AGENT: The Agent of Mutants

37. Mars

[Ruby’s POV]

“Scientists have obtained the results of monitoring and further examination of the planet Mars. Reportedly, radiation levels and extreme temperatures there are getting better, indeed passing stages that include long. Slowly but surely, Mars could become the second Earth.”

“So a statement from the Director of NASA's space agency, for more -”

“Ah, boring.” Rylan Mumbled. He turned off the television in front of us.

The seven of us are in the AOM central room. A place to gather and rest.

It's Sunday, so we can't gather in the auditorium anymore, the back garden of the dormitory will also be crowded this weekend. So inevitably, we have to go to AOM to just tend to the sofa, chat together and unwind before going to America tomorrow.

“Heh! Why turned off?! It's important to know! Who knows this time they're not bullshit anymore, then we can move to Mars!! Huaah.. so kepingin.” Omel Val while eating his snacks.

“Ah is impossible, do not expect the same scientists here other than Kak Brian.” Rylan defied, making Val's countenance frown, as if his hope had vanished instantly.

“Eh yes... why not Brother Brian alone who tried to research about such a thing?” Claire responded. This random thing is becoming a topic now.

“AH! SHIT!” umpat Zav tight, he put away the stick in his hand, then glanced at Jack sharply, “Try exchanging your stick with mine! Don't you hack the game!”

With ease, Jack gave the stick, then took the Zav stick that was thrown earlier.

I chuckle, “Haha! If you lose you lose, don't need a reason.” I said casually, which was answered by a whimper from Zav.

Kim came from the kitchen, then sat down next to me with a cup of warm coffee, “Telahuku, Brother Brian has been researching about the planet Mars, deh.” His words immediately made Val and Rylan turn his head for a moment.

“Then?? How outcome? How come I never know, huh?” Val asked curiously.

Kim cleared his throat, “I don't know, the results have never been published.” He said while blowing the surface of the coffee that is still blowing hot air.

After hearing Kim's statement, Rylan turned his face away, returning to play his phone.

Val returns to reading his favorite novel while continuing to eat his snacks.

Claire and I were leaning on the couch, wearing Korean masks. It feels so fresh. Ah…

Then Jack Si Chairman, who is usually always serious, is now fighting great video games with Zav who is unceasingly cursed from earlier.

Come to think of it, this was our first time chatting casually, while doing light daily activities. Never before, right?

Yes, before we had a deal, for today only, please just relax and do not discuss anything heavy. And approved by everyone. Counting down, the day before doing the most important mission, we have to refresh our minds and recover energy.

“It's getting bored, go yuk!” chirping Rylan all of a sudden.

“Sir, patience. I haven't won.” Said Zav without turning his gaze away from the screen that displayed his game.

“Beach, yuk?”

Claire chuckled, “Wah, feeling like there's no burden this once we're. Though tomorrow-“ has not had time to finish his sentence, Val has stuffed his mouth with bread. “We didn't talk about this today, Claire.” Whisper Val with a death look. Makes Claire nod in fear.

Haha…

I let out a breath.

So.. This is the last time, huh?

Jack put down his stick, then stood up suddenly.

“Hei! We're not done yet!” zav said as he watched Jack leave their playroom.

“I'm bored of winning keep.” Said Jack origin. He approached us, uh, wrong... Claire meant. Yes, who else?

He removed the mask that was still attached to Claire's face, at a glance, he looked at the dazed white cloth he was holding, then he threw it away. “Cute me.” He told Claire.

Well, start again this Jack...

Claire looked at Jack puzzled, her gaze as if to mean 'Why did you throw my mask away.' but she stood still with a sigh of resignation, then followed Jack out.

“I go first.” Claire told me.

“Heh!! Want to kidnap Claire where you are!” val pointed at Jack.

“I need to tell him a plan.” Jack said flat, then left.

“What plan?” Kim asked confusedly.

“Don't know.” I was confused too.

Zav sighed, “That's just an excuse.” His retorted speech nods in agreement by Rylan. “Ry, here replace Jack! We play!”

Kim placed his coffee cup on the table, his facial features suddenly turned serious.

“Guys, by the way.

Rylan turned his head quickly, "Oh no, not again, Kim. Don't kill the happy mood, jebal." he said with a mixture of languages.

I'm actually used to this. Kim suddenly came out with his super serious idea in the midst of the relief we were enjoying..

Rylan immediately refused, (knowingly, if he was on reflex, his language would be mixed up), Zav, me and Val who could only sigh resignedly.

“I want to tell something.” Kim said he ignored Rylan. He took four pieces of tissue to get ready.

Without waiting for long, the four of us stopped our activities, then looked at Kim seriously. Usually if Kim had been like this, we know Kim would have really said important things.

How do we know? Simply put, he took four pieces of tissue.

“You sure you will say it, Kim?” Ask Zav.

Kim nodded.

Val smiled, “Alright, I will take care of you until one hundred percent healed if you faint.” he said steadily.

“About what is this , Kim?” my many.

“There are two things.” He paused for a moment, getting ready to stick the tissue on his nose.

We waited for him with wide-open eyes, tense, scared, worried. Is this good news or bad news?

“I got a new vision. This time for the long term. It's really over…"

"... not... on Earth.”

Whatdoes thatmean? Aishh, my heartbeat is beating faster. As well as the others, we all grew tense. What does it mean..not on Earth?

Then where is it?

I turned to Val, who also hinted 'I don't understand at all.'

What does Kim really mean?

“And...” his words stopped, blood flowed out of Kim's nose, including a lot for me, but for him it might still be a little.

He took four more tissues, preparing for the second statement.

This time, Kim smiled. A smile he rarely showed at a time like this.

That smile.

"What what??" ask Rylan impatiently.

“I've mastered access to parallel dimensions.”

○○○

Somewhere else.

[Claire's POV]

Me and Jack were outside the AOM building, Jack standing behind me from earlier, while I was just sitting in a long chair, waiting for him to speak.

I've been waiting, but Jack hasn't said a word. I'm getting confused…

After throwing away my mask..this is all he did?!

“So you said you wanted to tell me a plan...What plan?” I said, which seemed to make Jack a little jolt.

“A-ah. that...” Jack finally turned his body, he scratched his head, “About our plan the day after tomorrow...it is our peak mission.”.

Uhm…

We all know that, right?

It was clear that the mission was the climax of our mission.

Then… ? What am I supposed to say?

“Iyaa... uhm, yes, right?” me telling him.

Jack wasn't looking at me, he was avoiding eye contact... HOW WEIRD!

“You wipe-“

“Are you ready?” the question suddenly, made me stunned.

I gritted, looking at him right at his manic. His gaze was inexplicable. “What do you mean ‘siap’? Isn't ready not ready...we still have to face Apesta?”

I mean.. Do we have any other options?

He looked at me more and more, his gaze sharp, as if he was challenging the enemy.

But I knew him, Jack Grayson, the Team Leader, who wasn't very good at expressing his feelings. If he gave a look like this, there must be something stuck in his mind. It's only natural that I think our top mission would be completely unpredictable. Even if we make any plans, we still do not have full control over the events that will occur.

Arguably…

…. We're heading for the enemy's war zone. With ignorance of anything.

Jack approached me, and he sat down beside me, still with that inexplicable look on his face. His brows were clinging, like furious at something, but his face was also sad. He looked down, staring at the floor.

“I'm afraid of failing.”

I was stunned, again.

This was the first time he was honest about what he was thinking, what he was feeling.

I looked up, looking at him inside. Make sure I'm not wrong.

Is correct. It was a bead of fear, worry, despair.

I knit my eyebrows, “Hey.. how can you be worried when you try not yet?”.

He didn't answer. His look felt empty.

“How can you despair when we never fail?”

He looked at me, then chuckled.

Nope. That's not a funny thing…

“We have failed from the beginning, Claire.” He looks at me softly. “What never occurred to you, why did Apesta tell us about the location of that chip?”

Of course I've thought about it, looking for all the possibilities that could be the reason he said that. “To... drop us off on that chip, then maybe kill us while trying, right?”

He smiled thinly, “That's for sure. But... still, have you ever thought, why does he want to make it easier for us?”

I'm thinking hard. A little shocked because of this sudden brain fight, not to mention the words of the agents who said today would relax so impressed lie. Huft...

But, it's okay. It's catchy.

“Iya also. About why does it make it easier for us?”

“Basically, we were assigned to carry out a mission in a school, right? But we'll end up in AOM America instead. Can't we draw conclusions from that?”

No, Jack. Not ‘kita’, just you and your brain.

But the look on his face still hasn't changed, oh okay.

“He pointed out, that he is superior to the seven of us, in a subtle way. Maybe telling the location of the chip makes us relieved at a glance, because it has been made easier. But the truth is, he showed that if we failed in the first place, we did all this in vain. Looking for chips in a school, when it turns out there in America.”

Jack sighed softly, his gaze getting sharper, his jaw hardening. He's furious.

“Maybe he could have told the location of the chip from the start, but he chose not to. Wh why? Because maybe by seeing us struggling here can comfort him. And the fact that he finally told us his location, makes us feel helpless. As if, from the beginning Apesta was the one who grasped all the grooves that would occur. If the chip is in America, what are we looking for in a school in vain, and finally he lightly tells the location of the chip, he said, makes us speechless to see the effort so far that there is no price.”

“In other words.. during this time we only follow the flow that he has, following wherever the direction of his plan goes. Fuck.”

I'm speechless.

Still processing all this in my brain. And everything.

Why... I never thought I'd get here?

“I-that means.. With us obeying him to go to America, we are still walking into his plan..”.

I still can't believe this.

“Yes. The plan went very smoothly.”

I clenched my hand. God fucking. So all this time, we've only been fooled?

Jack turned to me, “You pissed?”

UH! How could I not have realized this earlier?!

Damnit damnit! I will kill that woman!!

“Already.”

I turned my head, “How can you now calm me?”

“You're late, anyway. I've kicked six tables since I heard Apesta tell you that.”

I'm screeching, “Stay! Who told you to be late for me?”

He looked at me flatly, “I thought you had thought up to it.” he said lightly.

I turned my face annoyed. Ck. Not everyone is as smart as you, you idiot! Just make it ashamed.

“I hope by realizing this, you become more and more eager to kill him.”

I looked at him.

“Do not get weak, whoever he really is.. he is not a person to be pitied.”.

I nodded steadily. I concur. I won't forgive her, you fucking woman!

Jack smiled faintly, then pulled something out of his pocket.

Whatisit?

An…

... necklace?

Jack looked at me with a thin smile, “This is for you.”

I was wide-eyed, “U-for me? It's not my birthday..."

“Iya.. this is to replace your broken necklace back then.” Jack opened the hook on the necklace.

Wow... it's beautiful, the pendant is red.... and shaped planet, eh.. what planet is it?

“Raise your hair.”

“Eh? This serious? N-no need to be like this! Besides, what broke my necklace wasn't ka-“

“Quick raise, my hand achy.” Jack cut my words, his hands holding the edges of the necklace.

Ouch…

W-well..

I raised my hair. At first glance I saw Jack, he put the necklace around my neck, and then hooked it. “It's anticipation know. I think you'll calm down instantly if you have me, so if one day you lose control, and I'm not by your side, look at that thing on your neck, remember me.” Flat language. This guy is really weird. Could he say that with a flat face?!

I glared at him, “Ck! Since when I'm so-“

“Listen. That.anticipation only. I'm not leaving you anyway. And.. don't dodge anymore, your cheeks are red, tuh.”

“D-D-DIAM!!!”

“Ayo.” Jack chuckled, “Let's go back inside, I just wanted to give you that earlier.”

Huh huh?

Didn't tell me about the 'plan'?

○○○

“What planet is it?” I asked Jack. We were walking towards the lounge again.

He glanced at the necklace attached to my neck, then turned to me with a smile, “Planet Mars.”

I raised both my eyebrows, “Wahhh.. But why Mars?” my many. By the way, we're already at the door of the room now.

“Why? You don't like it?” tanyakanya.

I immediately shook my head, “I like it! Just... want to know..”.

He chuckled, making his dimples visible, “Because-“ Jack stopped his words, he was stunned to see the thing in front of him. I, curious, looked ahead.

“Kim?”

Kimberly was already lying unconscious on the sofa, with piles of tissue with bloodstains filling the tissue sheet.

What the hell is going on?!

Kim broke the laws of nature again?