When You are the Boss

Sitting in the dark, Noel continued to type away at the laptop in front of him. The screen is split into three sections, one is in a direct conversation with an unknown person and the other two are tabs of a long list of people and records.

A lollipop stuck out of Noel's mouth as he tried to focus on the screen in front of him, instead, the flashes of the girls' bodies just kept appearing in his mind.

Sighing, he pushed the laptop onto the bed and ran his hands through his hair, frowning.

Why do they always have to involve innocent children into things like this? He thought, messing his own hair up in frustration. This also seems more like a personal vendetta than someone actually wanting to send a message. They would have done this to someone else otherwise.

First, I need to get a hold of that video. We may not be able to get the face of the perpetrator on the screen, but if I could just get something like the back of their head or even their build, no matter how unclear the video may be … I will be able to narrow the people down.

It'll be great if we could actually talk to the dead but … the dead don't speak.

Sighing, Noel flopped down on the bed, Eden's smell filling his nose and wrapping around him like a comforting blanket. I really needed this.

Aren't you glad you didn't go home yet? He could picture the man saying and rolled his eyes.

___________________________

Noel tried to get the man to drop him home that morning but Eden refused, running out before he could say anything else and drove off in his bike.

Noel did think of leaving by himself but decided against it. Maybe he suddenly became a little bit lazy, who knows? Fortunately, he never goes anywhere without his main computer.

So he used that to begin the research but suddenly became curious and logged into the camera on Eden, just to be greeted with the disembodied bodies of the two girls, burnt beyond recognition.

That was when he immediately began looking them up. The strange thing about all this is that … almost nothing could be found about them. Not even their social media.

It was almost as if their existence was being erased slowly and surely. He searched them by their uniform first and then, using the screen, scanned their bodies, putting them together in a program.

After which he zoomed on their faces and wiped out the burns as much as he could, following the way the skin folded and turned to make recognizable faces and searched the identities of the two.

Nine times out of ten, that method worked out. And, fortunately for Noel, this time it worked out. Soon, he was downloading their profiles and all the pictures he could get his hands on before they vanished completely.

Even the photos with their friends were being erased and Noel couldn't help but get an uneasy feeling involving himself here. But he couldn't just let it be. Not when he knows how they would feel.

People that existed, only to be erased and soon, completely forgotten. Dying for a second time. As long as he was there, he would not allow that to happen.

It was when he got wind of the video that he realised just how dangerous the people he may be messing with really were. Dangerous and powerful.

I might come to regret this. He thought, before calling Eden. But I am already made it this far. Stopping halfway is a little …

So he made the call and Noel could feel his fate being sealed but he could hardly care anymore. He told Eden about this, watching as his voice turned into words on the screen in front of him, a soft smile coming on his face as the video 'trailer' of the girls' abduction played behind the small chatbox thing.

His voice … to wonder what it sounds like? Noel couldn't help thinking while reading the words in front of him. Too bad I will never get to hear it.

_______________________

I wonder what they thought as they died. Noel thought, remembering them again as he laid on Eden's bed, blanket strewed everywhere.

If they at least died, seeking relief then that would at least give me a kind of sick sense of comfort. Knowing that they were able to rest in the end … am I actually a psychopath or something?

Maybe … but then again, that will mean Eden is also one for falling for me this quick. Thinking this, Noel chuckled to himself. Well, I should get back to work, no more getting distracted.

Sitting back up, Noel stared at his laptop blankly for a second before a wide grin spread across his face.

Great!

_______________________

"You are all late. What about twenty minutes don't you understand?!?" Eden hissed at Fern and Celt, walking into the room as quietly as they could.

As you can see, this is not possible because everyone is staring at them, nervousness written all over their faces as Eden stood in the very front of the table, glaring at them, fuming.

The room is decorated with all kinds of traditional paintings on scrolls and in frames. Weapons hung along the oak coloured walls; weapons from all kinds of swords to different variety of guns and even a broken fan is there, in a glass casing.

There is a single table in the middle of the room with chairs enough for the twenty people sitting side by side, not counting the other twenty standing on the left of their chairs, in front of them were cards with their names and their divisions.

The only spot missing was for the First Division Captain and Vice-Captain. That is Fern and Celt.

Yes, Celt is the Vice-Captain, contrary to popular belief. Fern was the one that chose Celt to be his Vice Captain and may have … done something illegal to get him to join.

No spoilers.

Everyone just addresses Celt as captain to either tease him or because they genuinely forget because that man is always giving the orders in behalf of Fern.

Fern does address him as captain as well, just purely to annoy the man because he does not know any other way to make Celt annoyed.

"Boss!" Celt said, waving at the man. "How are you doing? I hope you are fine!"

"Shut the fuck up!" Eden shouted, slamming his hands on the table. "Why are you both so late?? Explain yourselves this minute! If you can't, I will send out a punishment to everyone in this room."

"Huh?!? Objection, Boss!" A man with streaks of purple in his hair shouted, getting to his feet. "Why do we have to be punished for something that the First Division Captain and Vice-Captain did wrong?? How is that fair??"

"You can just say 'them', Captain Lucian." The man beside him with dyed blond hair, shaved at the left, whispered.

"But they are still Captains, Nico, and my seniors, I need to respect them." The man said nonchalantly.

"If you say so, captain," Nico said, shrugging.

"Now, where was I? Oh, yeah. We can't be punished because of them. That isn't fair." Lucian complained again, frowning at Eden who glared back.

"I don't think I have to remind you, Lucian, that you were ten minutes late too," Eden said, a growl mixed with his normal speaking voice. "Sit your ass down before I really punish you too."

"Apologies, boss!" The man shouted, sitting back down as Nico patted him on the back as a way of comforting him.

"Anyone else want to say anything?" Eden asked, looking around the room as everyone kept silent. "Fine. Now you two are going to have to explain yourselves otherwise everyone here gets punished."

"It was my fault," Fern said, subtly holding his hand in front of Celt, almost as if to stop him from saying or doing anything.

"And why is that, Fern?" Eden asked, sitting down on the chair as he stared at them, exasperated. "You know what time I told you to be there and you are both thirty minutes late."

"The reason is quite private," Fern said, looking at Eden. "Would you mind if I told you later, privately?"

The two stared at each other for a few seconds as tension grew in the air before Eden admitted defeat.

"Fine. But it better be a good reason." Eden said, indicating to the chair just to his left. "Take your place. We will begin our meeting. Ages."

"I am sure you all have heard of what happened this morning." Ages began, holding a few papers in his hands. "Have you all been patrolling as you were told?"

"It was a little hard because the orders were a little sudden." One man with thick, curly brown hair said, crossing his arms over his chest. "But we were able to assemble a team to start patrolling. I even checked up on them this morning. My area is cleared."

"Who was the one in charge of looking after the area the bodies were found in?" Another man with dyed deep blue hair asked, fuming.

"No one," Eden said, staring at everyone in the room. "That area is very open with people always walking back and forth, and it is also filled with CCTV cameras. No one would be able to pass that place without being seen. But no one was seen.

"The bodies seemed to appear out of nowhere. How do you all think that is possible?" Eden looked at everyone in front of him, frowning slightly.

Turning to a man with a monocle, Eden tilted his head to the side at him. The man nodded and threw something on the table.

"Anyone know what that is?"