“Iunno man,” the symbol of a sentinel against a weird world—a person wearing what is essentially a robot suit, just casually looking down at Jackie and lightly rolling their neck during the sentence. “She wants to see you, I didn’t ask why, but it is what it is. You coming or what?”

“Y-you have to understand, sir—” Jackie waved her hands. “I need a moment to uh, process this happening—”

“No worries,” the Enforcer stood up straight, before relaxing their body language once more. “Time’s up. Let’s go.”

Jackie looked at her cohorts. Maddie just closed her eyes, with a shrug. Tracy’s eyes darting left to right in confusion. Aiko looked to her expectedly, small nods as if to give her incentive to do it. While River was looking down at this rather awkward conversation.

Jackie sighed.

“Remember,” she told the others. “Remember the—that, remember that we have to ‘meet up’ when we’re done having fun. Our parents said so.”

Clutching her teeth, but not too much, Jackie hoped that they understand the bait.

“We’re still gonna get the text, right? The group one that needs everyone to use flash so we’ll know--?” Aiko asked without a trace of irony in her voice.

Jackie told her entire body to not sigh in that moment.

Too bad that created a very visible jerk, and she hurriedly turned back to the Enforcers standing there.

It was them who sighed, funnily enough.

“C’mon, she’s waiting.”

Jackie began walking with the Enforcers, waving softly towards the others, and soon disappeared into the crowds.

The rest looked at each other. No words exchanged, but ultimately, began to separate into the crowds themselves.

***

“Hey, your stuff’s free or--?” Maddie sniffled after, and after seeing a nervous headshake, she replied, “Eh, have a nice one—”

She roamed about, going vendor to vendor with an uncaring lilt in her steps.

The idea of going in, right into a group talking, the alien people that approves everything that’s going down here, just to hear them try to act like humans…

“Hey buddy—” Maddie leaned onto the counter, staring right into the person’s eyes. “I’ll believe whatever you want me to—can I get a shirt or something if I spread the word--?”

Before any exchange could’ve happened, a laugh erupted behind her, causing her to turn around.

Turns out, she will get the chance to talk to a bunch of clowns today.

Bentley the Australian dick was wearing the tackiest silver suit with, opened up to reveal his light pink dress shirt. His goons were actually wearing something presentable, dress shirts and dress pants with ties.

“I had a hunch that you were the funny one!” Bentley pointed at Maddie, causing his other friend to shake his head slowly.

“There’s so many… Words…” Maddie turned around. “Names. Passages. Soliloquies… Of how much of a fucking cartoon character you are—”

“You’re the one using your words to still describe me, luv~” the sleeshball replied.

“I thought you were gonna totally end them the next time we saw them,” the image of the boy—very pretty with lush, fluffy hair with a bemused expression. It wasn’t until Maddie realized that she hasn’t seen the hooded one—and this is him. You couldn’t replicate that antagonism.

Bentley just looked at him, squinting. “Look, I’m not some Trend fuck that thinks life is a musical—”

“You do think it’s a romcom…” chuckled the big man that towered over all of them. Dark-skinned, cornrows, arms the side of an airplane wing.

“I mean yeah, that’s just life on fast forward, Chim—ANYWAYS,” Bentley animated towards the pretty shit-eating-grinner. “But look, man. We’re at some party. If they don’t fuck me, we won’t fuck them. Well, unless—"

“Annnd watchlist—”

sCREW YOU, GENTLY—” Bentley finally screamed his name.

“And I’m out of your league,” Gently plainly stated. This caused Maddie to cackle.

“Aw fuck, it’s like I don’t need to be here,” Maddie wiped her eye, and then wiped her forehead of sweat. “Your friends are doing my job for me. I feel sad—”

“Hey, at least I’m amused by the little samples you’ve been giving me~” Bentley teased. Maddie rolled her eyes.

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

“Keep in mind, sure, Jackson did drag us into the fight we had—but don’t think acting… Whatever you’re doing to butter us up is gonna make us forget that you fucking batted our heads in.”

“… 1) I only beamed the tall Yankee girl—I’m assuming that’s who Jackson is,” he had his hand on his chest, eyes closed, as if he’s being proper. “And 2), eh, you lot sans her are good in my book. She’s the domineering bitch and I can tell that.”

“Even boneheads can see that…” Maddie crossed her arms, cocking her head to the right. “I’m not giving you props for that.”

“Just saying—” he adjusted the gaudy-ass suit. “Terrible kind of friend, methinks.”

“Like you’re the shining standard…?” “Chim”—Maddie guessed “Chimney” was his nickname, it’s been a while for her, but Chimney looked down with a perked eyebrow.

“And that’s why I am,” as Bentley pointed and clicked his tongue. “Because I don’t strive to be on some perfect shit—I am what I am~”

“…Hm,” Maddie made the sound. “At least you’re honest. In fact, that’s why you’re so over the fucking top—”

Bentley winked with a smile. “So. Go on then, what possesses you to latch onto such a self-righteous prick-woman?”

Her eyes wandered. Frowning, she moved her mouth a bit.

Stewing.

“We—” Maddie had to make this sound clear. Right. “We’re not even friends. Shared trauma, more like LOST more than anything. I’m sticking by because it’s easier that way. Getting by.”

“…Right…” a puzzling look on the gaudy boy’s face. “Protection, a means to an end… But she puts you in constant danger as well? Never leaving enough alone? Making you into, what… Superheroes when you’re just people?”

Maddie couldn’t say anything after that.

Because he was right.

***

Tracy raised her party glass again, as one of the servers rushed over with more drink.

“Madam, I have to inform you that this is your third drink so far—”

“I’m aware,” Tracy squinted at the person. “You guys have stronger stuff--?”

“Well, no, a practicality if something does happen during the conference, you are not impaired—”

“Then I want more,” Tracy said bluntly, raising her glass.

The server squinted back, her brow in a furrow. “Aren’t you a young adult?”

Tracy just trained her eyes at the server.

“The topic of maturity measured by numbers crumbles apart when I went through multiple traumatic events and mental illnesses than most adults here.”

The server sighed. She poured more into Tracy’s glass and promptly walks away.

Downing the beverage in seconds, Tracy was panicked. Clearly. More than usual, of course.

All of this, all of what it was leading up to… He’s here and he wants to meet with her.

She stress-drunk and none of the benefits hit her yet, now all too aware of the pins and needles within her chest, her arms, her legs, and feet. But the idea that she could get something worse, that outweighed everything.

The monster under the bed or in the closet. The big bad wolf. No matter how ridiculous, no matter how exaggerated, is just as real and lurking as she deemed them to be. Already stalking her, already behind her.

“My! It really hits me that you’ve grown to be such a beautiful woman!”

Tracy quickly spun on her heels, as she chomped down on her lips, her eyes bugging out of her head. She then tried to calm down, releasing her lips.

“D-Dr. Luminous…! It’s so good to… See you face to face, after all these years…”

The man had long, silky black hair that was tied into a ponytail, his hairline more like five spikes with the middle creating the widow’s peak. White with yellow as a clothing color scheme in corporate casual attire, with small, black round glasses that barely held onto his nose. All with a calm smile.

“Contacting you by email and personal letters does not compare in the slightest! I have to remind myself that you’re not the fourteen-year-old I had to raise myself anymore.”

Tracy had to laugh, to keep appearance, and to let loose the stress that was tearing her from the inside. “Yeah, I bet it’s super surreal… And well, you still look the same, but I blame that on showbiz—”

Dr. Luminous threw his head back to curt laugher, before settling back without a beat, already smiling. “And you said that you never knew how to do comedy… That’s why I became your mentor—leading you to greener pastures you never knew or could’ve reached…”

Tracy gulped, and like that, Dr. Luminous walked her away into a less busy part of the celebrations.

“Our project is coming along swimmingly…” the man looked at the young woman. “What would be a few months from now, our exodus will be underway, under the noses of everyone who’s going to be left behind…”

“I-I know…” Tracy rubbed her arm. “I read the recent letters…”

“Then why continue to be unsure?” he asked. Not a tone raised, no anger, nothing about it due how he said that sentence could be twisted into malcontent. “I’ve showed you everything. We’re too far along to be stopped, so what’s the hesitation…?”

“I… I told you…” Tracy squirmed in her skin. “I have… People now. I’m not alone, and… It’s not PERFECT but—”

“Can these newfound friends stall your legal worries?” Dr. Luminous pouted. “Save you, from your family…?”

“…No. Y-you do that for me…”

“Again, I want nothing but to do right for you… Ever since I’ve scouted you out, from thick and thin… Being in your corner, when people run from it. Me. Since the start…”

Tracy paused, if only to swallow the growing lump in her throat.

“That… That you have…”

Dr. Luminous smiled, ear to ear.

“Then let us get prepared. Prepare to leave this terrible world behind us.”

“e-uh—”

Tracy quickly turned around towards the noise.

All she got was a shivering, well-dressed boy.

A gray waistcoat, black slacks, shining dress shoes with a bow tie.

But the all too familiar black hat.

In truth—it was the fact that he was shaking that clued to who he was.

“Haaaaaa—Harvey!” Tracy exclaimed, rushing over to the boy.

Dr. Luminous turned to the couple with a perked eyebrow. “Friend of yours….?”

“A boy I met during my… I guess journey---” Tracy darted side to side with her eyes, looking at him as the blond-haired boy was covered in a deep blush, turning from her gaze.

Tracy looked at Luminous with a wary smile. “I promised him to walk, if we managed to live… And well, everything was so high octane, we never exchanged numbers, so--!”

Dr. Luminous raised a hand, the smile quickly returning. “Of course, of course. Continue to live your life. Get your affairs in order. But I will keep in contact!”

He turned his standing hand into a wave, as he walked off, leaving the two alone.

“Oh god Harvey, I know nothing about you—not even your name, and yet you saved me—”

“He uh…” Harvey continued to look down. “Looked… Sketchy… I know, pot and kettle, but—”

“Oh no, he is, but that’s more…” Tracy tilted her head, trying to censor herself. “He’s sketchy in the sense he loves keeping an image and certain values versus controlling people.”

“R-right…”

“And I’m guessing your friends ditched you…?”

“Oh no… Bentley uh. Encouraged me to find you. Had a feeling somehow.”

“Creepy—”

“I try not to question it too much—”

Tracy giggled, and then looked to him. “Either way… I’m guessing we’ll do that walk, now?”

Harvey exhaled softly, before forcing himself to meet her gaze.

“Yeah… And maybe… Uh…”

“Mhm…?” Tracy questioned.

“…Bond over being afraid… Of the same thing…”

Tracy’s eyes just went wide again.