While the squad continued to joke around and banter, Frost had finished another bottle, but without any left at the table, he stood up and began looking around. Candy backed away to clear his way, and as he walked away, she followed sheepishly until one of the soldiers handed Frost a new bottle. He reached for it right as Candy grabbed his hand to get his attention, but once he turned around, she realized the squad was still next to them. In reality, she only drew their attention when trying to hold Frost’s hand, but instead of looking back at her teammates, she focused solely on him as she inched closer.

–Hey, I just wanted to say that I’m really thankful to have you here… I mean, I’m grateful you made it out of there alive. I don’t think we said that before, and, uh…– Candy whispered nervously, but as she stumbled over her words, her voice grew loud enough for the rest of the squad to hear. Frost remained indifferent as he took a sip, and as they broke eye contact for half a second, Candy noticed her teammates forcefully joining their private conversation.

–We definitely did…– Tricky interjected in a forthright but teasing manner as she cut off Candy’s train of thought. She began stammering as she struggled to retain Frost’s attention, but after glancing back at the squad and seeing them hold their laughter, she became annoyed at Tricky’s deliberate attempt to distract her.

–Yea, but… You know, just in cas-...– Candy attempted to reply, but she only mumbled as she tried to keep her composure and shifted her eyes back to Frost. But as she faced him again and tried to speak directly to him, he took a step forward to address the whole team, dismissing Candy without a second thought and leaving her with an embarrassed, disappointed, and even bitter frown.

–No worries, I know you all want me alive, even Tricky. Deep down, she loves me more than she hates, I know it…– Frost affirmed in a playful and cocky manner, exaggerated by the effects of the alcohol, which got some laughs from the team but irritated Tricky. She scoffed at him after he tried winking at her, even though it just looked like his face twitched, but as he stood next to her, she couldn’t ignore him for long.

–If you would stop drinking all that much and talking nonsense, I would…– Tricky responded disdainfully, both offended and disgusted, emphasizing it as she huffed and looked away to hide her subtly blushed face. Frost kept laughing with the rest of the team, but after he noticed Candy’s upset expression, he took a seat once again and listened to Nitro and Panda.

–Yea, I bet only Indie was truly hoping you were gone. She just seemed indifferent to the whole thing… I think we all cried a little except her, right?– Nitro claimed with uncertainty, asking for Tricky and Candy’s opinions instead of talking directly to Frost. But as they refused to share any information, he awkwardly stared at Frost, but instead of bothering him, he appeared quite pleased to hear his remark.

–You all cried for us, really? I guess it makes sense since we are the most valuable… I’m sure she wanted to reclaim her title, so that’s why– Frost asked sarcastically, laughing with an arrogant grin before playfully tapping Panda on his stomach, to which he nodded and cracked up. Despite being apprehensive, their teammates agreed with the sentiment, and while they showed some suspicion, Frost ignored it as he leaned back to rest his head on the top of his chair.

–Maybe she was just hiding it, I’m sure she loves you almost as much as Candy…– Panda added comically to lighten up the mood again, while also throwing a brief taunting stare at Candy, who was the only one that didn’t laugh at his joke. She blushed in embarrassment, but instead of responding, she took the opportunity to approach Frost again and talk to him. He was now sitting with his back turned to her, so she stood behind him again, but with his head facing the ceiling, she gently placed her hands under it for him to rest better, which got a subtle smile out of him.

–Well, I personally was really worried, and I-...– Candy tried to explain as she leaned closer to Frost’s ear, though she failed to grab his full attention with her soft and shaky voice. The squad couldn’t hear her whisper, but as she couldn’t maintain her loving and affectionate demeanor without some insecurity, she missed her chance to express herself, especially when the rest of the squad suddenly stared in her direction. at another person approaching from behind.

–Speaking of which, momma’s coming for her favorite boy…– Nitro whispered to Panda and Tricky jokingly before he could be heard by Indie, who had appeared out of nowhere right behind Candy, with the latter getting flustered to have everyone’s eyes on her again, only to then notice the captain once she turned around.

All the nearby soldiers had cleared a path for her, and as she walked with an omnipotent nature, seemingly half of the room became quiet. Everyone around tensed up, and while she didn’t get to completely kill the mood, Crisis adopted a different attitude toward her presence. She walked straight to them, but as they nervously tried to hide their drunkenness, she immediately noticed Frost slouching on the chair with his eyes closed, appearing unconscious if not for the bottle he was still holding.

–The party looks nice, but you might have gone a bit overboard with the booze…– Indie said lightheartedly as she joined the circle and took a good look around. She maintained her serious attitude, though she was less austere as the squad relaxed and welcomed her with smiles. However, she couldn’t fully give in to the fun as she fixed her critical gaze on Frost, who was mostly unresponsive apart from one subdued chortle. But it was when Candy stepped away and he no longer felt her warm touch around his head that he opened his eyes and begrudgingly acknowledged Indie.

–Who cares? Most of the students are old enough, they can handle it… I think…– Frost replied dismissively, remaining nonchalant but holding some resentment like usual when talking to Indie, which would have concerned the squad if it wasn’t for her taking his response lightly.

–I meant you, I’m not so sure you can handle it…– Indie remarked in a witty manner, taking away Frost’s bottle with a slightly disappointed expression. But even when she only chided him playfully, it did warrant another negative reaction from Frost, who almost turned hostile when she stole his bottle but chose not to resist.

–So you waited to reproach me in front of everyone, or now are you punishing the team as well?– Frost asked in a derisive and annoyed tone, prompting Indie to drop her slightly playful attitude as her expression turned sour.

–No, I was just checking to see if everything was in order. You can keep celebrating…– Indie replied in a restrained manner before casually turning around and starting to walk back to where she came from. The squad was surprised to see her leave already, and while Frost looked relieved, the others tried to speak up as he showed no interest in doing so.

–Wait, hold up… Aren’t you going to hang around even a little bit?– Panda asked lightheartedly, making Indie turn around, but only for a brief moment as she instead focused on Frost once again.

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–Actually, Snake called us to discuss some plans for tomorrow, so let’s go…– Indie replied in her usual collected demeanor, now calling Frost over, who seemingly changed his attitude towards her as he immediately stood up. Before any teammate could question it, Frost began following Indie right behind with keen interest as she headed back outside, leaving the squad to watch in confusion and slight skepticism.

–Welp, there they goes. They are definitely screwing now…– Nitro quipped with a giggle, keeping his voice low enough to only be heard by his teammates right next to him, who cracked up but tried not to laugh too loud until they were sure Indie and Frost were gone. But as they were able to return to their playful chat again, Nitro, Tricky, and Panda noticed Candy still appeared down and didn’t waste time teasing her.

–Are you just going to keep letting her steal your man like that? Come on, you gotta do something!– Panda jokingly urged Candy with passion and fake indignation, instantly embarrassing her, while Nitro and Tricky burst out laughing.

–No!! Why would you say that??– Candy blurted out in anguish before cowering, seemingly heartbroken by the thought, although her teammates didn’t seem to care as they kept laughing.

–Knock it off…– Tricky told Nitro after he couldn’t control himself, becoming genuinely insulted by Panda and Nitro’s mockery. Candy looked up at her with relief and gratitude, but before she could thank her, she was betrayed by her deceiving sympathy.

–She clearly likes that new Saint guy…– Tricky added with a mocking grin as Candy received another round of taunts from her teammates. She just hid her face with both hands until they stopped laughing, but just as they were done teasing her, Panda kept rolling with the joke.

–Oh right, I heard them chatting all privately on our way to the cave. I can’t believe you got over Frost so fast…– Panda joked in a fake offended tone, pretending to be hurt with a childish frown, which only made it harder for her to explain herself.

–Or maybe that’s just her side piece, just like Frost treats yo-…– Nitro added while laughing harder, but Candy couldn’t take more ridiculing and cut him off as all her pent-up frustration burst out.

–Or maybe I was just talking to him because he was scared. He pretty much thought all of us were going to kill him if he made one mistake. What did you expect me to do, huh?– Candy replied in anger, though she remained too embarrassed to look at her teammates as she stared down timidly. But as her exasperated words startled the squad so much, they quickly moved past the jokes and tried not to poke fun at her anymore.

–Yea, I don’t blame him for that, Frost did seem pretty mad before we got there…– Tricky asserted more thoughtfully, taking Candy’s statement to change the subject, with Panda and Nitro growing more interested in it despite not fully believing her response.

–Exactly! Besides, I was giving him some advice for the fight. He must have forgotten about it, or else he wouldn’t have followed you and Finn down there…– Candy followed up in a vexed tone, creating an awkward silence in the group as Panda admitted being in the wrong with a somber nod, though Nitro immediately tried to cheer him up.

–Hey, but apparently, he saved your boyfriend’s life, so you have that to thank him for…– Nitro said playfully with a coercing elbow tap on Panda’s arm, getting a forced laugh out of him but making Candy snap.

–He’s not my b-...– Candy blurted out in frustration, but it was diminished by Tricky as she once again tried to draw attention away from her to focus on a more meaningful conversation.

–I mean, he also helped me when I was about to fall, so I think he does have it in him– Tricky added with a sincere but carefree tone, prompting Panda and Nitro to nod in agreement, although the former became a bit skeptical about the topic.

–Yea, he has potential, but nothing special. I mean, look at him, he is still very young and clearly just wants to hang out with his friends. And I mean, good for him…– Panda replied in doubt as he pointed at Scott’s group of friends on the opposite corner of the lunchroom. Tricky and Nitro couldn’t really see them, but Candy took a good look at the group of friends, glancing at everyone except Scott. She found herself amused by his lively and innocuous smile as he goofed around with his drunk friends, specifically Ace and Chappy, who could barely stand at this point.

–That’s sweet, I wish we could still do that…– Candy said to herself with a bittersweet smile, eventually getting noticed by his teammates. She turned around just before they could make out who she was staring at, but after seeing her become gloomy all of a sudden, they couldn’t help but worry.

–And what do you think we are doing?– Panda asked curiously, with the others listening closely to Candy while she dozed off for a second, looking at the ceiling with apprehension before opening up.

–I meant that I wish we were still as pure as him. After all we’ve been through, it feels like there is no going back to those old days…– Candy responded timidly but as heartfelt and gracious as always, giving each of her teammates a warmhearted and appreciative look, prompting them to reminisce with her for a brief moment, sparking all sorts of remorse and sorrow that killed the vibe.

–Well, we might never go back, but at least we are still together… I’m sure one day we’ll change our ways and leave all of this behind, but right now, I’m just glad to be here with y’all...– Panda said thoughtfully, growing a bit emotional but composing himself before he could shed a tear. But as his remark only prompted further reflection upon their past, they all shared a moment to reconsider their current state of life, even Nitro.

–Yea, maybe it is time for me to change as well…– Nitro muttered under his breath, catching the squad off guard as they barely heard his remorseful words.

–What do you mean?– Tricky asked with a bit of skepticism at first, but then showing more genuine concern when Nitro’s usual carefree grin was no longer present on his face. Both Panda and Candy were also worried enough to reach out for him, but they hesitated when he began sobbing and looking down in shame.

–I still can’t believe I almost killed you and Frost back there… I-I was just so lost in the thrill of the moment, a-and… I didn’t think to check for your safety because I’m an idiot… I should probably put more thought into my actions from now on, but I don’t know if I can…– Nitro lamented, with his guilt causing his voice to break into whimpers that disturbed the squad, especially Panda when he turned to apologize. He looked into his eyes and saw the pain that such a traumatizing incident caused him, but as it came out of left field, he didn’t know how to react. While his teammates sympathized with him, they only stayed silent while trying to figure out how to comfort Nitro, though Tricky was the first one to turn his sorrow around as she began smiling.

–That’s the most mature thing I’ve heard you say…– Tricky assured with a comforting tap on the shoulder, staring at Nitro with hope while he cowered next to Panda, who kept patting his back until he became too unsettled to keep hearing his sobs.

–I get what you mean, but there’s just no way you’ll stop exploding everything at random… That’s just who you are, and it’s great! Well, at least I’ve gotten used to it…– Panda affirmed with optimism but being earnest, as he couldn’t think of other ways to help Nitro. For a second, it looked like he was about to break into tears, and while Candy seemed unsure, she couldn’t bear just standing there and watching him suffer.

–Unfortunately, me too…– Candy added with a muted chuckle as she tried hugging Nitro. But right before she laid her hands on him, he began to snicker, and before the others could make sense of it, he had suddenly regained his high spirit, unhinged, and overly enthusiastic demeanor.

–You are right, I love blowing things up! I can’t wait to demolish a cave again!– Nitro exclaimed with his typical maniacal grin before he began cackling uncontrollably. While Panda immediately laughed with him, Candy and Tricky awkwardly stepped back, and although they looked upset to see him change his stance so rapidly, they couldn’t do much but let him have his fun.

–And his brain is off again…– Tricky sighed and rolled her eyes in disappointment as Nitro fully regained his comical and mocking nature, now having to deal with more deranged jokes for the rest of the night as the squad kept chatting, now with Kiwy joining them as it got too dark outside.

| TIME GOES SLOWLY, BUT CARRIES ON

AND NOW THE BEST YEARS

THE BEST YEARS HAVE COME AND GONE |