"Please. You don't need to be jealous Zen, you said it before you have your head. You don't need the ability to do that."

Ben pep-talked Zenix, and Zenix smirked, "Yeah right, my dumb-ass can't even get a decent grade in math."

Mr. Waltermoor shook his head and smiled, "It's nice to see that. You two haven't changed a bit. You're keeping up the good mood, I presume?"

Zenix and Ben looked at each other before putting their arm on each other's shoulders, "Well, someone has to do it, and to be honest, if we don't have a little humor, they'll be at each other's throats faster than you could say, Zombie," Zenix said, and almost everyone smiled.

Lea then said, "We're just glad you came back safe and sound. The little ability upgrade is also nice, but we missed you guys." Mr. Waltermore nodded and then looked right at Noah.

He smiled at him, "Well, may I ask who that is? I don't remember if we have met."

Noah looked at Mr. Waltermoor and smiled, "I'm Noah. I woke up in a classroom yesterday, and now I'm here."

Mr. Waltermoor had a confused look on his face, "Didn't we go to almost all the classrooms and spray them? We surely would have noticed it if someone was still alive."

Loraine then stood up abruptly, and as if forgotten what would have just happened to her, she pointed a finger at Noah, "See, I told you all he was weird. Even Mr. Waltermoor knows it, and to think you wanted to get rid of me for such a nobody." Lea, Cindy, Jay, Roy, and Ted glared at her. Jay then said, "Mrs. Loraine over here was opening old wounds and being a hypocrite. Not to mention that she almost got me and Lea killed. But with her continuing to bully one of our new comrades, it was enough."

"Yeah, I'm sorry if I'm causing a lot of trouble. But I can be helpful, I know a few things about chemicals, and I can help look for stuff other people might forget," Noah said and smiled slightly, bending his eyes like crescent moons. Jay looked at Noah and felt that he was just too cute. He really wanted to pet him. Maison was just watching the interaction between them.

Mr. Waltermoor smiled, "Well then, also from me a welcome to the Team. Yes, I do remember that incident it was the week before we looked outside for supplies. The supplies are outside in a truck we found on the way. Maybe Ben can help us get through the zombies later. But for now, let's rest. All of us. The situation with you, Loraine, we will talk about tomorrow, when I'm well rested." Loraine looked to the ground with a face that screamed, unwilling and a bit of fear. Mr. Waltermoor stood up, and with him, his daughter Steph, they both walked out and probably to sleep.

They heard a, "Have a good rest" from almost everyone before they went out.

Maison walked up to Jay, "Could you come with me for a sec? You just look too much like my lost brother. Maybe tell me about that accident you mentioned before?" He had a somewhat pleading look, his blue eyes glistened, and he bit his lip nervously. Jay had a confused look, but only for a second, as soon as Maison spoke those words, it turned into curiosity. So Jay nodded and walked with him outside.

Ben and Zenix first looked at each other and then at Noah. As soon as Noah blinked, the both of them were in front of Noah. Noah looked up at them with a questioning look.

Both of them smiled mischievously down at him, "You must be so curious about what they're talking about, right?"

Zenix said, and Ben nodded, "Yes, I mean why else would you come to us to ask if we could go with you to look? And maybe overhear their conversation."

Noah blinked and didn't know if he should laugh, "Guys, I'm really n-"

"Very curious, we know, and we are so glad you came to us. We know where the conversation will most likely be and, of course, how to listen without being noticed." Noah was a bit perplexed, and Lea and Cindy tried to hold their laugh back.

"We must hurry if we want to know so..." Ben said, and so he and Zenix positioned themselves on either side of Noah. Taking his arm and almost carrying him out to a room right beside the classroom they were just in. Silently opening the door to a small room with a lot of cables. Noah could already hear the conversation starting. Zenix closed the door silently. All three of them stood side by side in the small room.

"-the accident?" Maison asked. And Noah had to admit, he had a really nice voice.

"Well, it sort of happened when I was ten. I was in a car accident, and the driver that was with me died. They thought maybe they could find my parents since the car I drove in was very expensive. But they couldn't find anyone. I was lucky enough that I was adopted by the couple that found me and alerted the police and, of course, the ambulance."

There was maybe a minute of silence before Maison spoke, "My brother Jason, wanted to drive to our Granpa in Lumentia, he really likes the buildings especially when they shine at night. We live in Baycrest, you know with the old castle. Jason loved that castle. We had to visit it at least twice a month. And Malimoor is just in between. He was ten when he left, I've been searching for him ever since. We are twins, so at some point, I dyed my hair brown and wore brown contacts, just like him. Our face structure is the same. I hoped that someone would talk to me like they noticed me because of my brother. But sadly, no luck."

The sadness in Maison's tone was heard, and right now his voice sounded almost hoarse.

There was silence, "It fits you know, the age and the appearance. And the nickname you called me, I sometimes hear a children's voice calling me that. I heard it when I woke up, and the doctor asked me my name. You know, Jay. That's how I got my name. Could you tell me more about your parents maybe that rings a bell?"

Maison nodded, "Sure, our last name is Murray. My father is a secretary at Granpas Dojo 'Immortal Dragon', my uncle is now the owner, but Grandpa still lives there. Mum is a painter, and every Saturday, she would go to a gallery to show her paintings. So as you can see we're not really lacking money. If you need help remembering, maybe precious memories would help. Ehm... Well, in Lumentia, there are thousands of skyscrapers, and every night, it would be so bright you'd think it was day. And Grandpa's dojo really is the only old-fashioned building there, with those cherry blossom trees and the Zen garden. And I remember us sitting beside Grandpa listening to him talk about-"

Jay looked at Maison, and it was as if the scene before him shifted. There was no classroom, just skyscrapers that didn't have many lights, and he was sitting on a little porch hearing an old voice beside him.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

...

"It was truly a spectacular move. Your father didn't have a chance, though he was thrown out of bounds and eliminated from the match." He said Jay lifted his head to see an old man's face. He didn't have many wrinkles yet. But the small gray hairs could still be seen.

"So that's why Dad didn't inherit the dojo? Because he was weaker than Uncle Eddie?" Jay's voice was sad, you could still hear that it was a child's voice.

"But that doesn't matter what Dad doesn't have in brawn he has in brain. He was always smarter than Uncle Eddie," another child's voice said, Jay leaned forward to see his brother better. His hair wasn't yet in a ponytail.It was short and very curly, a difference from that straight hair he had now.

"But that doesn't mean Uncle Eddie is dumb," Jay said to his brother as if accusing him, but then they heard their Grandpa speak.

"Boys, boys, of course, it doesn't mean that. I think what Maison wanted to say was that although your dad was not that good at fighting, he was good at something else. And that's what you have to remember too. Just because you're not good at one thing doesn't mean you're bad at everything. There will always be something you're good at."

"Of course, Grandpa, we'll always remember that," Jay said and smiled.

The old man's eyes bent like crescent moons, and he patted Jay on the head, "Now boys, stay still, or we'll miss the colorful lights turning on." In an instant Jay's eyes opened, he looked at the little bridge and up to the cherry blossom trees before seeing all of the skyscrapers. And as if a switch was tuned was the peaceful night, very bright. Thousands of lights turned on, and an array of colors were seen. And the children's eyes were astounded by the bright colors.

...

Coming back to reality, Jay didn't even realize that there was a single tear running down his face.

He looked at his big brother, remembering the scene in his head leaped forward and hugged him, "Brother, I remember. You know the day when Granpa said that everyone is good at something... Ohh, you've found me, how about Mum and Dad? Where are they? Are they safe? Did you hear anything?" Maison wasn't even following what Jay said. The only thoughts in his head were 'Brother'. How he longed to hear those words again, he felt like a dream. But he found him, he found his brother. Without answering any questions, Maison hugged Jay back just as hard and didn't let go for a good minute. There was also a silence, and in the silence, they heard someone sobbing. Noah looked at the two beside him and found them both in tears. Feeling stared at Zenix and Ben, and both looked at Noah.

Ben then whispered, "How could you not be emotionally touched? He found his brother, how beautiful." Zenix just nodded beside him. Then, all three of them heard the door open, and both brothers looked at them. While Maison was a bit confused, Jay was just looking at the two sobbing messes and then at Noah, who looked like a shocked little rabbit.

Jay then looked at the two messes, "Have you ever heard of privacy? And what are you doing dragging Noah in here, too?"

Zenix wiped his eyes dramatically with a fabric tissue that came from who knows where, "We thought your future wife should be present so as not to cause misunderstandings."

Noah looked at Zenix, wondering if he really he just said that.

All though Jay doesn't seem as annoying and a bit disturbing as before, Noah still doesn't like him much. He looked at Jay and then at Maison, whose eyes were fixated on him. His ice-blue gaze, looking right at him. And Noah had to admit, although they didn't talk much or at all. He felt a bit flustered and nervous. Jay noticed that Noah was a bit red, but I thought that must be because of Zenix's comment.

So he felt a bit proud. Jay smirked and then said, "Don't talk such nonsense he is not my wife yet." And with those words, Noah fell out of the blue-eyed trance he was under.

Noah then looked at Jay, slightly putting his head to the side, "But, how could I be anybody's wife? I am a man, after all." He said his voice was low, and he looked cute. But inside Noah was really running turbulent with embarrassment.

'I did not just do the cutesy approach. Can I please go die? I feel so cringe.' While Noah felt that way, everybody else was either a bit flustered, not bothered at all, or like the Besties who just turned into Lego characters at the sight of this. (•-•)

Ben then graciously went to Noah, tapped him on his shoulder, "Gotta be honest, although your appearance is in line with something like that, and you are really cute saying that. I'm still embarrassed for you."

Jay rolled his eyes, walked forward, took Noah's arm, and dragged him to Maison, "You two can stay in here and think about what you've done. I'm taking Noah back. And with the teach-back and stuff, we will rest early. Let's go, Maison, we'll get you a bed." With that, the conversation was over. The twins and Noah left, and Jay did not forget to close the door before leaving. Ben and Zenix, who were still standing in there, looked at each other.

"Why are we always the ones who are left behind?"

Ben asked, and Zenix smiled wickedly, "Because our honor is just too much for them, they can't take it."

Ben looked at him, eyebrows raised, "Can't take our stupidity, you mean?"

Zenix walked to the door and looked at Ben, "They should be grateful for our humor, or else I'm sure they would have gone insane already." Ben walked to Zenix and nodded, and both of them exited the little electrical room.

While Noah was walking along while also being dragged, the three of them went to the classroom telling them they were heading to bed. Only for them to see Zeana and Loraine sitting beside the radio still doing work. '

Jay said, "So you guys want to head to bed too? And where are the others?"

Loraine looked up and then looked down again, Zeana just shook her head, muttering, "Kids."

She then answered, "The four of them still want to move a few bricks upstairs. And we are not sleepy yet, besides we heard a strange noise coming from the doorway that was crushed. You know? Where did the school kinda split? We think they want to get through to us."

Jay nodded, then looked at Noah in his hand, "I have to go take a look. If there are a few students, or maybe even zombies, trying to get through, we have to take precautions. Could you make a bed for Maison? All though I didn't show you yesterday where the mattresses are, and you just slept on the teacher's mattress. Anyway, get one for both of you. They are in the basement. You know the classroom you just spied on? The door after that is right next to the entrance door to the right."

He then walked a few steps back and pointed to the door. Noah nodded, implying that he understood. Jay smiled and petted his head.

"Be back in a sec. I help you downstairs if nothing is going on," then he let go of Noah and walked to the stairs, walking behind the stairs Noah heard a door opening and the sound of it closing. Then Noah and Maison looked at each other.