CH 10: Stella or Bust – Anya’s Heroic Field Trip Fiasco

There were many reasons a child might earn a Stella Star at Eden Academy.

Exceptional academics.Outstanding behavior.Heroic action in times of crisis.

Anya, in Loid's professional opinion, was… allergic to the first two.

But the third?

Oh, she was built for that.

It all began with a flyer Anya pulled from her backpack, crumpled and slightly chewed on by her desk partner (who may or may not have rabies).

"EDEN ACADEMY FIELD TRIP: AQUATIC RESEARCH CENTER"

"Papa!" she shouted, waving the paper in front of his face like a flag. "We're going to see fish! Dangerous ones!"

Loid blinked. "They're in tanks, Anya."

"Not if I break the glass," she said, grinning.

He stared.

"…That was a joke," she added.

"Mm-hmm."

Yor gasped from the kitchen. "Do you think they'll let the children pet a shark?!"

Loid sighed. "No. And please don't offer to volunteer again."

"But last time was so fun. I didn't even stab anyone!"

"…That's the concern, Yor."

Field Trip Day.

Loid, disguised as a low-level Eden staff chaperone under the alias "Mr. Smitt," followed the school bus on foot from a distance, coat flapping behind him like a caffeinated owl.

[Mission Objective: Ensure Anya's Safety & Observe for Stella Opportunity.]

[Optional Objective: Do Not Engage in Lethal Force.]

[Note: This Should Be a Peaceful Trip. Please Try.]

He arrived ahead of them at the Ostania Aquatic Research Institute, having already swept the area, tagged all exits, planted two surveillance bugs in the vending machines, and bribed a custodian to disable the east wing cameras.

Yor had packed Anya's lunch in the shape of a fish.

Anya had re-packed it in the shape of a spy fish—with a paper eye patch and a fork taped to its side like a harpoon.

He didn't have the heart to fix it.

The first hour went smoothly.

Anya trailed behind her classmates, nose pressed to every tank. She whispered secret spy missions to the jellyfish. She named the hammerhead shark Loid 2.0, The Emotionless Predator.

Loid might've smiled.

But that's when things went sideways.

Because of course they did.

At precisely 11:43 a.m., a van parked in a restricted access zone.Two men stepped out—wrong shoes, wrong posture, wrong everything.One fumbled with a maintenance badge.The other had a bulge under his jacket too large for a pen.

[System Alert: Possible Hostile Actors. Facial Recognition Match – Red Circus Affiliates.]

He swore under his breath.

Red Circus. A splinter anarchist cell. Known for political chaos, media stunts, and occasional light hostage-taking.

And here they were.

At his daughter's field trip.

Loid dropped the clipboard, unbuttoned his cuffs, and moved.

By the time the first man reached the lower corridor, Loid was already in position—camouflaged among exhibit signage like a ghost in a trench coat.

"Need help finding the jellyfish?" he asked flatly.

The man blinked—too slow.

Loid jabbed a pressure point under the arm. The body slumped. No blood. No mess. One to go.

[Threat 1 Neutralized.]

The second man had made it farther—into the touch tank room, where several children were elbow-deep in stingray slime and shouting "I TOUCHED ITS BUTT!"

Anya stood near the back, eating a cracker shaped like a submarine.

Then she saw the man.

And more importantly—she saw his thoughts.

"Grab a kid. Scream for attention. Make the demands. No one will shoot if you've got a hostage."

Anya dropped her cracker.

Her eyes narrowed.

And then—because she was her parents' daughter—she acted.

"MR. BAD GUY!" she screamed, flinging herself at the man's legs like a weaponized beanbag.

He tripped.

Face-first into a bucket of aquarium water and plastic enrichment toys.

Kids screamed. The teacher fainted. A crab waved its claw in approval.

Anya clung to his knees and yelled, "HE'S THE VILLAIN! HE WANTED TO STEAL A KID FOR BAD GUY REASONS!"

Loid arrived five seconds later, grabbing the man by the collar, pulling him up with just enough force to dislocate plausible deniability.

The man howled.Loid smiled.

[Threat 2 Neutralized.]

[Witnesses: 17 Children, 1 Starfish.]

Security was called.

The news didn't leak.

And Anya was awarded her first Stella the next morning in a painfully formal ceremony.

Loid stood at the back, hands behind his back, as the headmaster pinned a shining gold star to Anya's collar.

She was shaking.

With excitement.

With pride.

With the effort of not blurting out: "MY PAPA TOOK DOWN A TERRORIST IN TEN SECONDS AND THEN GAVE ME A COOKIE."

He met her eyes.

She winked.

That night, Anya hung her Stella next to the drawing of the squid.

Yor made celebratory cake that may or may not have contained vinegar, and Loid let her serve it anyway.

As Anya fell asleep hugging her spy fish, Loid stood at the window, arms crossed.

They were in.

Closer to Desmond.

One step closer to the mission's heart.

But it wasn't just about peace anymore.

It was about the tiny hero in the cape down the hall.

And the assassin who'd learned to bake for her.

And the spy who was slowly, irreversibly, becoming a father.