CODE X 777

C O D E 17 B R E A K

Lupin looked at the two ANDROIDS as they sat before him. Asselyum had already introduced them to him. He stared at them and then bowed.

"Hi, Lupin," Norman greeted him.

"So, you don't speak?" MiK asked, "OH MY GOD, YOU'RE SO SMALL AND CUTE! EVERYONE HERE IS SO SMALL AND CUTE!" MiK had been shouting for the past one hour. She brought her face close to Lupin and started shouting again, "YOU HAVE GREY EYES?! THEY ARE SO CUTE!"

Meanwhile, Lupin wrote something on a paper and showed it to her.

"Please be quiet, I can't even hear myself losing the will to live," It read and she stopped shouting immediately. She looked forward to staying with him.

Mr James had made the arrangements for them. They were given a room on the ground floor. He was just waiting for Valorie and Lucifer now. Then, the Xtreme 5 would be complete. But they must hurry—Because they needed them before the 5th Oblivion's attack.

"There have been constant reports of missing children in Manhattan and Brooklyn—With about 74 missing reports in a month. The police have been under constant pressure to trace the kidnappers. Many believe this to be a conspiracy since none of the parents has received any ransom calls from the kidnappers. This might be a severe case of human trafficking" Mr James watched the news on the TV while all of them sat in the bar.

"Seventy-four children? This is a lot!" Jimmy said.

"Do you think it's the X-DROIDS?" Slaine asked Asselyum.

"It's a C2" She replied, "C2 type prefers children's meat."

"They literally eat children?!"

"They will rend and devour alive any wounded man or beast; for blood excites them to madness. They will tear flesh to pieces." Norman explained.

"What a disgusting breed indeed," MiK said.

"Why aren't we doing anything?" Slaine asked, "You are here to save us!"

"You aren't ready. You don't even take fights seriously—What's the point?"

"Okay, fine I will!"

"That's not the only problem—We are weak. We don't stand a chance against a C2."

"But that doesn't mean you can give up!"

"Think logically. If you know you're not strong enough, aren't you just stupid—Putting yourself at the edge of life? Or do you want death so bad?"

"No, I don't."

"Then, you better not do anything reckless."

In the evening, Slaine went off to the streets on his skateboard while Axel was busy feeding Elron. Asselyum was in the bar with Mr James. Jimmy was inside the basement, working out by himself. He was busy doing his pull-ups on the bars near the computers when he felt someone standing before him.

He halted and gazed at him. It was MiK "You're exercising?" He asked.

"Yeah, a bit" He continued with the workout.

"You're Asselyum's coordinator, aren't you?" He asked.

"I am."

"Then, you won't mind if I test you a bit, right?"

"What—" Jimmy felt a strong push. He left the bars and fell on the computer, crashing on the floor.

"Ouch. Hey, are you—" MiK's eyes glowed bright blue like Asselyum's.

Jimmy got up. "This better be interesting."

Slaine went on skating smoothly as he reached the skatepark. He got on one of the vert ramps. He went down it and did a 360 on the other side of it. Then, he rolled back to the start and did a tail grab. But, his mind was elsewhere. Usually, the park was filled with scooter kids. Now, it was nearly empty. There were hardly any kids around—They were all teens or adults. He realised that things were beginning to change—That the threat was real and if he wanted, he could have saved those who were probably dead by then.

Suddenly, that same kid came in front of him. "Oh no!" They crashed. Slaine got up and brushed his pants "You again?" He asked. The kid got up and picked up his board.

"What was your name again?"

"Evelyn" He answered.

"Listen, Evelyn, I'm trying to relax and have a good time...And you are not letting me."

"I want you to teach me skateboarding too."

"Go ask your mom to get you into an academy." Slaine picked up his board and turned back. Evelyn grabbed his hoodie's tip "Mom won't let me."

"Your mom doesn't want you to skateboard?"

"No, she doesn't have the money to get me into an academy."

"How did she afford a skateboard then? Or did you steal it?"

"Somebody gave it to me."

"Ask that "somebody" to teach it to you then." Slaine got on his board and went off. Evelyn sat in a corner and stared at Slaine skate. Then, he just looked at his board.

After a while, Slaine came up to him "Why don't you play something else with your friends? Go play tag."

"I don't have any friends."

"Why?"

"Because their moms don't like me. They say I'm poor and dirty,"

Slaine turned for a moment. He remembered the bitterness the world gave him ever since he laid his bare feet on the thorns of humanity. He was sinking in the cold water of memories. Evelyn stared at him. Slaine smiled "Do you know how to get on the board?"

"I do! I practised, see—" Evelyn got on the board. Slaine noticed he was a regular. "Alright, we'll start with something simple."

"Ollie?"

"You wanna learn an ollie?"

"Yes!"

Meanwhile, Jimmy and MiK were finally done fighting. MiK won. Jimmy had bruises all over him. "Oh damn, I lost" He laughed "Aw man, it hurts."

"You better not fight any C2. You were lucky you've survived yet—Another counter and you'll die."

"In that case, what should I do?"

"Don't ask me. She chose you, not me." He was leaving the basement when he saw Asselyum stand at the door. He passed from just beside her. He looked into each other's eyes as both their eyes glowed blue. Jimmy looked at them.

"Why are you doing this?" She asked.

"To show you how wrong you were." He walked away. She turned and looked at Jimmy.

"Asselyum, is there some bad blood between you two?" Jimmy asked.

"He's just an important asshole. Anyways," She looked at the shattered computer, "Lupin is going to be mad."

"Why?" He looked at the computer "Oof. I'm pooped."

Asselyum walked towards him "Don't hit me! I'm sorry!" She touched his chest. He looked at her "Do you know that there's a part of me in you?"

"I do. It's a chip, right?"

"It's like an android's heart. We give that to the coordinator because it makes communication easier. I can listen to you even when you don't speak. And this time, I won't let my coordinator die."

Jimmy looked at her for a while. She had her head down, with her hand still pressed on his chest. 

Meanwhile, Slaine was back from the skatepark.

"Hi, Mr James! Where's everyone?" He asked.

"I don't know about others but Asselyum went to the basement."

"Got it. Thanks." Slaine went down the stairs and reached the door. He saw Asselyum stood before Jimmy.

"So, is it safe to say that your heart beats inside me?" He asked.

"Yes." She replied.

"Oof—That turned romantic, haha." He heard something and looked behind Asselyum but he saw nobody.

"Can you leave me now?" Jimmy smiled. Asselyum moved away from him and he patted her head "I'm not going to die—No way! I promise."

"...Okay."

Slaine hid behind the door 'Why the f**k am I hiding? I'm so f*****g annoyed.'

Soon, it was dinner time. Asselyum and the other ANDROIDS went for a charge in their rooms while all the boys had their dinner in the bar. The bar opened after dinner and then customers came in while everyone else went to their rooms.

"Hey Slaine, could you pass me some salt?" Jimmy requested.

"Go get it yourself." Slaine was colder than usual.

"Eh? Are you still sulking that I hit you? I'm sorry bro—"

"I'm fine with it. I'm done eating." Slaine left afterwards.

"He's rebellious, isn't he?" Mr James said "By the way, can somebody get me some spam? I need it for breakfast tomorrow."

Nobody seemed ready to do it so Lupin raised his hand.

"Thanks, Lupin."

Later, Lupin was returning back from Walmart when he saw Riley with his boys, walked into a dark street. He decided to follow them and peeped over the walls of the cemetery. They handed a packet to a boy looking about eighteen.

Lupin knew what was inside that packet. After all, that was how it all started for him.

-To be continued