Fawn relaxes when we pull up the familiar street leading toward one of Rey’s bases, and by extension, hers.

“What are we doing at a medic tent?”

“Medic tent?” I echo. I’ve been learning a lot of new things since meeting the five. Apparently, Rex’s rank in the organization is called ‘pawn’. I would say it's pretty accurate.

“It houses a bulk of our injured. We have a lot of people and a generous bit of Xoxia territory, but we’re still vulnerable to raids. The tents are the defensive line we fall back on when we’re hit.”

It’s a crude explanation but I get the gist of it, It’s not all chaos after all.

First thoughts at the occurrence of gang wars are that it's a mutual killing of a rowdy, disorganized and overly aggressive bunch of people. But no, from what I have seen from today alone, I can at least banish the thought.

This is organized crime. Highly organized.

“It’s where I stayed after I got shot.”

“Which time? The first or second?”

I raise a curious brow at this but answer nonetheless, “Uh...the second.”

She nods and explains, “Rey gave me a rundown of his time with you.”

“Right.” Because of course he did. I wonder what else he's spilt.

“So? Why are we here?” she insists.

“Oh, right. Well, it’s where I last saw my...friend.”

“The girl,” She frowns as I nod, “Rey did mention something about a girl, although in passing. Is she dead?”

“N-uh…” I catch my tongue at the word, realizing at that moment that I have no way of knowing.

She could be. Glancing up at the inconspicuous building, a house with many windows one could easily call a feature of the design, I consider that she could have jumped ahead to any point in the future.

We were underground...What’s to say this tent won't be blown up in the future?

“I don’t know,” I say at last.

Fawn only hums, her eyes lingering on me for a moment before turning back to her holo and shutting it down, “You should get going then, do what you came to do. Whatever that is.”

When the limo comes to a stop I step out and head over to the house, tracking through the piling snow. At the door I do not hesitate to push on the handle, only, it doesn’t budge.

Dropping a few knocks the door opens halfway, door chain bridging the way just enough so that the tip of a pistol almost pokes into my ribs.

“Passcode.” A pair of eyes peer at me from behind the door, neither of them looking in the mood to joke around .

“Uh...It’s me, Vern. I was here up until a few days ago.”

No change, the man behind the door continues to stare at me, unmoved and unaffected by whatever meaning my words may have had.

“I don’t know anyone like that. Rey? No. Passcode.” This time he emphasizes the need for the passcode jostling the gun between the frame.

Considering my face is all over the news these days and also because the Roundtable just made me their sixth member, I can't help feeling a bit awkward. I spare a glance back at the limo, it sits still and I can’t tell if Fawn is seeing any of this because of the tinted windows.

I let out a groan, my fists tightening in anger even though I understand to a degree the need for a passcode, even if it’s a simple as a verbal one. It is pretty easy to assume an entirely new identity these days, even if that identity is someone else's.

For an embarrassing moment, I struggle with the man, trying hopelessly to let me in. In the first place, I’m not sure why I’m in such a rush, if I really needed I’m sure I could get Rey to come let me in, or better yet, make a call and ask for the damned passcode.

There isn’t any need to get in right now but I'm fuming, “Let me in or I swear to god I will bang this door in your teeth!”

“Whoa there, maybe want to take it easy?” A slender hand rests on my shoulder, it’s Fawn, she stares at me with a questioning look.

My eyes tear away once I realize, Fawn steps a bit closer and whispers something that makes the man click the door open with a bow. Good thing too, I’m trying to avoid his eyes after that outburst.

Although stewing in the embarrassment of losing my cool, I don’t forget to analyze the need for whispering.

Fawn makes sure to whisper the passcode to the man although naming me a trainee tells me there is still much about me they don’t trust.

With her, by my side, we get through to the underground where the majority of the sick stayed. They aren’t all gang members, many of them are affiliated with actual members. Parents, spouses, uncles, cousins, friends. Invincibill has a healthcare plan that covered the family.

Sounds like a pretty sweet deal. Crime does pay.

When we get to where I keenly remember staying - there’s a strip of curtain between every bed, creating makeshift rooms fitted for the underground - there’s someone in there now so I’m not let in.

I could barge in but my chest feels far too heavy for any more blatant aggression. “Are you okay?” I hear Fawn ask, her voice rippling in my ears.

Strangely, I whimper back to her, “Yuh.” I gasp at the sound of my failed attempt at speech and spiral into pain as my breath hitches and continues to do so, turning me into a hyperventilating mess.

“Vern, hey Vern.” She isn’t scolding, she’s hushing, soothing, “It’s okay, you can let it all out.”

As if waiting all this time for her exclusive permission to do so, I wail.

***

I spare Fawn the hassle of looking at my face some more and sink into my shirt. I didn’t mean to do any of that, in fact, I don’t think I meant to do anything at all. I just…

A heavy sigh passes my lips, my head lightly bouncing off the car door. Done crying my eyes out in a marvelous display of exactly how powerful and terrifying I am, Fawn and I are now headed back to the Residence.

I’m not sure what to think of the place, not sure what picture to paint. A place where a Playboy, Pyrokinetic, Muscle freak, a gloomy lady no taller than I am and a kid named Symphony live together.

With their mixmatch of personalities it’s hard to paint a single picture where they truly live together. I’d ask Fawn to explain the arrangements further but well...I’d rather not look at her right now.

Especially since she hasn’t bothered to say anything since we left the tent, I’m not sure what she’s thinking. From the reflection on the glass window of the door I can see she’s gone on fiddling with her holo again. Whatever it is, it seems important.

Could be she’s far too busy to be bothered about it. I console myself with this thought just as we pull up through a rough path. I take a peek out my shirt and find the road ahead is clear and free of snow.

For some reason this raises some suspicions with me.

We chug on ahead some more until things get even stranger. Through the dark tinted glasses I can clearly see...colour, colour on the trees that line the path.

Quick to forget my previous inhibitions I turn to Fawn to ask an explanation when a zap of static rushes through every fibre of me.

“Ouch! What was that!”

Fawn is unfazed but her hair is frizzier than before, thinning into visible single strings of hair you could pick out.

“Hm? Oh, just a side effect really.” She mutters, booting up her band. When did she turn it off?

“Side effect of what?”

“The weather machine...machines? I’m not sure how many there are.” As though to punctuate her point, she winds down her glass, a waft of air so fresh and soft billows in.

Outside there’s...grass, trees with several colours, green, red. I glance at one with fruits and my heart skips a beat.

“You have a weather machine?” I nearly exclaim.

She looks at me strangely, as if it’s a no brainer that they did but the look washes off her face as she mouths and ‘Oh’

“What, you guys have a weather machine in Xoxia and you don’t even...I don’t know, share it? It’s cold out there.”

“It’s not really our problem whatever’s happening out there. And the machine isn’t really ours to give out in some inane thought of charity, it’s Symphony’s yeah but it’s Invincibill’s as well. He gets first say.”

Considering this for a moment I wonder, “Did Symphony build it? Is he some kind of technical genius?”

She chuckles at this, “Symphony? No, that’s Dennis, but we didn’t make it, we...tactically acquired it.”

“Tactically acquired?” I scoff, knowing full well what she means. “Fine, but then can’t you like, have Dennis build some more?”

This time she stares at me incredulously, “Out of what? Do you have some alienware we’re not aware of? If you do let us know and we’ll get right on making weather machines.”

Right...aliens.

I let the subject die there and concern myself more with the expansive estate we’ve driven into. It’s picturesque of peak luxury and wealth as far as I can tell.

The limo comes to a stop right out the entrance into the mansion. My hands reach for the handle, my feet eager to set foot on the green grasses, something I’ve only seen so much of, but the door swings open and before me is...a robot?

It’s humanoid and dressed like a butler, but it’s head literally looks like a toaster.

“Uh…” I start cautiously but it speaks.

“Welcome to the Residence, your presence has been prepped for Master Vern, adjustments will be made to your satisfaction.” It gives a courteous bow and beckons me out of the limo.

I would turn to Fawn but she’s already been handled. Her head still in the holo she walks past the robot, “Hurry it up, We’ve got a tour to cover.”

“Right, right...uhh...thank you?”

“You’re very welcome, Master Vern.”

The tune of being called a ‘Master’ sends funny chills down me. Ignoring the toaster robot and the soothing smell of grass, I rush after Fawn who has long since passed yet another toaster-bot holding the door open.

The interior of the mansion is...well, it’s a mansion. Where the floor isn’t covered with soft carpets I can see my face as clearly as I would in a mirror. Dead ahead, beyond the necessary double stairs is a room full of furniture, inside I spy Dennis, the playboy tinkering about in the open back of what I’m sure are his creations, the toaster-bots.

“Finally made it,” his words are muffled and distorted by the tool in his mouth.He pulls it out and speaks clearly, waving it at us, “Sure took your time, not like we were waiting for you or anything.”

“Oh shut it would you? We made a single stop along the way.” Fawn snaps.

“Did you at least bring something back?”

She answers him as she leaves, yelling, “What more could you want!”

A question he doesn’t provide an answer to, There couldn’t be much else, could there?

I save the musings for later, Fawn is fast-footed and I’m scared of getting lost in this place.

With her leading the way we tunnel down a few halls, there are many rooms but she doesn;t say a thing about any of them until we get to one at the end, quite far away from the entrance.

“Here’s your room, you’ll be staying here for the time being, at least until…”

“Until you’re sure you can trust me.” I finish for her, it’s been unspoken until now, her suspicion.

She nods. “Stay in here, I’ll be back with a few things.” Before she leaves she swipes her wristband across the surface of the door and it clicks open, letting me in.

Much like the rest of the place, the room is fully decked out. A bed that looks new, with sheets and a mattress that calls me. An end table, dresser, and some drapes. But the windows are what catch my breath.

“I get to see this view every time I wake up?”

Out the casement windows is a lush garden, tended by toaster-bots wearing...straw hats?

I don’t mind the oddity, but at the same time it strikes me that where life blooms the most in Xoxia is none other than the home to several Villains.

Myself included.