Chapter 69 [Early Surprise]

The station wagons stop in front of the warehouse base, I look at the rear-view mirror and notice both of them are asleep soundly at the backseat while leaning on each other. I get out of the station wagon and head to the backseat where I lift Catty in my arm gently. Cindy did the same thing for Kusagi and we brought them to Cindy room where we lay them down on the bed.

Kusagi turns and places her arms around Catty while Catty snuggles her head into Kusagi chest. I examine Cindy's room, the totally normal room is not what I expected, I have always expected the room to be messy.

Cindy and I exit the room after closing the door behind us. I walk to the couch and take a seat on it. Then, I clasp my hand together and rest my head on it. I kept on thinking about the wish Catty made.

This is what you mean, right? Aeterna. You want me to choose.

"I choose to protect..." I mutter under my breath.

"Cindy?" I called out to Cindy.

Cindy walks to her worktable and leans her back on it.

"Yes?" Cindy ask.

"Your right... I can't run away from it. We have to finish it, not for my revenge. It's for them" I said.

"Are you sure? because last night you said that you don't want to fight anymore." Cindy said.

"I really don't want too, but I cant leave thing just like this. Sooner or later, they will come for Catty and I don't want that to happen." I said.

"Then we skip the rest of the plan and attack their HQ," Cindy said.

I heard Cindy opening her drawer and grab a large roll of paper. She brought the roll of paper to me and lay it out on the coffee. The roll paper reveals a blueprint of the Anomaly HQ tower. 450-meter height, rectangle shape building with a flat top roof, around the building a parking spot large enough to fit 30 cars and a wall surrounding it.

"The reason why I want to bait the enemy force out of the Anomaly HQ is that the defense of the tower itself is impossible to break through with the amount of force there," Cindy said.

Then, she points at the two beam in front of the tower. "This two beam has a hidden Auto-Flax round turret that can pierce through an airplane, so we cant go through the front" Cindy explained.

"Because we baited some of their force out, I think the possibility that the enemy force defending the tower has lowered," Cindy said.

"At least that's a good news," I said.

"Hmm, if I can pass the two hidden turrets, what chance do I have to get to the top of the tower?" I ask.

"Why the top of the tower?" Cindy ask.

"Because I think my mother will be there. Call it a hunch," I said.

"Even if you manage to get pass through the turret, the building has a blast door on each level to trap and prevent an attacker from going even further," Cindy said.

I click my tongue in annoyance as I try to think of a way to get in the tower.

"If we can't go through the front door, what about the roof?" I suggest.

"Same, there is two hidden auto turret on top of the roof, they will blast you to shred the moment it detects you getting close to the tower," Cindy said.

"You got any idea?" I ask, looking at Cindy.

Cindy let out a grin.

"I have a Tank," Cindy said.

"Tank?" I said.

"Well... sort of, it's more of a decommissioned armored personnel carrier," Cindy said.

"When do you get a tank?" I ask.

"Last week, I was browsing the internet and bid on one just for fun. Tomorrow it will be shipped here on an airplane by a close friend" Cindy said.

"Even if we pass through the turret with the tank. We still can't pass through the blast door in each level," I said.

Silence falls on both of us as we try to think of another way to infiltrate the tower. Then, we both look at each other with wide eyes at the same time as an idea pop in our head.

"We can..." I said.

"Drop the tank on the building," Cindy said.

"That would be crazy," I said.

"But possible, if we get the right calculation. I can send you straight to the level you want to go" Cindy said.

"But we need to know exactly what floor that my mother is on," I said.

"I can get a contact to verified her whereabouts in the tower but I need some time," Cindy said.

"But we can't leave Catty and Kusagi here, it would be too dangerous, they know about us. I bet they know where our base is" I said.

"That is impossible, they might know where the area is but not exactly where our base is," Cindy said.

"But still we can't risk it," I said.

"Where are we going to drop them off? Luci place?" Cindy ask.

"No, too predictable," I said.

"Then who?" Cindy ask.

"Someone I know that can protect them," I said.

"No... Seriously?" Cindy said.

"We need to find her address," I said.

"Damn it... I'm on it," Cindy said.

Cindy left me alone to my thought as she walks to her work table and starts searching for her address. I unzip my jacket, unsheath my revolver from the holster and place it on the blueprint. I ran my fingers on the engraving on the barrel of the revolver, feeling it crevice and etching.

I kept getting drag back in into the fight.

But this times, it not for my revenge or honor. It's for them, to give them a life that I throw away to chase some petty revenge.

"You should get some sleep," Cindy said as she typing on her keyboard.

"It's going to take me a day to get what we want ready in the meantime you should rest." Cindy continued.

"I'm scared..." I said.

"What?... you the bravest person I know," Cindy said.

"I'm not brave, i'm not strong, i'm reckless, my power allows me to be reckless," I said.

"You fight, and fight until you get so hurt but you keep on fighting. Isn't that the definition of being strong" Cindy said.

"I relied on my power to do that, if I have no power, I would be dead back in that burning house a long time ago," I said.

"My power help but it doesn't help me to protect the one I love," I continued.

"I'm scared of losing," I said.

"We not gonna lose... you got me and those two great kids and many more. We gonna fight them and gave those two kids a chance to live a life. I know you can do this" Cindy said.

"Thank you for believing in me," I said, getting up from the couch and walk to my room.

"I hope you right..." I mutter.

After that, I arrive in my room. My eyes wander to the dried pile of bloody cloth on the corner. I begin to go through them, taking out my gauntlet and all of my useful stuff. I stumble across the red fabric I wear to a fight yesterday, I drop it back into the pile. I bring all my stuff to the bed and begins to clean it with a clean rag.

I clean the stuff all night and fall asleep while cleaning it.

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The next morning.

I feel my body shake by someone, opening my eyes, I saw Kusagi beside me with a smile on her face and her rabbit's ears perk up in the air. I scratch the back of her ears and she muzzles even close to my hand.

"Stop... it breakfast time, Cindy ready some food downstairs," Kusagi said while stepping away from my hand.

I sat up from the bed and the gauntlets on my chest fall to the side. I was cleaning last night and I must fall asleep while doing it.

Kusagi pulls my hand, trying to lift me up and I was surprised by her strength. I don't know that she was this strong. She was able to pull me up from the bed and drag me downstairs to the living room. I look at the kitchen, the big hole is still there and I forget to fix it. I should find a time to do it.

"Quickly!" Kusagi said.

When I arrive at the living room, the coffee table is filled with food, such as pancake, flapjack, and others breakfast food. I can see Catty already start eating the moment she saw me. Kusagi sat me down on the couch and shove me a plate of flapjack.

"Here!" Kusagi said.

"What the occasion?" I ask, grabbing the plate of flapjack.

"Wait here, i'm getting Cindy," Kusagi said then she left me with the plate of flapjack.

After a couple minute, I heard Cindy groans as Kusagi was pulling her out of her room and sat her down next to me. Kusagi then shoves a plate a pancake with ice cream to Cindy's hands.

"W-what going on?" Cindy ask.

"I thought you plan this?" I ask Cindy while looking at her.

"No way, I was sleeping," Cindy said, yawning before rubbing her eyelids.

"I took some money and went out to buy food," Kusagi said.

"Wait, did you steal from Cindy?" I ask with my eyebrow furrow.

"We wanted to surprise you guys with food, but I don't have any money to buy any food," Kusagi said, her demeanor shrunk.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to steal them," Kusagi said as she lowers her heads.

Catty quickly stand up with her mouth full of food and stand in front of Kusagi with her arm extend outward to defend Kusagi.

"We both wanted to thank you guys for taking us in and taking care of us. That's why Catty and I wanted to surprise you guys with food," Kusagi said.

"You know, you don't have to steal. You can just ask me, I willing to give you money," Cindy said.

"But, if I ask you guys then it won't be a surprise anymore," Kusagi said.

"I think it a good thing, you doing this, but don't steal, at least don't steal from family," I said.

"I'm sorry..." Kusagi apologized.

Catty lower her arms and hold one of Kusagi hand. She looks at Kusagi as if she talking to her, Kusagi nods her head toward Catty and said.

"We're both sorry."

Both of them apologize to me with big round eyes that just melt my heart. I glance at Cindy, I could see the same effect of those two big eyes on her. Cindy let out a long sigh before giving in to their cuteness.

"Apology accepted!" Cindy chimed and I nod.

Catty and Kusagi lift their head and a smile of relieved form on their face. I let out a smile and begins eating the flapjack. Kusagi and Catty look at me surprised to see me that I already begin eating.

"What are you waiting for? let's eat," Cindy said and then she begins to eat as well.

Catty and Kusagi seat down beside me and Cindy in the couch after grabbing a plate of food. We all enjoy our food while watching the early channel on the Television in front of us.