Is Your Captain an Idiot?
Having examined all the photos and notes, Shu took a deep breath, stepped back, and rubbed his temples. There was so much information to process…
The old man was likely more than just a victim…
The off-limits room was an infirmary. The owner of the lab coat was probably inside, perhaps along with others Natasha had brought back… others like the child in the photograph, and the old man, afflicted with the same deformities…
And then there was Little Tian's disappearance, the mystery of how Robot Mark II ended up so far from the Nest…
And what was the old man's role in all of this?
There were even more notes on the whiteboard, a dozen or more, densely packed with information: Dad and Mom started acting strange on December 1st, Teacher showed up at school on December 2nd and brought everyone to the Nest…
It was a tangled mess, and Shu wasn't good at untangling messes.
"Shu…" Kiana began.
"Don't. Thinking. Distracting," Shu said, holding up a hand to silence her.
Kiana: "??" What's that supposed to mean? Has Shu finally lost it?
"But I hear someone coming," she insisted.
"Huh?" Shu looked up, then heard the telltale jingle of keys outside the door. He snapped back to reality.
They sprang into action, scrambling to clean up the "crime scene." Lights were switched off, papers hidden, curtains drawn.
They quickly sat down in a circle, just as the door opened. Natasha stood in the doorway, holding a bowl.
Three innocent, slightly anxious faces looked up at her. It felt like they had been caught doing something wrong… even though they hadn't.
But Natasha was the "teacher" here.
A tense silence hung in the air.
Shu frantically gestured at Kiana. You're good at this sort of thing! Come up with something!
Kiana stared back, aghast. How dare you ask me for advice?! And why would you think I'm good at covering things up?!
Shu realized his mistake. Kiana wasn't good at this at all. The only reason she hadn't been expelled yet was probably because the principal was her aunt…
Busted.
"What… are you doing?" The familiar question, but this time, Natasha's voice held not suspicion, but genuine confusion.
"Ahem." Shu glared at Kiana. "I… realized I forgot to give Lyle his Homu plush, so I came to give it to him…"
Natasha raised an eyebrow, looking at Shu pointedly. Didn't I tell him I was setting aside a portion for Lyle?
Just as Shu began to formulate a better excuse, Natasha changed the subject, holding out the bowl. "The less spicy food you requested. I didn't have time to make anything else, so this is all I have."
Shu blinked, looking down. It was a bowl of plain rice porridge.
Wait, where did the porridge come from? I didn't see that. He quickly stood up and took the bowl, sitting back down.
Now there were three voluntary "prisoners" in the time-out room.
Natasha waited a few seconds, then, seeing no indication that Shu intended to leave, closed the door with a twitch of her lips. This Fire Moth organization seems… rather eccentric.
The room plunged back into darkness. The three breathed a sigh of relief.
"Good thinking, Shu… We almost got caught," Kiana said, patting her chest dramatically.
Shu silently lifted the bowl of porridge to his lips, hiding his guilt. Good thinking? Natasha clearly let us off the hook. She gave Fire Moth… or rather, me, face by not pressing the issue. Speaking of which, is "face" really that effective? Maybe I should just ask Natasha directly? She must know something…
He immediately dismissed the idea. He had promised not to tell, and he needed a good reason to break that promise.
I'll investigate the infirmary tonight, then get Natasha to explain everything!
But before that…
He glanced at the curtains, his gaze seemingly penetrating the fabric to the notes on the whiteboard. He needed an explanation for those first.
Preferably from Adam himself. Natasha's account of the city's downfall wasn't enough. They needed multiple perspectives. If possible, he would also talk to the person hiding in the infirmary. Cross-referencing information was the best way to uncover the truth.
"Lyle, is there a way to get Adam… and Sora… here?" Shu asked, setting down his bowl.
"Huh? Shu, are you going to drag those kids into this too?" Kiana's eyes widened.
Shu stared back, equally surprised.
Kiana had bigger eyes.
"Don't be ridiculous," Shu said. "I just need some… clarification from the… original source."
"Oh," Kiana said, nodding. "So you don't understand either."
Shu: "..." He fixed Kiana with a withering stare. Did you leave your brain on the train?
"Um… Adam and Sora come here secretly at night," Lyle said, oblivious to their silent exchange.
"They bring snacks, so if Teacher catches them, they can say they were just checking on me," he added, pulling out a box of snacks.
Shu and Kiana's mouths watered simultaneously. Kiana from hunger, Shu from the blandness of his porridge.
"Want some?" Lyle offered the box.
They exchanged a look, then nodded, each grabbing a snack.
So, if they waited a few hours, Adam and Sora would come here… He would get their side of the story in the first half of the night, then investigate the infirmary in the second half!
Outside, Natasha returned to the kitchen, frowning. Seeing Mei busy at work, she couldn't resist asking,
"Is your captain… also an idiot?"
Mei: "??" Why would she ask that? And what does she mean by "also"?