Chapter 32: Chapter 32

RIVERNEA

October, 2023

"Following the arrest of Mrs. Roswell, Senator of District AB in Rivernea, Mr. Martins and Mrs. Tina. Timothy Chamelet, CEO of Timeron Industries has been apprehended for questioning by the Military Police. As a major suspect in the disappearance of a classified weapon at a secret military base."

Lola sighed as she leaned against The Trainer's shoulder, watching the anchor eloquently mutter 8am news in the bus. The others busied themselves with various things. Marcus for example, swayed his head to music blaring from his Droypods. Theodore retained silence as he viewed through the window, probably enjoying the lonely path their self driving bus toured. Michael, sucked on his candies like a child. And Ariel, as usual being the loner with her Headset.

"Colonel Rogers had earlier this morning still reinstated his statement. That justice will be given to those fallen soldiers who lost their lives during the infamous attack. He also vows not to rest until this classified weapon has been located."

The Anchor added and their bus solemnly halted in front of a storey building.

"Why is Doctor Roberts like this?" Marcus groaned as they alighted from the bus, skeptically reviewing the bright yellow apartment surrounded by vast grasses and a farmhouse.

"First, we lived in an old apartment. Now we're living by a farmhouse."

"I think this place is awesome!" Michael chirped as he threaded towards the building.

"Every place is always awesome to you." Marcus hissed.

Lola heaved another sigh, as her eyes trailed to the farmhouse, where Chickens crowed. The Trainer, suddenly tugged at her arms with a tiny smile and eyes that expressed only one thing. Care and assertion that everything would be fine.

"Doctor Roberts will probably say, this is the perfect place for us to carry out our SECRET operation without any stalky eyes." Theodore referenced as he trailed behind Rita who muttered some inaudible code to the door before it clicked open.

"Fortunately, we'll only be staying here for a day or three." She announced and a light sigh followed.

Lola's eyes lowered remembering the last mission ahead in a few days. She couldn't fathom why, but it always saddened her thinking about it.

As she emerged into the building. Cozy and donning a bright shade of yellow. The Dining was rooted by her left alongside a white piano and a fridge. The Kitchen was just right after the Dining.

Her right was the living room. Large and complemented with several paintings, sculptures and an hundred inches Nano-led TV. Opposite, was the stairs that probably led to their rooms.

"This is amazing." Marcus stated in oblivion as he trailed to the Piano. A smile of admiration imprinted on his face as he pressed on a key. Which gave a sonorous note.

"This is The Shining abode V2." Rita proudly avowed as she toured about the living room.

"It's a six bedroom apartment. Your rooms are upstairs." She added while Michael opted for the fridge and The Trainer, threading up the stairs.

"Six?" Michael queried before he drank his yoghurt. "But we're only five."

Silence suddenly reigned amidst them. She glanced across their saddened faces. At the same time, she wondered why the others stayed back.

"I still don't understand why he left." Michael added and her palms curled into a fist. From anger and pain intertwined.

"Being the type of person he his, we shouldn't have believed in him." Theodore answered nonchalantly as he strode to a couch.

"I did." She mumbled softly and their gaze solely based upon her.

"He might be reckless and outrageous but I believed he was humane enough."

"Turns out he isn't." Theodore remarked and her eyes lowered. She heaved an inaudible sigh as she climbed up the stairs and into her room. Air escaped her lungs as she collapsed to the bed. Burdened by her thoughts.

"Worrying again?" The calm voice protruded the serene air. She flashed a tiny smile at The Trainer as she sat up at the edge. There he was, standing by the door side with arms crossed together and a bright countenance. He relaxed beside her, his beautiful Chestnut eyes holding her gaze carefully.

"You've been moody ever since, Collins deserted us." He calmly uttered as he creased his palm against hers. His touch were firm and warm just like his countenance. But unfortunately, it wasn't going to cheer her this time.

"Whether he left or not, this mission is still going to be a success." He asserted softly.

"We're independent regardless of who leaves or stays."

She gazed deeply into his eyes that gleamed in assertion with his words.

"And what happens next?" She whispered while his eyebrows arched in confusion.

"I mean what's gonna happen to us. My contract with The Shining is ending in a few days but yours isn't." Her eyes flowed to their palms, still intertwined.

"I'll have to return to Area X. Back to my work, my old life and I'll have to forget this agency." She paused as his grip tightened. "Forget The Shining ever existed or that you," she paused again, noticing discomfort hint his face. "That you ever existed." She forced every nerve in her body just to roll out those aching words. His bright countenance had now morphed into pain and worry.

"I love you, Lola." He muttered in a shaky voice. If he was trembly, he probably hid it.

On a normal day, a smile would have inadvertently dawned on her face but her worries today, couldn't let her feel any of those excitement.

"I can't do long distance relationship, Trevor." She whispered and his grip once again tightened.

"I can't either." He responded. "If it comes to it, I'll leave this agency too."

"No! You can't." She briskly declared. "I don't want to be a burden neither do I want you to leave your job because of me."

He smiled but she frowned, knowing how stubborn he could be sometimes.

"I want to." He replied.

"No Tr-" she almost pitched her voice against his but he briskly grazed his lips against hers. Kissing her fervently and passionately. She understood his actions as an effort to stop her from arguing. And soon, she slipped into this sweetness that came along with his lips.

############

"Service, play us music please." Michael pitched as they all gathered in the living room, relaxing at different couches.

"Unfortunately, Service's program is not inducted with this apartment." Doctor Roberts beamed a grin at them while Marcus trailed to his piano. "So I'm afraid you guys have to do everything by yourself."

"Why?" Lola asked.

"We'll only be staying here for two days so Doctor Roberts decided we'll not be needing the AI." Rita answered.

Michael frowned for a brief moment before sighing.

"I miss that boy."

"It's an AI, dumb head." Theodore scorned.

"It sounds like a boy to me!"

"Arguing with you is pointless."

"Actually," Doctor Roberts chipped in. "Service, is a Super AI. And please let's not start this afternoon with an argument." He mumbled and then glanced across their gloomy faces.

"First of, I wanna say thank you to you all. For staying. Even though none of you wanted a part in all these, you still stayed when you had the chance to leave." He calmly voiced as he stood proudly in their middle.

"Not all of us stayed." Marcus pointed out.

"Oh yeah Collins." He exclaimed in nonchalance. "Well, time's not on our side so I'll delve into our important plans." He gestured for them to pick their Droypads.

"If you look into your Droypads, you'll see a poorly structured three storey building." He muttered as he pressed lightly on his own Droypad too. "It is one of Timeron's branch industries or basically, one of his offices for shady deals."

"Who is Timeron?" Michael interjected with a slight frown.

"Timothy Chamelet, the guy that was apprehended this morning by the military police." Lola answered before returning her gaze to the pad beaming a bright blue building structure.

"Wow I didn't know that." He pronounced nonchalantly.

"You would have known if you ever watch the news." Theodore scorned beside him.

"Remind me again, what did this Timothy do?" Michael queried again.

Theodore sighed before strolling to another couch, relaxing beside Lola.

"He's a major suspect in the disappearance of a classified weapon in a secret military base of District AB." Rita kindly answered while his mouth formed into an O.

"But when did that happen?"

"April, you idiot!!" Theodore roared as he gestured infuriatingly at Michael.

Michael simply giggled, looking up to the ceilings as if recalling something.

"Oh now I remember, I watched it on the news. God, that incident was so terrible."

Theodore huffed.

"But which classified weapon are we talking about here?" He queried again and this time, it only took Lola's grace for Theodore not to rip him apart.

"It's the EMP, remember?" Doctor Roberts quickly intervened as he circled about their middle. "I'm not going to entertain any further questions of yours Michael." He asserted before clicking another file on his Droypad.

"We know Timeron is a mutant and the leader of The Revolution but you still haven't told us what his powers exactly are." Lola stated while he heaved an inaudible sigh.

"The Revolution are simply doing this to gain world control, they are obviously tired of Utopia being the dictator." He answered.

"Timeron's powers is Chronokinesis."

"What's Chronokinesis?" Lola asked.

"The ability to manipulate time at will. Although his power is limited as he can't travel to the past nor future." He explained.

"Wait how do you know all these? Have you met him before?" Marcus quizzically replied.

"It was only a one time encounter I don't want to discuss. But what you should all know is that, Timeron's powers makes him extremely dangerous." He clarified as he held their gazes. "And I'll honestly love for us not to cross paths with him."

"So what's our mission?" Marcus's voice protruded from the piano area.

"Our mission is to infiltrate and get the Hexagon." He muttered while another image visualized on their Droypads.

"This doesn't look like an Hexagon at all." Marcus whispered in oblivion. Doctor Roberts smiled.

"So we're going to infiltrate a large building probably filled with deadly people just to get this small orbital." Theodore queried in a tone that indicated slight infuriation.

"What is this Hexagon thing?" Lola interjected as she expanded the image. Doctor heaved a light sigh as their eyes based on him.

"You see, when I built the EMP," he started as he gestured with his right. "I also installed a tracker in it but after it was stolen, I couldn't locate it. The Tracker was somehow disabled."  He pursed his lips. "The Hexagon is the only thing I BELIEVE, can give the whereabouts of this EMP."

"What if you're wrong, Doctor Roberts." Marcus interjected. "What if the Hexagon isn't there or what if this information as a whole is all wrong?"

He chuckled as he glanced at the Pianist.

"Have I ever given a wrong info?" He retorted rhetorically.

"So how are we gonna infiltrate?" Michael muttered to which Rita kindly answered.

"I've hacked into Timeron's industries network and I created six false identities for you guys--"

"Six? Is The Trainer tagging along?" Michael cut her off abruptly.

"Nope." Doctor Roberts answered.

"So who's the sixth person?" Lola asked as she peered suspiciously at him. He studied their looks closely before rolling the words out.

"A friend." He grinned as he gestured to the door that clicked open. He arched his eyebrows briefly as their looks transformed into shocked expressions.

"Collins!" Michael blared as he trotted towards the Teleporter who simply smiled.

"How are you here?! We thought you left us!!" Michael exclaimed.

"No. Technically, I teleported. I never said I'm leaving." Collins smirked as they disengaged from their embrace. Marcus hissed, Theodore huffed, Lola rolled her eyes and Ariel, she remained indifferent.

"Let me guess, Doctor Roberts found a way to woo you back." Marcus spat out in disdain.

Doctor Roberts exchanged knowing glances with Collins.

"Nope." Collins chirped. "I'm a man of my words. I'm going to fulfill my end of the contract and get my promised money."

"Well, welcome back to shit hole." Theodore sarcastically toned as he strode towards the fridge.

"Did you guys miss me?!" Collins pitched as he tucked his hands into his pockets.

"You wish." Marcus hissed again.

"I did!" Michael whined like a child.

"Well I hate to spoil your reunion moment but please let's get back to this mission." Doctor Roberts voice solemnly encompassed the room.

Collins smirked.

"Our final mission phew!" He toned before pacing to a couch.

"So what's the plan?"