Chapter 71

“Nice of you to drop in.”

Val smirks as she senses Denzo walking through the door of the Champworld premises. For some reason Denzo had caught her just standing idly by the doorway holding a piece of paper with what seems to be a faint smile on her face. But with everything that he had just experienced for the past twenty four hours, he simply wasn't in the mood to inquire and went straight inside the garage without another word.

‘Hmph… someone’s testy…’ Val whispered while she observes the boy as he walks down the hall, disappearing behind the stack of tires. She didn’t know much but just based on the single text she had received from him earlier, she knew enough.

‘J2!’ she shouts out as the lanky silhouette of her right hand man peeks his head out from the end of the hall.

‘Yeah?’

‘Come check this out.’ She said as J2 walked over, handing him the piece of paper she was holding. ‘Found this in the mail today.’

‘What’s this? Snail mail? Didn’t know this shit still existed?’ He replied as he took the piece of paper from her grasp.

‘It still does… mostly if you wanna send something sweet or in this case--’

‘If you wanna send something hush hush… damn… You know I really don’t know how you managed to keep your skyline from the old man’s grubby hands but I’m guessing this would've been plan B?’ J2 asked as he read the letter’s contents with a glimmer in his eyes.

‘It is still plan B.’ Val said as she turned to walk back towards the garage. ‘For some reason the old guy forgot… That or Miles gave him a new toy to potentially play with.’

‘Well let’s hope he doesn’t remember. He replied as he folded up the paper and slotted it back in the envelope it came in.

‘Whether he remembers or not, I’m still going through with what I planned for it. So reserve a slot in your schedule just in case.’

‘Just in case what?’ J2 responds, running up to Val to catch up with her in the garage.

‘Well the recent money troubles kinda hampered my plans but… once Ash’s food thing pays its dividends. I’m placing “THAT” task first in line.’ She said as she pats his back and retreats back to her office.

‘Wait Val! What are you even planning for this?’ J2 asked as Val put a finger to her lips, asking him to hush.

‘I’ll tell when the time comes… meanwhile look.’ She deflects as she turns J2’s attention towards Denzo’s direction. Both her and him knew something was up based on the text he had sent. ‘Check up on him for me will ya?’ She asked with a faint concerned smile as J2 nods, knowing what he had to do.

As Val leaves him to it and disappears into her office, J2 lingers for a moment to see how Denzo will act. He observes him as he sets his things down by the workbench near where they had assigned the car that they gifted to him and takes out his notes from their last discussion out of his backpack.

As well as something new.

A laptop.

With this, he found a way in.

‘Yo, watsup with the laptop?’ J2 barges in as he normally would, quickly pointing out the new device atop of his workbench. Denzo looked aloof at his sudden intrusion but shrugs it off with a sigh and answers.

‘I got it back from my um… my old place…’ He said in a sheepish tone that almost sounded inaudible behind a backdrop of mechanical works and the karts running around the track.

‘Ahh finally taking a serious crack at the car eh?’ J2 addressed a broad response as he barely heard what Denzo had told him, hoping he wouldn't notice.

‘Umm… yea. I mean.. Val hasn’t told me anything yet so I figured… ya know…’

‘Hmm…’ J2 looked at him with a prying glare as he felt some guilt by bringing in unsanctioned company equipment.

‘I… uh… am I not allowed?’ He asked. Looking worried that he’d be asked to put it away, but he couldn’t be further from the truth as J2 shots him with a ridiculing grin.

‘Whaaaat? Naaahhh. I’m just curious about you finally bringing in stuff here.’ He casually responds. ‘I was starting to worry that you might run away from this job seeing that you’re always taking all of your stuff home with you. I kinda find it nice that you’re finally making a spot on this garage, your home. Or at least treating it as an extension of your home.’ J2 warmly expressed as a rare smile appeared from Denzo’s lips, turning his face around to shield it as he went on to hook up his equipment for his shift.

‘Umm… is there anything you’ll need for me today?’ Denzo asked after plugging in the laptop to a power source. J2, meanwhile, looked around the shop to see if there was anything out of order before setting his gaze back towards him.

‘For now kid… nada. Just continue spotting the defects on the body and identify any problem areas that need to be dismantled alright?’ He said as Denzo nods. ‘Oh and kid…’

‘Yeah?’

‘Don’t shy away from asking for some help. Alright?’ J2 said, pausing his gaze until Denzo replied with a nod to make sure he understood his point before parting ways as he left him to his own devices.

…

-knock-knock-

‘Door’s open…’ Val flatly replied as J2 sticks his head out of the door prompting Val to raise an eyebrow towards his way. ‘The fuck you peeking for? Come in.’ She said, giving an irate response.

‘Uhhh… I think I have an idea on why the kid looked off.’ J2 reports, catching Val’s attention.

‘Okay? Spill it then.’

‘Well I’m just assuming this from what I observed but… I found his backpack to be different today. Much bigger than usual… His clothes were wrinkled, looking like they were taken straight out of the dryer with no ironing and uhh… he brought his laptop from his -quote-un-quote- “old place”.

I think he ran away.’

‘God fucking dammit…’ Val muttered but her frustration was too much that she failed to keep it inaudible enough that it reached J2’s ears.

‘Huh? Why? I mean are we that in trouble with our ops that you can’t afford to have the kid experience an off day--’

‘NO! That’s not it you idiot!’ Val shouts, barely stopping herself from slamming the desk because of J2’s ignorance. ’Don’t you get it? If I'm going by his text then that means he’d just yeeted himself from his home and he ends up with a huge bag on his back and goes straight to this place… meaning??!’

Val paused to see if J2 could connect the dots, taking him a few seconds before the stars finally aligned for him. ‘Oh shit… he’s gonna stay here…’

‘Yuhhh?! I mean nevermind the logistics of him staying here but what if his mother comes knocking one day and Denzo refuses to budge and they make a scene? That’s a huge hit in morale for our guys. What if someone gets injured? What if there’s a lawsuit??!! Dammit all of the things I don’t really wanna think about and--’

‘What’s happening here?’

The room quickly fell silent as for the first time the rare occurrence seeing a startled looking Valentina Fe has befallen onto Denzo’s timing as he stood there by the entrance of her office with a confused look on his face.

‘Umm… Sir J2? I have a question about the car. If… If you’re free?’ He added with pure uncertainty to his tone. ‘I can just leave if…’

‘No-no-no-no it’s fine! I’ll… I’ll come with you umm.. Sh-show me.’ J2 responds , clearly flustered by his sudden appearance. Val on the other hand was making quicktime calculations in her head as she tried to come up with something to solve her dilemma.

‘Wait!’ Val let’s out in a commanding voice as both J2 and Denzo stop on their tracks. As soon as Denzo pivots around to face her, Val gestures to him to come hither and politely ushers her palm towards an empty seat by her table. As soon as Denzo’s derriere touches the cushion, she fires a question.

‘Why were you late?’

Denzo froze on his seat as he desperately tries to think of something to answer, but from Val’s perspective it was clear written on his face that the subject of “why” had touched a sore spot.

‘What’s the matter? Were you lazing out? Cat seems to have gotten your tongue.’ She injects to fill in the silent void that Denzo had created.

‘N-nothing I just… just house troubles…’ Denzo confessed, looking like he was ashamed of admitting the cause of his distress.

‘House troubles huh?... Will this affect work?’ Val bluntly blurts out as J2 silently acts out a protest behind Denzo, miming a harsh criticism of Val’s candor, which she all blatantly ignored. Denzo on the other hand just gave her a troubled look and sighs, knowing that nothing fazes her as he throws himself back onto the sofa’s backrest and accepts his defeat.

‘No…fine… I… I left home today.’ Denzo confessed, easily. Which was something Val found strangely out of character for him. But nonetheless, his statement had just confirmed their fears that Denzo was now homeless as J2 walked back to the center of the room, hoping to involve himself in the conversation.

‘Uhuh… I knew something was up.’

‘Dammit Val. Haven’t you heard of the word “tact”?’ J2 interjects as he takes a seat next to Denzo while Val looks at him with a demolishing glare.

‘No I… I just… I don’t really wanna talk about it.’ Denzo quickly blurted out as he sensed an intervention coming towards him the moment J2 took a seat. ‘I’d really just wanna focus on work today…’

‘I know Denzo but sometimes stuff like this needs to be talked about--’

‘Hold it!’ Val quickly shuts J2 up with a booming call as she turns her attention to the boy.

‘Are you planning to shack yourself here?’ Val callously asked.

‘What the--’

‘Are you?’ Val asked again as she shuts down J2’s protests, keeping her attention towards Denzo as she awaits his answer.

‘No.’

‘Good. This place is not welcome to runaways.’

‘Even if it was I would never plan on staying in this shitty garage. Besides… I don’t do dumb things without a plan.’ Denzo declared with the kind of swagger that impressed Val as she now turned her attention to J2.

‘Ya heard the kid.’

‘Ugh… Val you’re not really--’

‘Denzo! You’re up here to ask for help about your project car. Right?’

Val cuts off J2’s train of speech with another forceful booming declaration.

‘Uhh… yeah I dunno how to--’

‘Then I suggest to Sir J2 here that he help you with it. Instead of acting like a dweeb and pretending to be a shrink.’

There was an unbearable silence that followed as J2 wrestled between his pride and his morals and wanting to talk about Denzo’s current woes as deep inside he wanted to change his mind about his current decision, hoping he could remedy it before the day ends. But it seems Val was adamant to keep his hands off the boy, denying him of any supervision.

Under any other circumstances he would wholeheartedly oblige but with the current case; It was something he could not just let go.

Because deep inside the machinations of her mind, he knew that Val was just getting into the process of creating another her.

Another runaway renegade.

Another extremist idealist, who knew no bounds.

No respect.

Another Valentina Fe.

…

He grips the side of the sofa after hearing what she had said. But Val was looking at him closely, waiting to admonish him should he strive to oppose. He takes a glance at Denzo as he feels the urge to tell him that he did something wrong and that he should rethink his decision before it was too late but at the same time, his eyes were begging him not to pry any further. A gesture that made his heart sink as all he could do was sigh in disappointment, knowing full well that mistakes were being made.

‘Fine let’s go and get that car torn apart…’ He said as he stood up from the sofa, walking away with a slump. Val nods to Denzo giving him the go ahead to follow as Val, feeling a bit paranoid about the situation, calls out once more to J2.

‘J2. Don’t pry. Work. That’s an order.’ She said, as the only reply she got was a weak wave from him, not even bothering to look back to face her as the two disappeared out of her office. Once again leaving her alone in the confines of her own space.

She waits a couple of moments before standing up as she follows them with her gaze from her office window, closely monitoring how J2 would interact with him.

‘I know what you’re trying to do J2… frankly for people like him. It would just fall on deaf ears.’ She muttered to herself as she watched the two of them assess the car on Denzo’s nook of the garage.

‘He needs time and distractions. It’ll take weeks… months… hell even years… But you won’t solve anything by forcing immediate action on the kid. You’ll just make him resent you more.

Which is something I personally wouldn’t want to befall the both of you…’

Val sighs a sigh of relief as she looks satisfied that J2 was handling the matter professionally and heeding her advice. For the moment she felt secure enough to retire back to her chair, grabbing a stout drink on her way there.

‘You’re wrong J2… It is you who’s making another me.

And I’m just putting a stop to it…’

She told herself, as she put up her feet on her desk, taking a sip from her glass.

-Beeeep-Beeeep-Beeeep-Beeeep-

Neeya awakens with a groggy look in her eyes as she struggles to rub away the morning glory that has stuck to her eyelashes. Lazily she crawls out of her bed as she blindly feels around for the alarm that disturbed her slumber. Pounding the clock with a hard smack as she angrily crushed it underneath her fist.

But the sound persists.

‘Where the fu--’

She questions herself as the beeping sound continues without relent, finally forcing her to stand up from her bed as she opens her eyes to find the source.

It was her phone.

She rolls her eyes upon seeing the caller ID.

[CALLING]

-BCase-Robbie-

‘On a fucking weekend?’ She mutters to herself, standing idly in front of her ringing phone, pondering on whether she should pick it up or not.

But regardless of what she felt, she knew she still has a duty to uphold, taking a deep breath as she regrettably picked up her phone and answered.

‘What?’

‘Hey Neeya! Umm… I need your cooperation on something.’

‘What is it?’

‘Come meet me at the SC office around two.’

‘Shit Robbie it’s Saturday… can’t you pick a later time? I’m trying to get some sleep here.’

‘Oh… umm… but it’s important…’

At this point in the conversation Neeya hears some background noise from Nica’s side of the line. Quickly focusing her hearing on it, she deciphers it to sound like another person’s voice, arriving at the conclusion that someone’s with her to coach her answers.

She wanted to call her out on her findings but decided to hold off from doing so. Opting to amuse herself in making things difficult for the other party involved and in turn also making Nica’s day a frustrating one. All because she wants payback for disturbing her sleep.

‘Robbie… nothing's more important than my sleep. So please… If you could so kindly fuck off.’

‘Denzo told me something the other day.’

All of a sudden, it backfired on her.

‘What?!’

‘He’s here. Actually we’re all here and he’s telling me he needs you to come or else he’ll tell everyone something that made you all pissy the last time… {did I say it right?} {Yeah that’s good enough}’

Neeya suddenly felt her blood pressure shoot up as she heard the boy’s voice from afar. She unmistakingly pinned it as Denzo’s voice, never forgetting that smug way of talking that irritated her so much as she started to have flashes of his smug face rising up from her memories that made her heart beat faster. Faster in anger, faster in rage remembering him saying the words “B-side” in repeat with no reverence to the term as if it was meaningless to him.

Her anger and wrath had reached levels she had never felt before that she failed to realize she was losing control of her consciousness as Nica kept calling to her after falling silent on her end of the line.

‘Neeya?’

‘Neeya? Are you there?’

…..

….

…

‘Why am I here again?’

Neeya asks herself as she realizes that she is being surrounded by teenagers inside Little Edgar’s Parochial. From her viewpoint this was an unexpected turn of events and a sorely unwelcome one, as she only wanted to do what was required of her escorting job for the weekdays and get Nica home before taking a much needed time off for herself.

‘C’mon. Don’t waste my time here. Dragging me off from my sleep! What’s this kerfuffle?’ She loudly complains to Nica as she eyes the rest of the student council (and friends) actively surrounding her in the common room as she spots all of her exit routes blocked by the boys.

‘You’re “this” kerfuffle.’ Denzo responds as Neeya feels the veins on her forehead swell up after hearing Denzo’s condescending tone.

‘Brave of you to show your face… Should’ve known to decline since only a bonehead would organize a school meet on the fuckin weekend.’ Neeya spits back, holding herself back from physically engaging Denzo as his presence and demeanor annoy her.

‘Decline all you want but it’s Keeno’s idea to drag your ass here and not mine. I was just the bait… Keeno just said you’re important to this thing--’ He cuts his sentence off, quickly turning to Yukino. ‘Keeno why the fuck is she even here?!’

Yukino sighs, taking a deep breath and choosing her words carefully before making her reply.

‘The other day when you guys were out, Me, Tisha and Neeya had a nice little talk and for some strange reason she was deeply interested in Pete’s antics.’ Yukino recounts.

‘So? What now? Is this some sort of intervention or something? Jealous much huh?’ She sassily responds, ending her sentence with a darting glare at Tisha, who looked startled as she wasn’t even paying attention to what was happening.

‘No and yes. No because it’s not about jealousy and yes it’s because of your interest in Pete’s antics. I know the main reason for why you’re here since I’m the one who requested your services but there’s something about how you’re going about your business that got me and Tisha intrigued which is why I’ve taken the liberty to invite you here to this meeting.’ Yukino paused to let her words sink in inside Neeya’s mind.

‘Haah?! The the fuck is this all about then?’ She asks as everybody’s eyes turn to Pete and he, in turn, gives a nod to Yukino as a signal to go ahead.

‘It’s about Neil.’

‘Okayyyy?’

‘We have reason to believe that he’s being supported by a certain group of people.’

‘I’m listening?’

‘And we believe “that” certain group is a fraternity…’

‘...’

‘Named Omega Epsilon--’

‘Mu…

Fuck… Now I know why Miles chose me for this shit…’ Neeya mutters under her breath as Yukino pulls out a device from her pocket.

‘We also know you tried to drug us last time… and found these in certain areas of the office.’ Yukino followed up as she threw the device on the table, landing just in front of where Neeya sat.

‘Hah! Deckard A17 microphones… That’s so old. Jeez I think you kids got infiltrated by a third party.’ Neeya laughs as her mood quickly shifts to annoyed after realizing what she had said, eyeing Denzo in response. ‘You! Simon said you met with that old hag? I wonder… I wonder… What else did the bitch tell you?’

Denzo looks equally annoyed but decides to shrug it off as he responds without hesitation.

‘She told me to rethink things. Which is the reason why we’re having this right now.’ He answered as Neeya looked at him with confusion.

‘She didn’t say anything regarding me?’ Neeya asked, looking worried for some reason.

‘Nothing much, she only gave me some advice in hopes that whatever it is that we’re planning will indirectly help you in whatever it is you’re trying to accomplish besides protecting Nica.’ Denzo answered as Neeya grits her teeth after hearing the reply.

‘I figured…’ She sighed, leaning forward on the sofa, looking gloomy all of a sudden. ‘Anyways… just to clear the air. Those bugs aren’t my doing. I guess you should go ask the droid standing outside for clarification.

I don’t use that outdated junk and if I did try to do so… It would be newer and you wouldn’t be able to find it.’ She replied, looking deflated, while taking one of the devices from the table, passively examining it as she threw it back with the pile.

‘Check if Simon’s at the door…’ Yukino whispered to Tisha but before she could make her way out of the common room, the door of the parochial building had opened, as Simon entered.

‘I heard.’ He loudly made his presence known as he emerged from behind Pete, easily towering over him as he approached. ‘I didn’t mean to spy. But bugging the area of operations are standard operating procedures for such reasons as a potential enemy making a visit.

So far none of such events have happened, but it wouldn’t hurt to be prepared.

The more important question here however, is that it seems Miss Zereneya has not set up standard procedures.’ Simon elaborates which stroke Neeya’s ire, swiftly pivoting around with such force to effectively throw a bread knife to his face.

Thankfully his reflexes were fast enough to catch it before it landed on his face.

‘SHUT IT! TIN MAN!’ She shouts as she glares at him whilst sporting a combative pose.

‘Neeya… please.’ Yukino sternly pleads as Neeya immediately feels the weight of the room bearing down on her. She felt the need to make a choice on whether or not to defy everyone but something at the back of her mind was knocking on her consciousness, as she is reminded of her purpose for even accepting this mission.

‘Fine.’ She answered, as she sat back on the sofa. ‘Can we just cut to the chase already? I feel like we’re wasting time here.’ Neeya demanded as both Yukino and Denzo held their peace, desperately neutering the itch to pry on her past abhorrent actions with drugging and beating them respectively. They knew it was not the time for pointing fingers, as much as they badly wanted to just to get it off their chest.

They knew very well that when it comes to her. They can never win.

‘Okay… Let’s get on with it then. Denzo?’

‘*Sighs* First and foremost I would like to request Simon here if he’d refrain from recording anything that’s going to come up in this conversation. Whether it’s video or audio.’ Denzo said as he turned his gaze at Simon who nodded as all of the lights from the devices layed on the table switched off.

‘Thank you Simon.’ Denzo replied. He approaches the table and takes a seat on the sofa opposite of Neeya as Pete hands down to him some documents he had procured.

‘I asked Pete to hold his request for a meeting because I wanted to get an idea of the people who run and maintain the hierarchy of Omega Epsilon. So I asked for these.’ He said as he passed around the different pages to the people around him. ‘Take a page, get a good look then pass it around. These are the people who currently make up the ranks within Omega Epsilon Mu. Pete has also given us the liberty of arranging these people in a hierarchical order so we know who’s at the top and bottom of the totem pole.’

‘Okay?’ Tisha reacts. ‘This is nice and all but I don’t see why we need to go the extra mile for this? I mean… aren’t we just gonna take out the head honcho of the group to stop all this shit?’ She remarked as Pai, Nica and the others agreed. In contrast Yukino kept her silence, keeping her eyes and ears glued towards Denzo.

‘That’s what we all thought… Until I ran in with this agent… person… I don’t really know what she is but she seems to be Neeya’s and Simon’s boss.’ Denzo responds as the whole room shifts their stares at the two he mentioned.

‘What he said is true and it is standard protocol to keep out true affiliations in secrecy. So should any of you be curious enough to ask. We will tell but then.. We’d have to kill you.’ Simon said as Neeya snapped back at Denzo.

‘Told ya…’ She said as Denzo grits his teeth remembering how she almost killed him for knowing a name he has no idea about.

‘Once again madam I believe it was Owner Client who told him which would make executing him grounds for murder.’ Simon said, sparking her ire.

‘Who’s Owner Client?’ Nica asked.

‘My boss.’ Simon replies as Yukino sighs knowing that everything that she was about to say was going to sound ridiculous to her fellow students. But no matter how much she thought about how to break it to them, there was never a scenario where she didn’t sound ridiculous.

‘Wait what? So we’re just supposed to trust them now?’ Tisha protests as she and Pete both nod in the silence that came after as the room fell quiet, realizing that they know nothing about who these people are.

‘Wha--ugh-- Guys? I know this is ridiculous but please for the sake of attaining our goals… I suggest we trust them.’

‘Keeno… I know you are the one who involved them with us… and I appreciate it but aren’t you forgetting that she almost killed Denzo?’ Aida butts in, feeling upset at what had happened to him.

‘I agree… She did almost kill me for something I have zero idea about.’ He said, making Yukino rolling her eyes at him, as her expression asks him which side he was really on.

‘But! That’s just her.’ Denzo swiftly counters, much to Yukino’s annoyance. ‘There are other people in play here. And as much as I hate to say this but…

After thinking about it… our plan is flawed.’

Denzo elaborates, silencing everyone in the room. Meanwhile Neeya was silently observing Simon, her eyes looking at him as if she was waiting for something to happen.

‘It’s the main reason why I had Pete gather up some docs on the people who run the place. Because if there’s one thing that woman told me is that we overlooked something. That Omega Epsilon’s bullshit would still continue even after we take the current president down.’

‘Wait… That I don’t understand? As far as I know from being within the likes of these asswipes is that all of them are just mindless drones. They’d do anything as long as it sounds fun “or” violent.

So if we cut off the source of the orders then--’

‘Then the next asshole who thinks he’s king would take over.’ Denzo cuts Pete off as he froze, realizing the truth in Denzo’s argument.

‘Pete have you ever noticed anyone who idolizes the way Remo runs Omega Epsilon?’ Yukino asked as he racked his brain for any accounts of valiant supporters.

‘I mean… yea… there’s bound to be a couple of grunts who act like his dogs.’

‘And do those dogs all agree with each other or do some of them banter with how things are supposed to be run?’ She asks another question.

‘Well umm… yeah… They shit talk behind him all the time. Always bragging how “They could do this thing better” or something like that shit.

Not like they actually have enough balls to say shit to him… I mean…

Didn’t I tell you this already?

Aren’t we supposed to use them? Denzo? Lure them in with promises to put them as replacement so we can have some of his lackeys on our side?’

‘And that’s the problem!’ Yukino loudly points out as Denzo nods.

‘I thought that was a good idea too but… after going through some of the things… I realized nothing would change since those asswipes still abide by Remo’s core values.

And worse.

Since most of the guys we’re gonna try and coerce to our side have all different opinions on how things should be run.

We would be leaving Omega Epsilon worse than when we came in.’ Denzo said his piece but most of his words were just going over Pete’s head as Yukino and Tisha were trying hard not to slap his head for being too slow to process as finally, Yukino loses her patience and reacts.

‘You’d be creating a power vacuum.

A civil war!’ She said as Pete continued to stare blankly.

‘A civil war Pete!

Remo’s downfall would cause his dogs to battle it out for the top dog spot. Plunging the fraternity in disarray. Chaos. Fighting in the streets. Riots and all that crap.

And in the end since they still worship Remo so much, they’d just do the same thing that he’s been doing. Of course with a little flair of their own.

Which judging by what I heard from you, could most likely be worse than how it is now.’ Yukino said.

‘Oh… Shit…’

‘Yeah… shit indeed.’

‘BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!’

Obnoxious laughter had busted out from Neeya’s mouth as she points and laughs at Pete.

‘God FUCK-KING dammit you’re slow! I can sense you have the intuition when it comes to emergencies but whew--- when things get analytical you just drop!--’

‘Shut it! B-side!’ Denzo snaps back to shut Neeya’s insults knowing those words are sensitive to her and much to his delight, it worked, but not with consequences. As now he can feel the bloodlust coming from Neeya’s gaze which was swiftly nullified when Simon “coughed” to get Neeya’s attention.

‘I knew it’ She thought as she stifled the urge to blurt out something to the group.

‘Don’t you dare agent.’ Simon warned her again.

‘...’

‘...’

‘Fine. Whatever…’ Neeya concedes as she leans towards Denzo as she reviews the documents laid out on the table. ‘Stupid little fuckers, Busting me out of my weekend off to for this stupid bullshit.’ She continued muttering while flipping through the pages.

Meanwhile Pete sauntered over to Yukino to give her side a light nudge.

‘Yo Keeno… Are you sure this is a good idea? Letting her into this?’ He asked. Yukino sighs and shrugs her shoulders, displaying her uncertainty.

‘Truth be told I’m just going with my gut feeling. To tell you the truth, the people behind her and Neeya herself have proven to be effective… And I can personally vouch for it. But as for trusting her… I took a shot in the dark with this one…

So for now let’s keep an eye on her. It’s better for us to keep her on close watch.’ Yukino elaborates, keeping her voice as low as possible to avoid any prying ears whilst Pete did his best to keep a neutral expression, careful not to spill anything around the room.

‘Alright… I’ll trust you on the politics of this one.’ Pete concurred as he recalls a little tidbit from an earlier exchange. ‘By the way about the thing Denzo said to shut Neeya up… What was that about?’ He said as Yukino turned to him looking alarmed.

‘Don’t even try… All of us don’t know either, even Denzo himself. All I know is Neeya tried to murder him when he did say it.’

‘Why? What’s so special about B-sid--’

-Thwip-

Both Pete and Yukino looked at each other, frozen in shock as they both felt something whizz past their eyes followed by a small “klink” on the drywall behind them. They follow the sound as they look back and see an unassuming pen sticking out of the wall, almost halfway embedded into the drywall.

The two silently look back at Neeya as she menacingly scoffs at them while she kept her eyes on the documents, her fingers still trailing from the throw she made implying that she wasn’t aiming which sent shivers up both of their spines.

‘Tsk- bitch…’ Tisha muttered but Neeya seemed to pay no mind to her words as she finishes up her review and stacks the papers up neatly before handing them back to Denzo.

‘So. What do you want me to do with this info?’ Neeya asked him as Denzo hands back the papers to Pete.

‘It’s up to you what you want to do with it.’

‘Huh?’

‘You heard me.’ Denzo gives her a stern reply, channeling his best Valentina Fe impression. Neeya on the other hand looks around her and notices the uncomfortable silence everyone in the room was giving out, as the gears in her mind started turning towards an understanding.

An understanding she looks to exploit.

‘So you think you are aware of what I’m up to. Okay… Let’s play then. I’ll use this and you little children get to play your own little game with Omega Epsilon. See where that takes you.’ She said with a haughty smile as her eyes pan slowly around the room, eventually ending her gaze upon Yukino, who stood afar behind the group.

‘You people think you can hide your mastermind. But it’s so painfully obvious…

Anyways, I already know what you’re planning so don’t even bother briefing me. Just do what you please and get out of my hair on weekends and we’ll be fine… capiche?’

Neeya stands up to leave as the whole room kept their silence as she left, leaving Simon as the only thing there that is not part of their group.

‘Any problem Simon?’ Yukino said with a strong implication of making him leave.

‘Apologies… I shall take my leave now.’ He bowed and made his way out of the parochial, making sure to measure his steps so he could leave enough of a gap in between him and Neeya who had left just before he did as the room had now been enveloped in silence with their sudden absence.

…

…

‘So? Drinks?’ Yukino said aloud as everyone in the room cheered and music started blasting through the speakers installed around the common room. Bottles were taken out of the freezer and the sound of cheers and merrymaking went up in the air as the students take a day off from the stresses of the week.

Once drinks have been passed around, everyone gathered around the common room looking at each other with silent gazes waiting for their leader’s signal as everyone turns to Yukino with a smile as she makes a thumbs up and gestures the group towards the back of the room as they all carefully moved to her lead, letting the loud music mask their retreat.

‘Let’s hope you’re right that they haven’t mapped out the whole place yet.’ Denzo whispers to Yukino as they gingerly walk towards the backrooms of the parochial.

‘We’ll see.’ She whispers back as she quietly opens the door, down towards the bunker tunnels at the back. Sealing the whole group in secrecy beyond prying ears and eyes.

They all gather in the quaint storage room as Aida remembers the place where she and Denzo shared their first kiss while the group finds a single long table on the side of the room that was big enough for them to use.

They cleared a small space on the far side of the storage area where old files of the school were stored and kept and arranged seats around the table, numbering enough to accommodate them all as Yukino collects all of their attention to start their little meeting.

‘First thing on the agenda. We need a name.’ Yukino asked as everyone in the group starts to ponder on its importance.

‘Do we need to?’ Tisha asks with Aida nodding in support.

‘Well how else are we gonna efficiently cover our meetings then?’ Denzo defends as Pete agrees on his sentiment.

‘This was something we both had planned before when we went on that trip at the fiesta carnival. Annoyingly we haven’t expanded on that thought cuz… well you know what happened.’ Pete adds as the whole group nods, falling back into silence knowing what it meant.

‘Well how should we name it then? Since I have no idea how to name things.’ Nica chimed in offering to structure ideas for everyone.

‘Yeah good point…’ Denzo replies as all of them start throwing their ideas on the table.

‘How bout something violent and cool? Since we’re like secret agents or something?’ Denzo chimes in.

‘Hmm… sounds childish…’ Aida interjects, getting a laugh from both Nica and Yukino agreeing on her point.

‘Dammit Denzo take this seriously, would ya?’ Pete reacts. ‘I was thinking we do codes, you know? Like umm 420? Like the time when we meet up. Something like that?’

‘I like it.’ Yukino seconds. ‘But it seems too obvious though… We’re up against Neeya here. I’m pretty sure she’ll easily figure that out.’

‘Shit…’

Meanwhile, whilst all of them were brainstorming for an answer. Pai was sitting by his lonesome trying to digest everything happening in front of him. From his view everything looked too surreal as he knew that all of this had started from a single event when some Omega Epsilon bullies tried to corner him, Casper and Julian on their way home.

If Julian didn’t injure the kid who was about to hurt them, Pete would never have taken notice. Thus it would not result in him seeking him out for his story on why he was bullied.

And thus Pete would never see first hand that the fraternity’s handiwork would be this shameful which would mean he’d never take action.

A huge snowball that rolled and rolled until it became big enough to even involve the council President herself. Someone he would never think of being close to when his parents enrolled him here.

And as his mind wanders at how everything had conveniently connected like a storybook scripture, he goes in and draws parallels to all the books he had read, and all their stories and how they were written and structured, and as he continued to space out deep into his playground of ideas and imaginations, he stumbled on something.

‘Lamp…’

‘Huh?’ Everyone in the room collectively funneled their attention towards him, after Pai unconsciously muttered the words, unaware that the whole room went silent in thinking, making his mindless statement the only statement the room has produced within their silent minutes.

‘Oh… umm… I was just thinking on how we’re about to do something really stupid… I guess… and I was drawing parallels to something I’ve been reading recently…’ He blabbered on as he was so deep in his thoughts as a sliver of his true self leaked out which he quickly noticed, feeling the shame and fear of being called out as a “nerd” retreating his posture back into his proverbial shell as Yukino noticed.

‘No. Pai, go on. We’re listening.’ She said in an encouraging motherly manner, gently coaxing him to speak up again, defusing his walls ever so slightly to continue with his train of thought.

‘Umm… well… I’ve been binge reading “Noli” and “Fili” recently and there’s a scene near the climax where the main character “Ibarra” was planning on something to thwart the Spanish officials from ruling the land.’ He nervously elaborates as Yukino smiles at him gently and sweetly to keep his attention towards her, as she tries to prevent him from retreating back into his shell.

‘Go on…’ She encouraged him.

‘Umm… well… in the book he was planning on planting a bomb during a high end wedding reception where all the Spanish bigwigs would attend. So… you know… he’ll kill two birds with one stone.’

‘Okay? So what kind of name were you thinking of?’ Nica joins in the encouragement, seeing what Yukino was trying to do and reinforcing it by doing the same herself, which gave Pai enough courage to speak freely with his thinking.

‘He was gonna blow up the place using a gas lamp filled with glycerin.

So I was playing around with the wordplay cuz of the brilliantly dumb idea…

So… gas lamp… gas--lamp… lamp… light… gas…light.

…

…

The Gaslighting Committee.’