Kapitel 19: Last Chance
Everyone was weirded out by Arata waking up from a near-death state. It was something only heard of in fantasy stories, not in reality. The team gathered in room 309, their expressions a mix of disbelief and confusion.
"I'm telling you, Arata is an Undergrounder now. There is no other explanation for how he is alive," Carly insisted, her voice tinged with frustration and fear.
Elio, standing next to her, shook his head. "If he was an Undergrounder, I'm sure there would have been some kind of change. Unless you're telling me Undergrounders can now look like humans." He tried to protect Arata, his loyalty unwavering.
Dan nodded in agreement with Elio. "Elio is right. It's impossible he's an Undergrounder. You have to understand, not every Undergrounder can look like a human. There are very specific kings, queens, princes, and so on who look very much like humans. After all, they're supposed to be models that were made by—"
Lila interrupted, her voice calm but firm. "It doesn't matter honestly, right now we have to find out this weird phenomenon. Alex, you must know something?"
Alex, who had been silently scrutinizing the security footage of the previous night, finally spoke up. "The footage between 2 am and 3 am is missing. Whatever happened, happened during that time." He frowned at the blank screen. "Let's see if we can find the lost footage."
Carly's frustration bubbled over again. "I'm telling you, Arata did something last night." Her eyes were wide with a mix of fear and determination.
Just then, the door opened, and Arata walked in with Jennifer. The room fell silent, all eyes on Arata. He gave a sad smile, clearly aware of the tension. "I know you guys are worried. I understand; I had near-death injuries when I fought Thronjaw. Even I have no clue how I'm still alive." He looked down, his voice carrying the weight of his confusion and the pain of their mistrust.
He walked over to the couch and sat down heavily, running a hand through his hair. "I still have some reports to file about Thronjaw. I'll get to it." He tried to change the subject, but his attempt at nonchalance only deepened the awkwardness.
Carly crossed her arms, her eyes narrowed. "You expect us to just ignore this? To pretend everything is normal?"
Arata sighed, his shoulders slumping. "No, Carly, I don't expect that. I know it's a lot to take in. I'm just as confused as you are. But right now, we have bigger issues to deal with. Thronjaw is still out there, and we need to be ready."
ennifer placed a reassuring hand on Carly's shoulder. "We'll figure this out, Carly. Together. We've faced worse before. This is just another challenge."
Carly's posture relaxed slightly, but her eyes still held a trace of doubt. "Fine. But I want answers, Arata. We all do."
Arata nodded. "And you'll get them. I promise. But first, we need to focus on Thronjaw. He's not going to wait for us to sort this out."
A heavy silence settled over the room as everyone absorbed Arata's words. The air was thick with unresolved tension, but also a renewed sense of purpose. They had faced impossible odds before, and they would do it again.
The rest of the day passed in a somber haze, each member of the team lost in their thoughts. Arata worked tirelessly, his mind racing with strategies to combat Thronjaw, while the others kept a watchful eye on him, their trust slowly beginning to rebuild.
As the sun set, casting long shadows across the room, the team gathered their resolve. They knew the road ahead would be tough, but they were ready to face it together. And in the quiet moments, as Arata looked around at his friends, he felt a glimmer of hope. They would find the answers, and they would defeat Thronjaw. Together.
"Aru…" Jennifer whispered softly as she hugged Arata from behind, resting her head gently on top of his. "Everything will be fine," she assured him, her voice soothing and full of warmth.
Arata looked up at her, a small smile breaking through his worried expression. Jennifer's presence was like a balm to his troubled mind. "Thanks, Jenny," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.
Jennifer smiled back, her eyes sparkling with affection. "You should go back home, Aru. You need rest."
"Nah, I have to find out about Thronjaw's weakness," Arata replied, shaking his head. His determination was evident, but so was the weariness etched on his face.
"He is a calamity class Undergrounder, Aru. Even if you find a weakness, you won't keep up with his strength," Jennifer said softly, concern lacing her words. "Plus, Aru, your heart isn't in it. You're more worried about other things."
Arata sighed, leaning back into her embrace. "You read me like a book, Jenny."
"Of course I do, I've been doing it since we were high schoolers," Jennifer replied, a playful smile tugging at her lips. She moved to sit next to him, their shoulders touching. "You know, during our high school days, we were best friends… You loved me then as well, right?" she asked, resting her head on his shoulder.
Arata nodded, a hint of sadness in his eyes. "Why didn't you ever propose to me?" Jennifer asked, her voice barely a whisper.
Arata just smiled, looking down at their intertwined fingers. "I didn't want to lose what we had."
"You lost it anyway, Arata… After you left, I dated him for seven years. I tried to solve our problems every time until he cheated on me," Jennifer said, her voice breaking slightly. Arata squeezed her hand in silent support. "I broke up with him. A whole year later, it turns out he's a big bad monster who turned my brother into that thing, and now this," Jennifer sighed heavily. "I wish my parents, my brother were still alive…"
"I wish Sam was alive as well… I would've loved to bond with him again," Arata said, his voice thick with emotion.
Jennifer smiled through her tears, her hand caressing Arata's cheek. "You're nice, Arata. Always have been."
"Also, don't think too much about the squad. You know if you think too much, you will not succeed," Jennifer continued, her voice gentle but firm. "You always mess up when you think too much."
Arata chuckled, feeling a bit lighter. "Thanks, Jenny. I think I needed that."
Jennifer smiled warmly. "Of course, you're still my best friend," she said, snuggling closer to him.
"Just best friend?" Arata teased.
"I want you to say it first. Then I will respond," Jennifer replied, a playful glint in her eyes.
Arata chuckled, shaking his head. "Fine!" He paused, seeing the excitement in Jennifer's eyes as she lifted her shoulder.
Without warning, he flicked her forehead. "OUCH!" Jennifer yelped, holding her forehead. "You're cute," Arata said, his eyes twinkling with mischief.
Jennifer's face turned red, her cheeks heating up with a blush. She rested her head back on Arata's shoulder, pouting slightly. "I was expecting something more," she said, her voice soft and a bit pouty.
Arata laughed, enjoying their playful banter. They sat there in comfortable silence, Jennifer's breath evening out as she slowly drifted to sleep on Arata's shoulder. Arata watched her, a soft smile playing on his lips. "I love you, Jenny," he whispered, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead.
Jennifer's lips curled into a secret smile, her eyes remaining closed as she pretended to sleep. She felt a warmth spread through her chest at his words, knowing that even in the midst of chaos and uncertainty, their bond remained unbreakable.
Arata brings a blanket as it gets cold and gives it to Jennifer and tugs himself in it as well.
Morning sunlight streamed through the window, casting a warm glow over the room. Lila, Carly, and Elio were huddled inches away from Arata's face, their eyes wide with curiosity. Arata jolted awake, his heart racing. "WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU GUYS DOING?!" he yelled, sitting up abruptly.
Jennifer, who had somehow slipped onto Arata's lap during the night, stirred awake, yawning. "Goof mowning…" she mumbled, rubbing her eyes. She looked around, blinking in confusion. "What are you guys doing?"
Carly crossed her arms, smirking. "What were you two doing?" she asked, her tone teasing.
"Obviously, holding hands," Elio said with a grin, pointing at their still intertwined fingers. "Disgusting…" Lila added, her nose wrinkling in mock disapproval.
Arata shot Lila a glare. "You're one to talk," he retorted, rolling his eyes.
Alex walked in, his expression caught between amusement and awkwardness. "Umm…I hope I'm not interrupting anything," he said, glancing around the room.
"We just have two sleepyheads waking up," Lila said, plopping into a nearby chair and pulling out her phone. She began scrolling through it, only half paying attention to the conversation.
"Arata, the Commander wants to meet you," Alex said, his tone turning serious.
Arata frowned, swinging his legs off the couch. "What happened?"
"He didn't tell me. He wants to talk to you personally," Alex replied, crossing his arms.
Arata nodded, running a hand through his hair. "I'll be there then," he said, standing up.
As Arata made his way to the door, the bickering among the squad picked up again. "I can't believe you guys just watched us sleep," Jennifer said, shaking her head with a sleepy smile.
"Well, it's not every day we see our fearless strategist getting all cozy," Carly teased, nudging Elio.
"Hey, it's a free show," Elio added with a laugh. "Besides, it's kinda cute seeing you two like that."
With that, he stepped out of the room, the echoes of their banter following him down the hall. The team continued their light-hearted bickering, as Arata headed off to face whatever news the Commander had in store.
Arata stood outside room 456, taking a deep breath before knocking. "Excuse me, Commander?" he asked, seeking permission to enter.
"Hello, Arata," the Commander responded, his gravelly voice echoing in the quiet room. He rose from his seat, leaning heavily on his ornate cane as he walked to the center of the room. "Come," he commanded, striking the cane against the ground with a thud that reverberated through the space.
Arata stepped in, his eyes scanning the sparse room. It was almost empty, save for the Commander's chair and a few computers humming softly in the background.
"Tell me, do you know why you have been summoned?" The Commander's piercing gaze bore into Arata.
Arata shook his head, unsure of the reason. "No, sir."
"I will get straight to the point, then," the Commander said, his tone sharp and unforgiving. "You, Arata, are on the verge of losing your ringmaster status."
The words hit Arata like a punch to the gut. He struggled to process the shocking news.
"After your first win, I thought Alex had chosen someone who could be a true Wolfmaster," the Commander continued, his voice laced with disappointment. "But from what I've seen, you're nothing but a loser. You lost to Uriel, almost died to Butter, struggled against the Vampire Bat, and now, you had an encounter with Thronjaw and couldn't get any information out of him. So far, you have been nothing but useless against everyone."
The Commander's cane pointed directly at Arata's face, the tip inches from his nose. "You have one more chance," he declared. "Prove to me that you are not weak, and I will continue to indulge you as a ringmaster. Otherwise, say goodbye to your status."
Arata swallowed hard, his mind racing. "What if I do fail? Will my ring be taken away?"
Before the Commander could answer, the door opened, and a man stepped in. He wore a heavy black leather jacket, his brown skin marked with age and a few streaks of silver hair. His face was stern, a scar running down over one eye, giving him a permanently menacing look. He was of average height but carried an air of authority that filled the room.
"Jeremy Taylor, Squad A leader," the man introduced himself, his voice as hard as his features.
"You are Lila and Elio's father," Arata said, recognizing the name.
"I see you've met them," Jeremy replied curtly, handing a report to the Commander. He turned his cold gaze back to Arata. "As he says, you have one chance, Arata. If you mess up, say goodbye to your job."
Arata nodded, feeling the weight of the ultimatum. Jeremy walked away, but not before giving Arata a contemptuous glance.
"Jeremy is not happy with Alex starting a new squad, especially with his son and daughter in it," the Commander said after Jeremy left. "You are talented, boy, but talent doesn't mean leniency. You have put lives in danger—your own and many others. You were not strong enough to fight and were defeated, causing you to lose against your opponents over and over again."
The Commander's eyes narrowed. "You fluked the exam and got hold of the Wolf's power, but now, you are just a burden on the team. So, you better step up or go down."
The Commander's words hung heavy in the air as he returned to his seat, his back to Arata. "Now, leave!" he commanded, the finality in his tone undeniable.
Arata sighed deeply as he stepped out of the room, feeling the weight of the world on his shoulders. "Last chance, huh?" he muttered to himself, a sad smile on his face. "Let's give it our best, Wolf."
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