CHAPTER 21: A Complicated Mission

I hear bashing on my door. As it opens slightly I hear the faint words of Yanni trying to call for me. "Mister Shadow, are you there?" I blink rapidly, having fatal success in getting my vision to where it should be. I begin to rub both my eyes simultaneously as I respond to her. "Y-yes… I'm here." I see her come through the door as she struggles to pull Michael through the door. I can tell whatever is on her mind, it was serious. I begin to sit myself up on the bed.

"Um, what's going on here?" I was so confused.

Michael was pushed by Yanni to sit next to me, "I don't know man."

When he sat next to me I realized I didn't have my hoodie on nor did I tie up my hair so for a moment I got a bit uncomfortable. Everyone else did not seem to catch a surprised look around me. I shook my head and stayed calm about it. Yanni was wearing an oversized hoodie and some big socks. I suppose this is what she wears when she goes to sleep? I couldn't know for certain, I assumed because it looks very comfortable. She began to pout and cross her arms.

"You two are a team now right?" Yanni asked both of us.

"Team?" I was shocked for a moment.

"You work together on missions now, right?"

"Yanni, in order for a team to work two people have to agree on certain terms."

Michael interrupts, "You could say we are a team. At least for now." He begins to look at me.

I scratched the back of my head and sighed, "Yeah I guess you are right. We are a team now."

Yanni blurred out, "Good."

Michael begins to question Yanni, "Why does this matter to you all of a sudden young one?"

Yanni clears her throat, "Hear me out, I have a veeerrryyy important mission for the both of you."

Yanni is doing her best to emphasize the importance of what she needs to say. I was shocked at what was coming out of her mouth. I tried to silently whisper into Michael's ear. Murmuring to him about when did this world ever decide to start giving 12-year-olds the chance to call the shots around here?

Michael went along with it though, "What is it?"

Yanni explained, "I want you to bring me something veeerrryyyy important." She emphasizes again how important this means to her. She takes a photo out of her pocket to show them a picture of a… piece of candy?!? It was some sort of weird type of candy box. "They only come around once a year to this country. And I can't go get them since Nina didn't allow me to. I can't wait for tomorrow because I'm sure there will be none left. They barely last in stores because of how rare they are and how good the candy is. In fact," she pauses.

She begins to pull out two maps. She opens one of them that has a diagram of the entire city. She marked on the map with a red marker the pathway to reach the target area which she drew a circle around it. The next map she opened was the map of the entire mall. Clearly, these were taken off the internet. I was completely dumbfounded about all this. "There are only two boxes left in this mall only. We can't wait to let anyone else take them." I'm sure some parts of this briefing were exaggerated but I mean. What is this, a war plan?

Michael yawns, "You woke us up for all this? A piece of candy? Damn this family has no chill."

"Pft, you can say that again."

Yanni demanded, "I will not and never will, in forever, in my entire life accept this failure." She crosses her arms again to show us that she was being very serious. "You better come home with the candy box."

I gave out a big sigh, "Well you heard the girl. Would you want to come with me, Michael, and get the candy for her."

"It's not like we have a choice. Princess' orders."

I get up and get out of the bed, "Roger that Yanni. We will head out and get that candy for you."

She started to act cute again, all blushing and red-faced before saying thank you to us. I got my stuff which includes my knives and sword. Even though it is just going to get some candy and back, I can't leave Katy behind me. If I walked out of this house without it, I would feel alone. I want to know I have her by my side at all times. I put the knives in my pocket and tied up my hair. I looked at the mirror and I was very surprised at how long my hair was currently. It takes a few extra knots to complete it. As I finished tying my hair, I went out of my room and saw Naomi running to Michael and jumping on his back.

"Waaaiiit!" Naomi cried out

Michael looks back, "Oh, Naomi?"

"I'm coming with you."

"Why? We are just going to the mall to get a piece of candy and be back soon."

"You said you are in a team now so I want to be part of it with you. So I am coming with."

Michael laughs a bit and smiles so much, "It's not a big of a deal."

"It's still a mission."

"Okay sugar plum."

They looked at me. I said to them, "I have no objection."

Naomi went up to me and booped my nose, "Good, now let's go. The mall is very far."

Yanni was looking from the balcony upstairs to see how serious we were taking this mission. I saw this in the corner of my eye and took out the maps and laid it out on the table. I gave them a short briefing and Naomi volunteered to take the map to lead the team. We went outside and I can feel Yanni being so happy right now. I was walking next to Michael while Naomi was in front of us leading the way. Michael and I were having a nice conversation. I asked him about his training regimen and he asked me how I grew out this hair. The walk, as briefed, was an hour away but it wasn't that bad. We had a nice time getting to know each other more. We talked about our past embarrassing stories and the hour went by so fast. We were just up head from the mall. The mall seemed to stretch wider on the inside than what it looked it on the outside. On the map, it looked like it took up a half on the side of the map. The mall consisted of two floors but inside had a lot of stores. I took out the other map which was the layout of the mall and Yanni indicated the store that sells us this candy. I looked around and found where I am on the map. We started to talk to the store employee when all of a sudden a hoodie girl bumped into me as we walked toward the store. She had some sort of baseball cap on her head which covered most of her face and was wearing a pink crop top hoodie that exposes her belly. While wearing some weird fashioned jeans. I didn't think much about it much though. I should've seen it coming anyway.

We reached the store and looked for the exact candy that was in the picture. As I asked the store clerk about the item, the store clerk pointed it out for us and we were able to get the last box left in the store.

"We got really lucky guys. It's the last box."

Michael's eyes opened wide and scratched the back of his head, "Oh geez, we almost failed our mission."

I went up to the desk to cash out our item and head our way home. Until I checked my pocket and found out my wallet is missing. "Shit!" Michael and Naomi looked at me confused.

"Is something wrong?"

"My wallet is missing. Quick, someone pay for the candy. I'm going to find the thief." I left the candy on the counter and ran out of the store.

Naomi looked up at Michael all worried.

Michael told Naomi, "I'll take care of it, don't worry."

Naomi had her fists up to her chest and she was trying to look serious when she tried to look mad. She nodded her head and started to run to catch up to me, "Hey Shadow wait!"

I made a quick stop to look around to see if I can find a suspect.

Naomi grabbed my shoulder, "Are you sure you didn't forget it at home?"

"No, I didn't, I'm sure. Quickly before we lose the thief forever."

"Do you even know or have any idea who it might be?"

We both started to think and walk toward where we came from as a way to retrace our steps. I started to think who could've taken my wallet and I remember bumping into someone.

"Naomi, it's the girl that bumped into me with the pink hoodie. She bumped into me."

"Right okay, that's something. Where did she bump into you?"

"Follow me!"

We started to run to the place and there was someone with a pink hoodie that was hiding in the corner of the mall. She was just hiding but as she looked up a bit to see us running, she started to run out of the mall. "Crap." I see her running out of the mall and I started to chase her down. Naomi just saw me dashing immediately and seeing me dodge people to try getting a gain on the thief. The thief did the best to lose her trail but ended up getting cornered in the alley. As the thief looked up and around, she turned around to see me standing there with my hoodie covering my face.

"Oh, crap."

Naomi caught up and asked, "This is her?"

"This is the one," I responded with a big grin on my face.

"Let me teach this girl a lesson."

I extended my arm out to her, "Calm down, let me talk to her."

"W-wha…" Naomi crosses her arms, "Fine."

I walk toward the thief slowly and in full rage. Michael shows up, side-hugging Naomi while trying to catch his breath.

"I finally found you two, and you found the robber. That's great."

The cap girl denied the accusation, "I am not a robber."

I tiled my head, "Oh yeah? Then what are you?"

"It's none of your business what I am. Leave me alone you freaks!"

Naomi got upset and shrugged off Michael's hug to storm toward the thief and grab her by the shirt. Slamming her to the wall and raising her hoodie slightly up. "Listen here you little b-"

A few small bottles start to rattle as they hit the ground. I picked one up and looked at the label. "Medicine?"

Michael looks at the bottle over my shoulder, "It sure is."

She tried to struggle out of Naomi's grip, "GIVE IT BACK!"

"Why do you have all these medicine bottles?"

She pushed Naomi out of her way which caused Naomi to lose her balance. The thief walked toward me in anger. Grinding her teeth and about to run right to me to punch me across the face. I felt the intention. And she did exactly that. With the full force of her legs started to run to me and pulled back her fist, readying to swing at me. Michael intervenes for me and grabs her arms, completely lifting her from the ground. Michael's tall figure and her small body didn't even give Michael any struggle getting her off the ground.

"P-put me down." She got shy.

"Calm down little girl, we're just trying to talk," Michael told her.

"Yea and now that we know some sort of secret. Why don't you tell us everything, maybe we can help you. First with a name and then with the details."

"Why do I have to trust you?"

"You really don't have any other choice right now. Checkmate."

She starts to look around and sees that she is surrounded and can't do anything while off the ground. "Fine… I'll talk. Just put me down first."

Michael does so gently.

"My name is Scar." Scar's head was looking down, trying to tough out the tears, "My best friend… has been severely sick and she isn't getting any better."

Naomi was shocked as she put her hand over her mouth. "What type of sickness?"

"We don't know, but is constantly in need of vitamins and a few medications to boost her immune system."

I explain, "So you took my wallet to pay for the expenses of your friend."

Scar looked away.

"Can you take us to see her?" I asked nicely.

"Why is that?"

I extended my hand out to her shoulder, "Maybe we can try to help."

She thought about it, "F-fine."

Scar led us to her small house. It was around the corner only having to walk a few blocks. Going into an apartment building, we climbed up the fifteenth floor to finally reach their home. As she opens the door to let us in, we see it all messed up, dirty, and in ruins. Some of the walls look like it's on the brink of collapse. A cough was heard in a corner of the room. Scar dashed toward there to go on her knees to see her friend's face. She was a beautiful lady with long blond hair that made her look from another world. But she was laying on the bed all sweaty and exhausted. Scar eventually sat next to her and held on to her tight.

Shit, she's really not doing so well.