Laid Out Strategy

"Tsk," Mark muttered, almost to himself.

Jingo, who had been casually preparing for the bath, raised an eyebrow and glanced at him. "You don't look so happy. What's the issue?" he asked, his smile faint but curious.

Mark turned, glaring at him briefly before letting out another, more deliberate, "Tsk." Without saying a word, he walked toward the towels, grabbing one like it owed him money.

Unbothered, Haze, Ghent, and Kade made their way to the large bath ahead, the size of which could easily fit ten people with room to spare. Ghent stretched his arms wide, already relishing the heat rising from the water. "Oi, Jingo! Stop messing around and get in here," he called, snapping Jingo out of his amusement with Mark's grumpiness.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming," Jingo replied, tossing his towel aside and heading for the tub.

Once everyone was settled in, the room calmed for a moment, save for the soft ripples of water lapping against the sides of the bath. Ghent sank deeper into it, letting his arms rest on the edge as he let out a satisfied sigh. "Now this is living," he muttered, submerging himself a little more.

Haze, sitting upright and still, seemed lost in thought, his gaze flickering briefly to Kade, who leaned back, his expression completely at ease. Sensing the stare, Kade turned his head slightly, his brows lifting lazily. "What?"

Haze's expression didn't change. "How is it that you're here? What happened to all that talk about not acting like me?"

Kade's lips quirked upward in a faint smile. "Oh, that." He tilted his head back, staring at the ceiling. "Turns out they were onto me from the start. Guess I wasn't as slick as I thought."

Before Haze could respond, a loud splash broke through the moment.

Water went flying, hitting everyone square in the face as Jingo smacked the surface with both hands. Smiling.

"You idiot!" Mark barked, wiping his face with an exaggerated scowl. "Do that again, and you'll be losing your hands!"

"Ooooh, scary!" Jingo replied, laughing as he splashed again, albeit smaller this time.

"They always are," Haze muttered with a sharp exhale, wiping his face and turning back to Kade. "And Melly?"

"Didn't get dragged into it somehow," Kade replied, using his hands to push his hair back. "Lucky her."

"What about Yuri?" Haze's tone softened, his eyes dropping to the rippling water. "How'd she take it?"

Kade shrugged, his voice as detached as ever. "Blamed herself for a bit. Talked her out of it. She'll be fine."

"Oi, punk," Ghent suddenly interjected, pointing at Haze's wrists. "You still wearing those shackles? What, because he didn't take them off, you're leaving them on?"

The others paused, Jingo and Mark momentarily halting their antics to glance at Haze's wrists. The metal cuffs were still there, though the chains were long gone.

Haze lifted his hands slightly, studying them as if he hadn't even noticed. "Don't know. Maybe one of you can help me with that," he said, his voice as calm as ever

Tch," Ghent muttered, shaking his head as he sank deeper into the water.

"Let me see," Ewald offered, stretching out his hand as he moved closer to inspect the shackles. "Ohh, I see. I'll need some time to undo this."

The room had grown quieter, the earlier chatter fading into a lull as Ewald got to work.

"So, since no one wants to bring it up, and not like I wanted to either, but we haven't planned for tomorrow," he said, his voice light, though his words held a trace of genuine concern.

Mark turned to him, raising an eyebrow. "What's your point?"

"I just have something to say," Jingo continued, with a mischievous grin. This caught everyone's attention, their heads turning toward him. He didn't miss a beat. "I love that blindfolded man's boots, and I'd like to get into town to buy a pair for myself."

Mark's lips twitched in irritation, his eyebrow lifting as he scoffed. "Seriously? That's what you wanted to say? Tch!"

Before anyone could comment, Ewald spoke up, "There, all done." With a satisfying click, the shackles fell from Haze wrists hitting the water causing a small splash.

Haze flexed his fingers, rubbing his wrist as he dryly said "Thanks."

"Sighhh," Mark exhaled dramatically, leaning back with a splash. His tone shifted slightly, more serious now. "I guess you're not wrong, Jingo. Haze!"

Haze lifted his gaze to meet Mark's. "What's the plan?"

All eyes turned to Haze now, the weight of expectation pressing into the room like a tangible force. Haze leaned back, his hands resting on the edge of the tub as he took a moment to think.

"We'll discuss it after this," he said finally, his tone even but firm. "For now, just enjoy the bath. Tomorrow's going to be messy."

"Messy how?" Ghent asked, his voice low and skeptical.

"Messy as in... we won't have the luxury of time for another one of these," Haze said, gesturing around at the steaming bath.

It sounded ridiculous, even to him. The silence that followed told him they were ready to let it slide for now, but something, a thought in mind, made him speak further. He muttered under his breath, "Well, that's crazy," before straightening up slightly and raising his voice enough for all to hear.

"This mission shouldn't be anything new or tough, it's just the way they made it sound. We know how these things turn out. I don't know what hidden strengths or tricks you all have up your sleeves, but I do know one thing: you're all strong. The mission itself won't be the hardest part. Sticking together and getting it done will be." He paused, glancing at their faces to gauge their reactions.

"But for now, here's the plan," he continued. "When we get closer to Heichi, we'll figure out the details, scout their camp, do a bit of searching and try as much as possible to be stealthy. The less we stand out, the better. When we get there, we'll work in pairs. That's non-negotiable. It's the easiest way to take down the Fushens efficiently before we face Möglich."

His voice firmed up as he added, "We might not be friends, and I'm not asking you to be. But at Heichi, we stick together. Whatever grudges or annoyances you've got, leave them behind. We're a team, whether we like it or not."

He paused, his next words cut off by a loud "Tch!" from Ghent.

Choosing to ignore Ghent's reaction, he asked, "What do you guys think?"

The room remained silent for a bit disturbed only by the sound of water adjusting with them.

Jingo finally broke it, shrugging. "Pairs, huh? Alright, but I call dibs on someone who won't slow me down."

"You think any of us want to be paired with you?" Mark shot back, rolling his eyes.