political capability."

Charlotte had a dead look in her eyes that was eerily familiar to Junji's resting expression. It was a strange comparison to make, but it was visible nonetheless.

"Did you know mosquitoes are an unnecessary part of the food chain?" asked Charlotte. "Nothing bad would come of it if they went extinct."

"It'd be nice."

"Sometimes I feel we fail to consider the benefits it might bring to us to recognize that some creatures--"

Charlotte paused for a moment to flick the mosquito off the table.

"--have overstayed their welcome." she finished.

Tex resisted the urge to slowly back away from Charlotte. However, his inability to think of anything to say in response made for an awkward silence.

"Sorry, sorry." Charlotte followed with a tiny snicker. "I got ahead of myself."

"It's no problem."

"I have business to attend to. Please excuse me."

After she'd waved him goodbye, Charlotte snapped her fingers and began to make her way over to Junji. Tex watched three of the children hurry after her so intently that a sudden hand on his shoulder nearly made him jump.

"You ready, Sherman?" Max asked as he grabbed a juice box from the table. "It's two."

Tex sucked in a long and slow breath through his nose.

"Yeah." he replied. "Take me back."

As Max led Tex to a door behind the snack table, the three children that hadn't followed Charlotte came over from the couches and floor to join their group.

'I just landed in Sweden.' Tala sent.

Tex scratched his ear and coughed so that Tala would know he heard. Max maneuvered them to the right once they'd gotten to the hallway.

"Woah." Tex said when he noticed a few lines of foam dripping out of Max's mouth. "You--are you alright?"

Max wiped his mouth with the back of his free hand.

"Yeah, it's just a constant thing." answered Max. "When it's not a side effect of OxyContin, it's an old family ailment."

As he spoke, Max pulled a tiny bag from his pocket.

"Want some drugs?" he asked.

"Uh, what kind?"

"Just some cocaine, heroine, horse tranquilizers, adrenochrome, uh...laundry powder..."

"No thanks. My doctor says I shouldn't mix that with Xanax."

"More for me, and that's probably for the best. I can never see the demons we summon during our blood sacrifices to the Pagan gods if I don't get enough."

Tex could think of absolutely no way to respond.

They arrived at the entrance to the third room down the hall. Almost instinctively, the children lined up in a row next to the door.

"Have a favorite?" Max pushed as he handed Tex the juice box.

Tex grabbed the juice out of instinct. He knew that it would be best for his cover to fake an answer to Max's question, but he couldn't bring himself to do it.

"You choose." Tex replied.

Max chose a girl who looked about twelve. The rest of the kids were still standing in the hall when Max closed the door.

The new room was just a little smaller than Tex's apartment. In one corner was an armchair, while in the other was a massage table and what seemed to be a freezer.

Max settled next to the armchair in the corner.

"Nǐ jiào shénme míngzì?" he asked the girl.

"Xie Na." the girl answered.

"Zuò zài nà biān. Xièxiè, Xie."

The girl walked over to the massage table and climbed onto it. Max pulled a pill crusher and an orange bottle labeled 'carisoprodol' from the same pocket he’d grabbed the other drugs out of.

"How goes it? How's the politicking?" Max wondered as he popped the top off the carisoprodol.

"It's pretty alright. I'm going to dinners and--spending tax dollars responsibly."

Once he'd finished crushing a handful of pills, Max grabbed the juice box back from Tex.

"What about you?" asked Tex. "How goes the business."

Max focused his eyes on the juice box and chuckled to himself.

"Oh, it sure goes." he answered. "People are people. They're always looking to do who the Romans did."

Tex did his best not to scowl as a wave of disgust washed over him.

'I've killed Charlotte.' Junji sent.

'Neat.' Barton replied.

"Sounds like you run a pretty good gig, then." Tex said to Max.

"Yes, it's alright." Max sighed. "Although..."

"Although what?"

"Although I’m looking forward to when I'm able to start my passion project."

"...Passion project?"

"Oh. My business is only a mean to a more--philanthropic project. In human engineering. You can see I've started a collection over here--"

Max pointed to the freezer box. Tex examined the box closer to see it had been labeled 'my semen'.

"--but I'm in no way done." Max finished.

"Uhuh."

"But someday. It will be my gift to women."

'Sherman has not replied.’ Junji sent. ‘Janitor, please locate the recycling bin and incapacitate anyone who comes into the hallway.'

'Roger.'

"Speaking of which." said Max. "Should we start?"

"Start?" Tex asked.

Max scoffed with amusement.

"First time?" he wondered.

"Yeah."

Max handed Tex the juice box.

"Don't worry, she's eighteen." Max promised as he pointed at the girl next to the cot.

Tex grabbed his belt loop with his free fingers in an attempt to get his hands to stop shaking.

"Really now." he replied.

"And she won't scream, or your money back."

Tex could think of nothing more to say.

"Unless you want one that screams." followed Max. "I can get--"

Tex grabbed Max's collar with his left fist and traded the juice box in his other hand for his pocket knife.

"Whoa!" Max yelped as Tex threw him into the wall next to the armchair.

Tex slid Max's body up the wall a few inches so they could see each other eye to eye. After jabbing the knife between Max's ribs so he couldn't struggle too hard, Tex grabbed his gun and shoved it under Max's mouth.

There were many reactions Max could have given. A sharp laugh was not one that Tex had been expecting.

"Are you going to kill me?" Max wondered.

Tex had every intention of shooting Max, although he wasn't sure he wanted it to happen so quickly.

"Reckon I might." he replied.

There was another whirring sound, identical to the one Tex had heard when they’d met. Tex jerked his knee between Max's legs hard enough to slide him another inch up the wall.

Max yelped. Out of the corner of his eye, Tex saw that the girl on the massage table had sat up with wide eyes.

"Do you understand?" Max continued. "You shoot me and every mercenary in the country will be on your doorstep trying to bring you back alive."

"Sure they will. Long as you remember to tell them who killed you."

Max let out another laugh, although this one sounded a little more winded.

"You're special." he coughed. "Usually takes a week long bender before my guests get as stupid as you."

"Hell's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh, you really think I just got rich pimping out little kids to every fat cat in town?"

Unable to help himself, Tex whipped his pistol against Max's face. Max yelped in pain as his head snapped to the side. Tex could see that his blow had left a satisfying dent, as well as broken the left lens of Max's glasses.

When Max's face returned to the position it had been in, Tex nearly jumped at the sight of his eye.

Instead of an iris, a telescoped camera lens poked out of Max's eyeball. Tex had no reason to believe the same wasn't true of the other.

"Yeah, I give live footage a new name." said Max.

There was another whirring noise as the camera lens shrunk slightly in size, focusing on Tex's face.

"That's how you do it, huh." Tex realized.

"When you have the video of ten Hollywood bigshots and a chairman from every federal agency banging a six year old, the world really is your fucking oyster."

"How could you do that to a child?"

Tex's voice had raised above a whisper, enough so that he could hear some of his own tongue under Sherman's. Max's eyebrows scrunched together in consideration, but only for a moment.

"They were on the street when we met them." Max hissed.

Along with words, Max spat a few red chunks of saliva at Tex's face. Tex quickly pulled his weight from Max, sending him tumbling to the floor. Tex then used his foot to turn over Max's weakened body on his back.

The knife was still stuck in Max's chest, so Tex brought his foot down on it and pushed.

"Mercenaries will be one thing, journalists will be another." Max choked, his eyes squarely on Tex’s face. "You know what I'll do to your name?"

"I don't care."

"I got footage of you looking at my girls. Fuck, we can fake a video out of that. I'll scrape up your internet history and I'll give your fetishes to every major network--"

Max paused for a moment to writhe weakly around the knife.

"--and I'll torture your family to death." he finished. "Sell your kids on the red market."

"Do whatever the hell you want, old man."

With a cough, Max's body weakened under Tex's grip. He was losing blood fast. Tex had never realized just how much damage a knife did.

"You better hope you have a pretty good escape plan." said Max.

"And you better hope you froze all the jizz you needed, cause--"

Tex was cut off by a silenced bang when the side of Max's head exploded out his right ear and onto the floor. Tex looked to his left to see that Junji had decided to meet up earlier than they'd planned.

"You were taking too long." Junji explained.

"What are you doing here?"

"You were taking too long."

Junji was carrying another child on his back. His voice was cold, and he refused to meet Tex's gaze.

Tex gave Max's body another glance. He felt he was about to get a scolding, so he did his best to beat Junji to the punch.

"Are you mad at me?" Tex asked.

"Mad is not the right word..." Junji trailed off.

"Son of a bitch can burn in hell, all I care."

"I think you make better decisions when you don't remember what the person you're killing has done."

Tex put his gun and knife back into his pocket.

"Tā yǒu bāngzhù nǐ ma?" the girl asked the boy on Junji's back.

"Shi." the boy replied. "Hé tāmen yīqǐ qù."

The little girl on the massage table came running over to Tex and stopped by his side. Tex considered grabbing her hand before realizing it probably wasn't a good idea.

"Janitor, are you there?" Junji asked into his comm.

'Gimme a minute.'

Junji was no longer avoiding eye-contact, but Tex still felt compelled to defend himself.

"He thought I would have--fucked a kid." Tex pushed.

"Why does this upset you?" asked Junji.

"How many people gotta be doing that for him to think I would?"

Junji sighed.

"Most people would not." he replied. "But most people are not so--aristocratic."

"...What's that mean?"

Junji put his gun back in his appendix holster in silence. Tex couldn't believe it, as he'd never seen Junji refrain from giving his opinion before.

"Don't tell me you ain't thought about it." said Tex.

"Of course I've thought about it. You cannot--you can't dedicate all your thoughts to morality without considering systemic pedophilia."

"Tell me. I wanna know."

"I only have my speculations."

"What are they?"

Junji groaned and rubbed the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger.

"I don't know." he answered. "Perhaps when you live your life with infinite heroin and prostitutes, the day will come when you get bored."

"You thi--"

"Perhaps they were subjected to the same treatment as children, so they consider it normal. Or perhaps they come from generations of breeding the most psychopathic men and women together."

Junji paused for a moment to readjust the child on his shoulders.

"In any case," Junji continued, "the fact that pedophiles are so easy to blackmail becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy."

Tex twisted his mouth to the side. He supposed Junji had a point, although it was hardly the most interesting thing to him about Junji’s speech.

"Never thought I'd see the day you said something bad about politicos." Tex muttered.

"I wish to edit this county’s foundation. Not terminate it."

Tex felt that there was more to say, although he knew it probably wasn't the best time.

'I'm ready.' Barton sent.

"You are?" Tex replied.

'Yup. Found the kids and the recycle bin and I got the C4 set up.'

Junji coughed.

"What C4?" he asked.

'You said you wanted me to plant twenty pounds of C4 in the basement.'

"I said I wanted you to incapacitate anyone who came in the hall!"

'Sorry I thought you said to plant twenty pounds of C4 in the basement.'

Junji groaned once more but pushed all of them to the door Tex had used to enter the room. After stepping through, Tex looked to his right to see Barton running down the hall with a recycling bin, four children, and The Pope Snorts Adderall Out of Joe Biden's Belly Button tucked under her arm.

She came to a halt before them and opened the top of the bin.

"Get in." she ordered. "I'm about to blow the lid off this demon spawner."

"Considering we've thrown secrecy out the window, I doubt we still need the bin." Junji replied as Tex dove into the bin.

Tex quickly felt himself start to roll. He grit his teeth and began the process of readjusting himself.

He'd just managed to flip his body around when several of the children screamed. His head hit the side of the bin when Barton spun him a hundred and eighty degrees and began to push him the other way.

It was hard, but he managed to adjust himself so that his head was poking out of the bin.

"Hell's going on?" Tex asked.

All things considered, Junji was quite calm as he jabbed his thumb over his shoulder. Tex turned around in the recycling bin to see a woman running after them with a face covered in white powder and pure hatred.

It didn't take Tex long to recognize her as Charlotte. She was gaining on them, considering she didn't have any children or industrial objects in tow. Tex didn't know how Junji had tried to end her, but there was no indication of damage on her face or body.

Tex could hear her panting through her teeth.

"I thought you killed her!" Tex yelled to Junji.

"So did I."

Tex did his best to suppress the Adrenaline from overtaking him as he pulled out his gun. Quickly, he leaned sideways until Barton was out of range, let his focus shift to his right eye, waited for Charlotte's head to line up with the front sight, and took two shots.

The second shot took out her left eye, but all it did was make her hiss and momentarily snap her head to the side.

Tex watched in horror as dozens of tiny, spider-like creatures poured from the back of Charlotte's head and positioned themselves on her face and shoulders. The uniform way they looked and moved implied they were robotic in nature.

It wasn't as scary as it was absurd.

"What the hell?!" Tex asked as the spiders began to pass down chunks of goop and lay them into Charlotte's face.

"What's going on?" Junji replied.

"She's--remaking herself."

Tex wasn't sure how, but Charlotte's face had nearly returned to the way it had looked before she’d been shot. She grit her teeth and pulled a ceremonial dagger from a holster hidden under her stretchy pants. Tex watched it bob in her hand as she pumped her arms, transfixed.

She'd gained about ten feet on them by the time they'd passed the second corner.

"Hell can she do that?" Tex wondered.

No one replied. Tex leaned to the side once again and shot three more rounds at her kneecaps. He was sure at least one of them had landed, as her stride broke and sent her tumbling to the ground.

They swerved around the last corner. Tex's body was thrown to the side as Barton rammed the recycling bin into the guard, and then again as she used it to bust open the front door.

The air outside was almost shockingly cold. A black limousine that hadn't been there before was parked on the street before them. As Barton pulled a wired box with a red button from her pocket, the driver's side window of the limo rolled down to reveal a man.

"Get in!" the man shouted. "Get in!"

The children scurried to the limo and were granted access when a woman opened the door. It took Tex less than a second to realize it was Tala.

"Hi guys." she greeted.

Barton tipped the bin over so Tex could get out. Once he'd gotten to his feet, he followed Junji and Barton to the sanctuary of the limo's darkened windows.

The inside of the limo was...unconventional. All the seats but the driver and passenger’s had been removed, possibly to help fit in the biggest gun rack Tex had ever seen attached to a vehicle.

The kids sat themselves down in the back while Tex settled next to Tala and the driver.

The driver was an ancient old man with a mustache and beard that were somehow unconnected. Tex couldn't help but feel he looked familiar.

"Cover your ears!" Barton shouted.

While Tex made eye contact with the children and motioned for them to cover their ears, Barton jabbed her thumb over the button on her remote.

The explosion was impressively precise. It was big enough to destroy the bottom half of the building, but contained enough to avoid damage to any of the buildings next to it.

Barton had done a good job.

When the roof of the manor collapsed in on itself, Tex got the feeling they weren't going to have to worry about Charlotte anymore.

The driver turned around to face them. Tex's eyes widened in amazement.

"...John McAfee?" Tex realized.

"Do any of you use McAfee software?" John McAfee asked frantically. "Do you?"

"It came on the phone I ordered." Junji replied as he pulled out their burner phone.

"Give me that shit!"

Tex watched as John McAfee snatched the phone from Junji and uninstalled McAfee.

"There you go." said John. "You're safe now."

"Who are you?" Junji asked.

"I invented and owned McAfee virus protection until I retired. Now I threaten to leak government secrets on Twitter of unknown accuracy and one time I said I'd eat my penis on national television if Bitcoin didn't quadruple by the end of the year."

"Bitcoin did not quadruple."

"It did not."

"...Did you eat your penis?"

"No, I'm not fucking crazy." John McAfee replied as he pulled a gun from the front seat and snorted a line of bath salts off the barrel.

Tex was quick to notice when Tala turned her attention towards the six children they'd picked up. She handed them her laptop and set up YouTube, and they were watching Minecraft let’s plays in no time.

"What're we gonna do about the kids?" Tex asked the car.

"Maybe there's a number we can call." Tala replied.

John took out his phone and made a quick search. When he held it out for all of them to view and hear, Tex saw that he'd dialed the number for the Director of the Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit in the Department of Justice.

The phone rang three times before someone picked up. Tex's eyes widened at the sound of the voice.

"Hello?" Charlotte coughed.

She sounded quite winded, but Tex's heart rate doubled nonetheless.

"Hello?" Charlotte repeated. "You'll have to speak up, I've just had a building fall on me."

After the shortest moment of consideration Tex had ever seen, John McAfee rolled down the window, hung up the phone, and chucked it into the street.

He slammed his foot on the gas the moment he'd rolled the window back up.

John’s foot stayed on the gas until they were within five feet of the police station, where he slammed on the break. Tala and Barton took the kids inside while Tex stayed with Junji and John in the car.

John grabbed a tablet and the most complicated remote controller Tex had ever seen from a mesh bag in the front seat.

"Here, look at this." John said as he propped the tablet up so they could all see.

The picture showed the outside of the demolished manor they'd come from. Charlotte, covered in chunks of drywall, stood on the sidewalk while she spoke with someone on the phone.

Three identical Hondas pulled up the building. After Charlotte had stepped into the passenger's side of the one in the middle, all three cars took off at the same time.

"What is this?" Junji asked.

"Footage from one of my drones.” answered John. “It's about twenty minutes old."

Tex watched for another minute to see half a dozen police cars pull up to the sidewalk. John pressed a button on his remote, and the picture split into three different views.

Each one was of a different Honda.

"I programmed them to follow the cars." John continued. "This is live."

One of the cars was already parked near the train station, while the other was headed back the way Tex remembered coming from the airport.

"She appears to be trying to cut us off." Junji observed.

"Yeah. She'll have every TSA agent in Sweden watching for you by the end of the hour."

Tex frowned. He knew they could probably pass for strangers if they took off their disguises before trying to travel, but he didn't want to risk it.

"Give me a moment, I need to speak with a friend." said Junji.

Junji punched a number into the burner phone. Tex didn't remember her whole number, but he could tell from the area code that it was Ying's.

It wasn't until that moment that the exhaustion really hit Tex. It was like someone had stolen his emotional energy, physical energy, and blood sugar all in the same moment. He found himself slumping over in the car, barely noticing when Tala and Barton came back.

"Ying can pick us up tomorrow evening." Junji announced. “After her presentation.”

"That's thirty six hours from now." Barton replied. "What do you think the chances of us getting through the airport undetected are?"

"Ninety-five?"

"...We'll wait for Ying."

"Uhhh." Tex groaned to himself.

"I can drop you off at a motel." John said. "But that's all I can do."

"Thank you." Junji replied.

Along with Junji and Barton, Tex removed every bit of his disguise on the drive over. As much as he wanted to be in his own clothes again, changing was horrible.

They drove a few cities over to distance themselves. John parked a block away from the motel to avoid suspicion from the front desk.

"I guess this is where we part ways." John noted.

"It was good meeting you." said Junji.

"Of course. Give me some sugar, baby."

“Should I keep the mask on?”

“Yeah, I’m not gay.”

Junji put up zero resistance as John McAfee snaked a hand around the back of his neck and kissed him. Tex wasn't sure if what he was witnessing was actually happening, or just an indication that his brain was about to shut itself off.

"You okay, Tex?" Tala asked.

"'M alright." Tex slurred.

John dropped them off at the corner and stepped on the gas the moment Tex's feet had left the car.

Barton dealt with the man at the front desk while Tex stared longingly at the complex. They ended up getting only one room, as none of them wanted to split up for safety reasons.

The twenty minutes that followed were phenomenal. Junji bought Tex a bag of vending machine chips that ended up being the best thing he'd ever tasted, and he continued to snack on them while he showered.

"It's three in the morning." Barton said as Tex emerged from the bathroom with his pants around his ankles.

"Mhm." Tex hummed as he shuffled over to a spot on the carpet and laid down.

"We're gonna have to kill a day and a half."

"I am sure it will be fine." Junji replied.

Tex nodded in agreement against the carpet and grunted in appreciation when a blanket was thrown over him. He felt himself nearing sleep quickly, but before he did, he made a mental note to vote for John McAfee in the next election.