Will I ever get one single peaceful fucking night's sleep in this fucking world?

I grumbled internally as I raised to sit on the bed. My face is a little bit itchy, only my injured nose, though. The pain from the scar below my left eye is almost gone unnoticed. Partially due to the always present headache. Which hadn't gone away when I woke up, but, admittedly, it had subsided considerably.

Likewise, the pain coming from my shoulder and back had eased a little bit. Only painful when I move any muscle connected to the injury. But otherwise felt as if I have two mildly hot irons glued at both shoulder and back. Which is more tolerable than the itch on my face.

Overall, better than before sleep.

"Do you want to die of starvation or something?" As if getting briskly awakened isn't enough, I had to endure this woman's preaching.

"Bad for you," the woman in question snorted "I got my orders, and you are the target of my orders, no dying on my watch."

Now that she mentioned it, I am starving.

"How long did I sleep?" I asked, my voice husky and irregular.

"How much you didn't sleep, you mean." The brunette started taping her foot on the ground "anyway stop wasting any more of my time and move your Northman's ass."

I looked up at her displeased face, while a frown settled on mine, but I didn't move. Not that I don't want to, it's more I feel like I can't. I feel tired and drained while my body suddenly gained tons of weight.

"What did I miss?" So I did exactly what she didn't want me to do; wasting time. Well, it's only a waste for her, for me it's needed to recuperate from the sleep inertia.

"What do you think?" The tall woman shrugged "everything. We made three more exploration tours, we mapped the entire left side, while the center is almost done and the right is currently in progress."

What?!

"You moved out while I was sleeping?" My voice reflects none of the surprises I am feeling, it's too exhausting.

"You are a lucky one aren't you?" She gave me a deep look and then suddenly smiled as if she understood something "yes, it is exactly as you thought. We had to work ourselves hard, moving from one fucking white place to another, with just two hours of sleep. Walking, sprinting, deeper and deeper, all five of us, we didn't stop for any moment. And what were you doing while we work our asses off? Huh? You were sleeping with no one to disturb you."

Exactly as I thought?

Yes, it is. These bastards left me here alone and defenseless.

My blood runs cold and a grating sensation appeared in my stomach.

How easy it is to kill a sleeping person? I could have died without even knowing how. This is the fucking worst. How did it drop my gu-

Breath in. Breath in.

"You are laying." My voice was firm and cold as I locked my gaze on her black eyes. Trying to discern anything, anything at all that will back up my claims.

"Oh, why would I?" She raised her eyebrows seemingly surprised at my reaction "there is nothing to worry about you know. If something unexpected and dangerous were to happen to you..." she smiled widely, showing her teeth "then you can rest assured that I will take revenge."

Fucking...

If something happens to me, I want you to rescue me, NOT assume that I am already dead.

Breath in.

Think about it, think.

Were they capable of leaving me alone defenseless?

Maybe... not. I don't know.

Granted I am injured, but I am a Blessed with injuries. Shouldn't I be uh... I don't know valuable? Did I misjudge the value they placed on individuals endowed with superpowers? Or is it merely my superpowers that don't have much value?

... possible. After all, I based the Blessed value on my previous world criteria and the scarcity of in this team. So, It's not far-fetched that I got it wrong.

But why would Alec allow me to accompany them if I was this... disregardable.

Huh?

It is then that I heard a laugh. A laugh I would have believed to be beautiful if it is any other person.

"And this is why, ladies and gentlemen, his name is Dumdum!" Bell spread her arms wide as she exclaimed in a theatrical and infuriating manner.

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"As I thought, it was a lie." I said in a nonchalant manner. Any intense reaction on my part would only give her more enjoyment, and I refuse to see that.

"Yeah, yeah. You freaked out as a groom who just found out the bride has a sausage instead of donuts."

That is... well, yeah scary.

"I don't get the need for such a joke." I shook my head.

"Oh Well," she shrugged her shoulders "at least you are fully awake now, aren’t you? Then move your ass."

Fully awake huh?

Did she plan it from the start? How do I always end up underestimating her perception?

"Yeah." I rose to my feet. Whether she did plan it or not, the fact remains; she was right. The fear she gave me was like a slap, nasty but effective.

I swayed lightly as I walked to the door. Before I reach it though, Bell moved and stopped less than a meter in front of me. She faced me, her eyes devoid of the earlier merry. Noticing the seriousness emanating from her, I stayed quiet.

"You know Vic, people who distrust even their shadow are usually those who leave the front alive, but not the battlefield."

I raised an eyebrow. I expected the serious topic to be our destination, not one of my personal qualities.

And... is it me or doesn't it sound like a threat?

"What does that supposed to mean?"

"It means that you will not die anytime soon. Well as long as you keep your jar of luck close to you."

"I appreciate your concern but I ha-"

"Concern? That is not a concern but an advice," She tilted her head to the side slightly "you might not die, but if you don't change your view on the world, you will not live either." Brief and concise. She didn't wait for a reply nor did she expect one. She turned around and walked out of the room.

I narrowed my eyes as I looked at her back. My eyes losing focus. I didn't move for a couple of seconds before I shook my head dispelling the contradictory thoughts she put in my head. I then hurriedly followed her.

I didn't inquire as to where we were going nor did I say anything as we left the lodging area and walked side by side through a white corridor. And she too didn't open her mouth. I expected her to ask about the deal we reached concerning the drug or to crack some crude jokes. But she didn't. And simply stayed silent.

I forced myself not to think of the meaning of her words, but this silence isn't helping. So after what felt like a quarter of an hour, I broke that unnerving silence.

"The rifles aren't with you?"

I noticed it the moment my eyes laid on her after she woke me up. But I hadn't brought it up. None of the weapons, either her sniper rifle, Svelt, or the PK66 I found, are with her.

She is only equipped with a pistol holstered on her right thigh and the tactical knife, I used against a Shredder, on the left.

"They aren't." She nodded but didn't explain further.

I furrowed. I can negotiate in case of a lousy joke but not with this. Isn't it somewhat unprofessional to leave your weapons somewhere else?

"And where are they?"

"You will see."

"..."

"..."

"Why didn't you bring them with you?"

She looked at me from the corner of her eyes "I dropped them off at the canteen and came to wake you up."

"... I see."

"Besides, they aren't light," She shrugged and raised both hands to her chest "and carrying these two weapons is exhausting enough."

I looked at the two weapons she is talking about and "There is nothing."

I don know if she is merely a flat-chested woman or if the bulletproof vest she is wearing underneath, but her chest is flat. As flat as a washboard, as flat as an airport, and as flat as the world in the mind of flat-earthers.

"I have good news for you Dumdum," The flat-chested woman turned her head at me and smiled. A smile that doesn't promise anything good.

"Yes?" It was then that I realized I foolishly spoke my thoughts out loud.

"You will not die by the claw of a monster or the bullet of a gun... but by a woman."

"...yeah?"

"Mm-hmm." She nodded then glanced ahead and resumed walking silently.

This time I am sure; that is a fucking threat. Though I admit I was in the wrong. I should've just kept my mouth shut.

And that is what I did for the rest of the walk.

I kept my mouth shut... until we arrived at the dining hall.

"Where are the others?"

I spotted the rifles and her backpack at the corner on the far left. Beside it is a table where Zane is sitting. But I don't the other three, Alec, Eric, and Bart.

Bell didn't stop and directly headed to the table where Zane is presumably taking his breakfast "Checking this place out."

Wait, they are...

"Alone?"

"If you can count three people to be 'alone', then yes they are alone."

This isn't what I meant.

"Isn't getting separate a bad idea?"

"Say who?" She abruptly stopped, compelling me to do the same. She looked at me and said "look, I get what you are worried about. But we almost explored everything and we found nothing, absolutely nothing. The Shredders outside might cause you some unrest, but they are outside and the walls are thick, so thick, in fact, it was made to defend against more destructive power than some sharp claws."

Having a dozen of Shredders outside, sure, is unsettling, but this isn't what I am worried about.

"This place is definitely huge, and you didn't explore everything. who is to say there is no other opened door or breach on the wal-"

"Almost forty hours."

"What?" I tilted my head, a hint of confusion on my face.

"You asked how much you've slept, didn't you? That's how much, almost forty hours."

Damn. That is like two straight days, almost.

"... and what do you think we've done all this time? Huh?... Trust me if there is anything like you've said, another door or a breach, we would have found it or we will find it, In either case, nothing will come near us without us knowing."

I felt slight annoyance at myself for sleeping that much time while still in an unfavorable territory. But in the end, it's not something I can control, not without using my blessing at least.

However, Bell's words did put some nerves at ease. They are trained soldiers with years of experience, this is their work and specialty. They know what they are doing, better than I do.

... or at least I hope.

Still, hope doesn't have a strong veto on my thoughts or decisions. And one such thought is about how much they are dependent. I will not voice it of course, but I can't shake it off. What gives them the confidence that no monster will ever come near them without knowing?

It's Eric. One single man with superpowers.

They are depending their security on one person.

Are they in the right on doing so?... I don't know. This is their field, they know more than I do.

But what I know is dependence is one of many forms of slavery. A subtle one, but slavery nonetheless. And humans are imperfect creatures.

Therefore fully depending on a human is foolish.

I wonder If they know this, but I highly doubt it. They are soldiers, not politicians. What I don't doubt however is everyone will learn this valuable lesson, in one way or another. As long as they experience the world and humans.

The question, though, is how will they learn it and at what cost.